The Arahoe School Board

"A board’s primary objectives in governing a school are to ensure that:

from The Education Act 2020, S. 127

Purpose of a School Board

Every state and state-integrated school in New Zealand has a board. Boards bring families, communities and schools together to work towards a quality education for our children.  The role of the school board is the governance and control of the management of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school and appoints a principal to provide the day to day management of the school. The Principal is required to comply with the board’s general policy directions but has discretion to manage the school on a day to day basis. The board focuses on the vision and policies for the school and is ultimately accountable for the school’s performance and compliance with legal requirements.

Board Members

Regan Solomon  (Presiding Member)

My wife Jesse and I have four children. Our eldest two attended Arahoe School and are now at college and our third is at intermediate school. Our youngest boy aged 8 attends Arahoe. As Board memberI want Arahoe to foster a love of learning amongst its pupils to ensure students who need additional support receive it, and that teachers are supported to excel in the class room. 

Amy Sexton

Our family have had a relationship with Arahoe since 2013 when our eldest child started in as a new entrant in Ara Teina,. She thrived at Arahoe and is now at Green Bay High School. My youngest finished Year 6 in 2023 and loved being at Arahoe.  I have previously been involved with the ACG and am now fortunate to be able to continue my involvement with Arahoe and its community in my second term as a Boared member. I am a Chartered Accountant with a Masters in Taxation Studies, and work as a Tax Associate Director in a large accounting firm, with a focus on the technical training and development of staff (that is when I am not an unpaid Uber driver ferrying my kids around to various activities). I look forward to being able to utilise my financial and policy skills to help Arahoe, its staff and students continue to grow and thrive.  

Anna Edlington

My relationship with Arahoe School began almost 11 years ago when our eldest child began her schooling journey. My husband, Richard, and I have since had two children complete their primary school years at Arahoe.
Our youngest child, Riley, is currently in Year 4.

Education runs in my blood having grown up with a father who was a teacher and then going on to train as a Secondary School Maths teacher myself. I have a passion for seeing students succeed, including those with complex learning needs.

In the past I have been involved with the Arahoe Community Group (PTA) and I am looking forward to now being involved at a School Board level.

George Te Rangi Woolford

Julie Marra

My husband Preston and I have two children – Theo, the youngest, is in Year 2 (2024) and Charlie is in Year 6. You will typically find me outside the Lalaga Pod classrooms or somewhere in between Lalaga and Te Ara Nui (senior school). As a Board member I want to help our school to become the best school for our tamariki/children. I am passionate about supporting our kids to reach their full potential whether in academia, sports, art, culture or whatever they are into. I want our kids to love coming to school to be the best version of themselves that they can be. And give them a safe environment to grow through practice, trial and error.

Michelle Sadgrove (Staff Trustee)

I am the Music Specialist Teacher here at Arahoe kura. I am of Māori and NZ European descent and whakapapa to Te Rarawa in the Hokianga. I have been teaching at Arahoe School for 27 years and both my children plus two of my moko were students here. I am also a member of Te Rōpu Awhina whose kaupapa (purpose) is to work together with our whānau Māori to create a positive learning environment for their tamariki where their language and culture is respected and their values reflected throughout our school. My purpose for being on the Board as a staff representative is to learn from and support our Tumuaki (Principal) and bring a teacher’s perspective in discussions where needed. I have lived in New Lynn for 41 years and am very proud of our school and the tamariki I have had the pleasure of teaching – I am excited to see it thrive under our new tumuaki and our Arahoe School Board. 

Louis Heap  (Tumuaki / Principal)

As Tumuaki / Principal of the school it is my privilege to work with this group of dedicated parents who give their time and expertise to ensure our school is governed well and managed responsibly. I am passionate about implementing the school's strategic direction and hold the needs of learners front and centre in the decisions I make – this position is summed up well by the whakatauki "Ko te Tamaiti te Pūtake o te Kaupapa – The child: the heart of the matter."

What do the Board of Trustees do?

The school board has the overall responsibility for the governance of the school, including meeting certain legal obligations, responsibility for property, personnel, financial management, reporting to the Ministry and school community, and meeting national requirements set by the Ministry of Education. 

The board sets direction through the school strategic plan that the Principal and staff then put in place. It must also monitor and report annually on its progress towards these goals.

Board Meetings

The Board meets twice a term from February through to December. Meetings are open to the public however they are not public meetings where everyone has the right to speak. Speaking rights can be granted in advance by the Board Presiding Member. Sometimes parts of the meeting are closed to the public when the board is discussing confidential matters. 

In a typical board meeting you may see

How or why you might contact the Board

Any matters that concern the day to day management of the school (whether administrative or educational) should in the first instance be directed to the school management. If you do not believe the school management has adequately dealt with your issue you may then escalate this to the Board Presiding Member.

Contact details for the school office and all teachers are available on the Our Staff section on this website. If your concern is about a matter which you don't feel able to discuss directly with the teacher or is of a more general nature you can then contact the Learning Leader of your child’s syndicate:

Or at any time please feel free to contact the Principal (Louis Heap).
If the issue concerns the Principal you can contact the Board Presiding Member. You may also wish to raise questions regarding school policies, these can also be raised with the Board Presiding Member at board@arahoe.school.nz