Laying foundations for change in Marlborough

Marlborough College was a co-educational high school until 1963, when it became Marlborough Boys’ College and the separate Marlborough Girls’ College was established.

The co-location of Marlborough Girls’ College (MGC) and Marlborough Boys’ College (MBC) to a new shared campus, and the relocation of Bohally Intermediate to the existing Boys’ College site has been named Te Tātoru o Wairau by local iwi to represent three strands (kura) woven and working together.  

In 2015, the Marlborough community opted for a co-located secondary school model on a green-fields site. By 2018, when a suitable site could not be found, the decision was made to use the current Girls’ College and Bohally Intermediate sites for the co-location. 

While it has taken some years to get to the current master planning stage, MBC deputy principal Michael Heath says that has been a real positive. He has been supporting the work around co-location since 2016 and is currently involved in prototyping innovation and change management for the boys’ college.

“We’ve made the most of the time and have been able to question what we think we need for the future and take groups around the country to visit different schools as part of the original writing of the brief.

“At the beginning I was a bit sceptical that we might lose some of the history and tradition if we move. But very quickly, I could see that the opportunities were massive and that we could still maintain some of that history and tradition,” he says.

Defining co-location

Working with Jo Chamberlain, deputy principal at MGC at the time, Michael says that quite early on it was decided to write one education brief for both schools around how co-location would look in Marlborough. 

“The Ministry has really allowed us to define what co-location means for Blenheim. In Christchurch, where parents have more options, Avonside Girls’ High School and Shirley Boys’ High School are co-located single sex schools. But in Blenheim, there are no co-ed options. 

“There are people in the community who want co-ed, or more social opportunities for boys and girls to interact in that age group. Our co-location is about getting the best of single-sex classroom learning, but the campus will be integrated,” says Michael.

Best of both worlds

MGC principal Mary-Jeanne Lynch has been in the role since 2018 and MBC principal John Kendal (Tapuika of Te Arawa) joined the school at the beginning of 2021.

They are both excited at how the rebuild and co-location opportunities will lead them into the future. The combined rolls of the two schools will be around 2,500 students, with further projected roll growth.

Mary-Jeanne was deputy principal at Avonside Girls’ High School in Christchurch and involved in leading their co-location and rebuild mahi. She explains that her vision for co-location is that they are two schools on one campus, and suggests that the question, ‘are you two separate schools, or one big co-ed school?’ is a binary approach. 

“I’m into the notion that co-location provides an awesome opportunity to be ‘both, and’. We’re both single sex schools providing girls-only and boys-only learning for our students; AND we also provide the opportunity for co-ed socialisation,” she adds.

Tradition and history will still be valued in the new co-located schools. Michael Heath (right) with Peter and Jenny Olliver, who have nine decades of teaching between them, two thirds of which were at MBC.

John agrees. “There will be lots of opportunities for cross-over. Our whānau areas within the school will be separate, but we know that in the senior school, as we look to prepare our students for life beyond secondary school, we want them to be able to work effectively with the opposite gender, because that’s what we get in the real world.”

Currently some students can study some subjects at the other school across town, but the shared campus will offer students increased access to curriculum options, resources and specialist teachers.

“Subjects like foreign languages will become more viable because there will be a 2,000-plus student pool,” says Michael.

“The other quite exciting areas are things like technology. It will be exciting to offer a range of technology pathways to both girls and boys. At the moment, if a girl wants to do engineering, she has to come to Boys’ College to do it, which is a bit of a barrier, so it will be easier for that sort of inter-change to take place,” he says.

Flexible learning environments

While the secondary schools have previously run on more traditional lines largely dictated by the architecture of single cell classrooms, the new builds will catapult the kura into 21st Century pedagogies. 

The education and design briefs will feature flexible learning environments with more opportunities for collaborative and cross-curricular teaching. 

In the past few years, both schools have been developing cross-curricular programmes in their junior schools, with teachers at MGC designing new integrated context-based courses and teaching collaboratively.

“We will continue to have ongoing PLD for staff around collaborative planning and teaching, how to plan cross-curricular, or integrated courses and looking at differentiation and how to meet all of the needs of learners. We’re using the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) framework to underpin that,” says Mary-Jeanne.

The two schools have been aligning policies at Board level and staff members from both schools are involved in Te Tātoru o Wairau work streams which include operations, school culture and curriculum. Timetables have been aligned and the schools share some common systems and structures.

Whānau-based model

Wellbeing and pastoral care are key to the vision for the new schools, which will be designed around a whānau-based model. The built environment will feature dedicated spaces for each house, or whānau group, with students doing some learning in these spaces.

“Our focus is on the pastoral space,” explains John. “We know, traditionally, that if you come here as a Year 9, the transition from intermediate to secondary school can be somewhat daunting; so we’re wanting to break those barriers down.

“We want to ensure that through a whānau system, we’ve got that tuakana teina. We’ll have a family-based grouping from Year 9–13. We believe that will have a lot of positive outcomes for our boys and that creates that brotherhood that makes things hum,” he says.

Mary-Jeanne believes that creating a whānau setting for learning will ensure ākonga have a sense of belonging and feel that their culture and identity is valued.

“If we have a campus of up to 3,000 students, it’s going to be so easy for some to get lost. We are trying to achieve that personalised, family culture so that every student is supported and honoured; their progression is supported, and they don’t get lost,” she says.

Master planning

Master planning for the new campuses will begin this year. New layouts will be developed for the three schools and building locations and cultural features will be finalised.

The new co-located colleges will have a combined floor area of more than 22,700m². Nearly 130 teaching spaces will provide capacity for 2,500 ākonga across the two kura, and future combined roll growth will also be considered.

A timeframe has not yet been established for this complex project which will be managed by Te Tumu consortium – 12 specialist companies led by Naylor Love. 

Nicky Cameron-Dunn, principal of Bohally Intermediate, says that the biggest community concern is around how the project will cause the least disruption to ākonga and their learning.

Scott Evans, infrastructure and digital hautū at the Ministry of Education, explains that master planning considers ways to minimise disruption to teaching and learning during construction and relocation of the kura. 

“The requirement to completely rebuild three kura on two campuses, while still operating fully functioning kura on those sites, makes this a highly complex project. The Ministry, iwi and kura remain committed to ensuring that teaching and learning isn’t heavily disrupted during construction,” he says. 

Faces of the future: teachers from both colleges (from left) Hamish Mckerrow (Ngai Te Rangi), Alex Murdoch, Jenny Pullin, Louisa King (Ngāti Kahungunu), Maisie Blackwood, Blair Cameron.

Logistics

“At this stage, it’s really about putting down the groundwork for the future of quality teaching and learning, and building confidence amongst our staff about change, and building leadership capacity amongst all of our staff,” says Mary-Jeanne.

With an enormous task ahead of them, she explains that the leadership team needs to problem-solve and maintain high quality teaching and learning for all ākonga now, but with a future focus, so that when a new building is ready, the schools are ready for change.

John adds that it will be exciting once they have done the master plan, to give the community something to see. 

“The Ministry of Education has been very good at recognising that this is an educational transformation project, rather than a building project, and that the human side of it is the make-or-break side of it. 

“We are conscious of the fact that we have to operate while the project is underway and Te Tumu are exploring the best options for the way that they phase and stage it which will minimise disruption,” he concludes. 

For more about the project, see Te Tātoru o Wairau(external link)

Iwi partnerships enhance biculturalism

For local iwi – Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toa, Rangitāne and Ngāti Kuia – Te Tātoru o Wairau is a golden opportunity to make a difference in education in Wairau Blenheim, says Michelle Lavender, pou ārahi/operations manager for Ngāti Rārua.

Speaking on behalf of the iwi working group, Michelle says group members look at the project as being more than just constructing some buildings. 

“For us, it’s a chance to really influence the way that education is delivered here to encourage those better outcomes that we have wanted for our Māori children for a long, long time,” she says.

“In the last 12 months we have got on board with our mātauranga work stream, working with all our iwi, particularly the mana whenua of this area, and they want their tamariki to know the purākāu stories of this area. If you don’t truly embed the histories and stories of local mana whenua and Māori, it just becomes a tick-box exercise,” adds John.

The colleges’ principals and local iwi are working in partnership on the project. From left: Te Kenehi Teira (representing the four iwi involved in the project), Mary-Jeanne Lynch, John Kendal and Michelle Lavender.

Strategic goals

Michelle says that each of the eight iwi in Marlborough have slightly different strategic goals, but they all aspire to the same objective: their tamariki having choices.

“We all want them to receive an education, formal or informal, that will set them up to succeed in life. That aspiration hasn’t changed over the last 100 plus years. It’s making sure that our school environments are conducive to that for our kids – they need to be places where Māori students see themselves, where they feel safe,” she says.

Te Tātoru o Wairau has removed barriers to engagement between iwi and the schools and Michelle says that already the working group is setting up opportunities where teachers can learn from iwi experts who have rich skill sets and knowledge.

“We’re very excited about it. Most people engaged in the project are super-keen to learn and be part of the process. We really think it will become an exemplar for schools in Aotearoa going forward – ways that you can work together. 

“When you sit with a teacher or administrator and have a conversation about ‘what’s important to us as Māori?’ they can reflect on that and realise that’s important to them too; we’re not different at all,” she says.

Cultural practice

A local iwi member has been interviewing experts in each of the iwi and is writing a cultural narrative, which the working group hopes will be a jumping off point, not only incorporated into the building design, but also for teachers to use as curriculum resources. The narrative will be made available to all schools in the region.

Iwi are also hoping that the kōrero happening as a result of the building project will provide them with opportunities to share their cultural practices with the schools.

“When we look at a lot of our cultural practices, they’re all about grounding people, about being grateful. The whole reason we start a meeting with a karakia is so that people can leave all the other stuff from their day at the door and come into the space and be really focused. 

“If we give time and importance to those things in our schools, we think our students will become more grounded and that behaviour will improve. We want people to use our practices, but to also use them to explore their own cultures,” explains Michelle.

“Having that shared cultural narrative will make it easier for students transitioning from school to school. If we also have the backing of the iwi, we know that the cultural stories that we are sharing are correct and true,” adds Nicky. 

Future-proofing Bohally Intermediate

Nicky Cameron-Dunn.

Bohally Intermediate principal, Nicky Cameron-Dunn (Ngāi Tahu), has taught in Marlborough for 33 years and is excited to be involved with a project that will meet the needs of early adolescents in the district in a future-focused way.

“We will end up with something that is part of us, not something that is just given to us and that we’re moving into,” she says.

Nicky likes the concept of developing flexible learning spaces in the new school and explains why.

“I think there’s been a wave of designing around open plan, big multi-purpose rooms with lots of kids. The research I have done for this age group is that it isn’t ideal for all learners. I’m looking at a more flexible learning model – that you’ve got the ability to work in smaller groups and still have the ability to open up for collaboration when you need to.

“We know that our students at this age are trying to find new relationships with adults they can trust and having smaller groups with one teacher increases that relationship and trust model. I’m not against open plan, but not all of our students are self-managing and they’re even less so when they’re going through puberty. Putting them in an environment where they have to be self-managing can set them up for failure,” she says.

Currently, Bohally teachers work collaboratively in five hubs, or whare, each consisting of four classes. Nicky says this teaching and learning model will be taken to the new school with each whare having a unique identity.

“It’s the model of open plan learning, but we’re also allowing teachers to have those really strong connections with their homeroom,” she explains.

Unique and authentic

Te reo Māori and kapa haka have traditionally been a strength of the school, and Nicky is excited that this year a bilingual class will be re-introduced. 

She is working closely with iwi and the ‘awesome’ Te Tumu design team to ensure that ākonga Māori see themselves in the new school.

“Iwi want their students to flourish – ultimately they will become future leaders not only of iwi corporations but globally also. We have that joint vision for ākonga Māori and high expectations for all our learners,” she says.

Nicky explains that Bohally is  working closely with iwi on the project so that the new facility will have a unique and authentic identity. 

“I would hate someone to pull up to our school and think that it could be anywhere in New Zealand. We want it to have a real connection to our landscape and local stories through the iwi, so it makes it a bit more grounded and special.”

Technology centre

The Marlborough Technology Centre has been in the grounds of Bohally since the 1990s and the purpose-built facility is much loved by staff and students. It’s likely it will be relocated.

“It is beautiful but there’s no reason that we can’t create something just as great on a new site. We just have to have an open mind that whatever we end up with will be great and future-proof us for another 30, 40, 50 years,” Nicky concludes.

Marlborough Technology Centre