The Arahoe School Board

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

every student at the school is able to attain their highest possible standard in educational achievement; and
the school is a physically and emotionally safe place for all students and staff; and
the school is inclusive of, and caters for, students with differing needs; and
the school gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi."

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

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. Six elected members of the Arahoe School community meet regularly to oversee the governance and control of the management of the school. They are (from left to right) Nicole Quinton, Chris de Jong (Staff Representative), Julie Marra, Anna Edlington, Tavita Lurch, George Woolford (Presiding Member) and they are joined by Tumuaki Louis Heap. Our 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.

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 5.

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

Tavita Lurch

Nicole Quinton

Chris de Jong

Julie Marra

My husband Preston and I have two children – Theo, the youngest, is in Year 3 (2025) and Charlie is at Intermediate School. You will typically find me outside the Ara Pakeke classrooms. 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.

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

Setting of educational goals and strategic direction.
Reviewing and occasionally rewriting of policies.
Monitoring of how the school is progressing against its annual targets and how well students are achieving.
Decisions on how the school's funding will be spent.
Formulation and overseeing of the five year property plan.

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:

Tuakana (Yrs 4-6) Mr Jaime Lee - jaimel@arahoe.school.nz
Teina Iti (Yrs 2-3) Mrs Tinae Vaimasenu'u – tinaev@arahoe.school.nz
Teina Nui (Yrs 0-1) Miss Rachel Blyth – rachelbl@arahoe.school.nz

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

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