Turning An Area School around – lessons for new principals of underperforming area schools 

When Principal Vicki McIntyre took on Akaroa Area School in 2023, she came into a school that had recently been under the care of a commissioner, when the Board of Trustees resigned.

Vicki says: “I came into an extremely low-performing school. The core issue was dysfunctional, long-term leadership. There was a lack of ownership of the school’s performance, poor accountability, and no supportive systems and processes. Learning activities weren’t aligned to the curriculum. That led to poor teaching practices and disengaged kids.” 

This sounds bleak. And there’s no question that turning Akaroa Area School around was (and continues to be) a challenge. However, this situation is also not exceptional. 

As a Learning Engagement Specialist, I support progressive new principals taking on schools that need to be turned around. My speciality is helping principals transform schools in remote rural locations, and Akaroa Area School is not uniquely dysfunctional.

Rural area schools face special challenges

These regional area schools span year zero to year 13, so you’re teaching little kids learning to write their name right through to teenagers studying for NCEA. Area schools are called rubber band schools because they’ve fewer staff but all the responsibilities of a bigger school. Teachers wear a lot of hats. They’re stretched thin. Many principals have experience with primary or secondary schools, not both – definitely not both at once. It can be a steep learning curve. 

Remote rural schools also  lack the cross pollination of ideas that occurs in cities. As a result, area schools can be operating below par yet be unaware of the fact . And this insularity can breed a culture of complacency. Teachers who’ve been there a while can settle into unproductive habits. They can be suspicious of new ideas and hostile to change. Akaroa Area School was struggling with all those issues.

Chaos was a key factor creating dysfunction at this school

Vicki recalls the school culture when she started her role in Akaroa. “Chaos was used as a tool to control the staff. When there are no systems, leaders can change their minds and turn your world upside down. You can be asked to teach with no planning or support. You don’t know how leaders will react or how they’ve going to make you feel. Chaos makes people vulnerable. It creates a culture of blame and mistrust. And it's easy for poor performers to hide. Putting systems in place to minimise chaos has been a key strategy for change.”

In Vicki’s first year as principal, she identified the school had no proper development and growth mechanism for staff. She says: “When you came here as a teacher, there was no induction or support. When new teachers were sabotaged by the kids because they hadn’t been given the guidance they needed to succeed, it was seen as their fault.”

Vicki brought in a specialist to appraise staff capabilities and three teachers were identified as needing support. Vicki explains: “Building their skills was one of my top priorities. They were at risk of losing their career because the school hadn’t done its job. Lisa was recommended to me to coach these teachers and help me get systems in place.” 

Coaching underperforming teachers

Typically, I work with a school for two-three years. Initially, I become part of your team to help you get momentum, then shift to part time, then to support as needed. Becoming imbedded in your team is vital to build the relationships, trust, and confidence needed to put ideas into action and create a positive culture. My practice is informed by the te ao Māori principles of whanaungatanga and kotahitanga – connection and unity. And I know from experience that change comes from boots on the ground. 

At Akaroa, I started out engaged as acting deputy principal for a term. This allowed me to observe each teacher two-three times a week for ten weeks. Our initial coaching goals were to help the teachers manage behaviour in the classroom, plan for the curriculum and student needs, and use assessments to inform their planning.

Key success factors for coaching teachers are observation, reflection, feedback, and offering a sounding board. I observed each teacher in the classroom, giving them exercises to help them reflect on their work. Building critical thinking and self-awareness is essential, so teachers start to see themselves where they can improve. 

Teachers met me weekly for feedback. We reviewed their planning, reflected on what went well in their lessons and what they’d do differently. Next time I observed them, I’d look at how much feedback they’d picked up. The teachers could ask for help anytime on anything – from teaching a new topic, to a student who needs extra support. This intensive coaching meant all three teachers made fast progress. Vicki says, “Lisa has done a great job. One of her strengths is her ability to form relationships with people quickly. The growth and empowerment for those three teachers has been phenomenal in a short time.” 

Aligning teaching to the curriculum 

When Vicki took over at Akaroa Area School, planning was weak. Teachers were going from activity to activity rather than aligning their practice with the curriculum. At the end of 2024, Vicki formed a curriculum team to outline expectations for unit plans, draft templates for lessons, and agree a framework for teaching the curriculum. When I came in, I helped build on that base to give teachers clear structure and accountability for curriculum delivery. 

To align teaching to the curriculum, we needed to know what was being taught. But we couldn't work that out because not all the Akaroa teachers were planning lessons in advance. So, we changed gear. We asked teachers to submit their teaching plan for the year, along with a full plan for the first unit they were going to teach.

Vicki says, “We offered everyone the chance for Lisa to coach them with their unit planning. Then in term two, Lisa helped me review everyone's plans. Some teachers were fully onboard. Some wanted to plan but didn’t know how. And some resisted. A group of teachers who’d been at the school for a long time weren’t happy about having to step up.”

The next four weeks were spent having professional practice conversations with the teachers, looking at their planning, and setting next steps. Vicki says: “Lisa's got real expertise delivering curriculum, so it's been really valuable for her to lead this project. And it’s helpful that it’s not always me critiquing the team and imposing new ideas. Lisa presents best practice as normal. She says, if you went to other schools you'd be planning lessons like this. She modelled good teaching practice and she co-planned and co-taught classes with staff. It's been an enabling time for those who want to be enriched.”

Vicki’s advice for other new area school principals 

Many new principals in area schools find themselves addressing similar challenges to those Vicki encountered on her arrival at Akaroa. So, I asked Vicki for her advice for other new principals in her shoes. She has three key takeaways. 

1: Do your big vision work first

Vicki started by making sure Akaroa Area School had a clear vision and a strategic plan. She explains: “We used an external facilitator to lead a discussion around our vision for the school. We brought the staff and the board together, so they were listening to each other. As a result, our plan is co-owned by the staff and the Board of Trustees because they’ve all had their say. We’ve agreed on our purpose, our vision, and the core functions we’ll focus on.” 

It's important for Vicki to keep everything she does connected to the strategic plan. She says: “I want the team to be able to see how everything is all aligned to our purpose. In the past, chaos was used as a weapon. So, it’s important for me to show the team the changes we’re making are well reasoned and clearly linked to the plan they’ve agreed.” 

2: Put your school under the microscope

In 2024, Vicki reviewed the school at every level. She says, “The Board and I needed to get to the bottom of what was happening. Why was the school underperforming so badly? We didn’t want to put plasters on superficial problems and leave things festering underneath.” 

“We conducted reviews with the kids, their parents, and the staff. We had external specialists like Lisa coming in and looking at how everything was done. It was hard on the staff, but if we don't  know where our challenges are, we can't address those challenges.”

3: Build a wise support group 

Vicki was a primary school principal coming into an area school. She explains: “I know about good pedagogy practice, culture, and leadership, but I don't know about NCEA. And I’ve been very upfront about that and active in seeking advice focused on best practice. I've built a network of experts like Lisa to consult with and test ideas. Lisa has experience at primary and secondary school level and has trained teachers at NZGSE – the New Zealand Graduate School of Education. The Board has been supportive in funding external specialists whenever I've needed help to execute our strategic plan.”

Turning the waka in stormy seas

By removing the chaotic environment and supporting people behaving positively, Vicki has begun to transform the culture at Akaroa Area School.

Vicki says: “It's been good having Lisa observing what’s happening in school meetings. And professionally, it’s been great to have an expert to test my thinking with. She’s validated my plan for the things we need to do. Lisa keeps us focused on the kids.”

There’s work still to be done. Turning a school around is a long-term game. Vicki is about to undertake a senior leadership review. Yet all the hard work is already starting to pay off. Vicki says, “The staff willing to engage in the process have really grown in self-belief. They’ve found their voice and become active partners in change. We’re starting to see real collegial support for each other and that is awesome to see.”

“The specialist who did the appraisals for our teachers last year came back this week. She said, ‘Last year the teachers didn't talk about their teaching. This time the teachers are talking about how learning is progressing and how they can do a better job teaching. They’ve taken ownership and accountability in a new way.’”

“I’m not the only new principal to walk into an interesting situation. So, I've had interest from other schools. And I've already recommended Lisa to school principals who’ve contacted me because they need to turn their school around. If you need to get teaching, learning, or curriculum systems in place, or you need any type of teacher performance coaching, I recommend getting Lisa in as a support. Lisa is an expert in these things. 

Support to turn your area school around 

Turning a school around is all about creating an optimal learning environment and I can help with all aspects of that. At Akaroa I coached teachers, embedded new skills like planning aligned to the curriculum, supported working groups to become more active and accountable, and helped put wider school systems and processes in place. 

If you’re a progressive principal going into a new school as a new broom knowing you’ve got heavy lifting to do, I’m your secret weapon. I’ve got your back, especially if you haven’t dealt with the particular challenges of a remote area school before.