Wishing all students a safe and restful holiday break.

Dear parents/caregivers

It has been an incredibly busy year so far and I am so proud of the achievements our students continue to have across such a vast range of academic, sporting, arts and cultural pursuits.  The House Day today is always such a colourful, fun event. Thank you to the Heads of House and team of supporters for making this such an exciting way to end the term.

Some of you will be aware that I will be away from school throughout Term 2 on sabbatical leave.  This was initially scheduled for 2020 and was postponed for obvious reasons.  During my absence, Hannah Banks (Deputy Principal) will be leading the school as Acting Principal and Gavin Millar (Director of International Students) rejoins the team in an Acting Deputy Principal role.  Nayland College is incredibly fortunate to have such an experienced and talented Senior Leadership Team, and I know that the school is in exceptional hands in my absence. 

Over the past few years it has become plainly obvious that New Zealand is in the midst of a mental health crisis. Children and young people are increasingly showing signs of mental distress, including rising rates of intentional self-harm. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of suicide in the OECD, especially among young people. In 2017, 20,000 people tried to take their own life (New Zealand Government, 2018).

According to the Education Review Office (2016) student wellbeing is strongly linked to learning. However, it can be enhanced when evidence-informed practices are adopted by schools in partnership with families and community. Support for a focus on students’ wellbeing also exists in professional frameworks including the teaching codes, standards and values, the National Administration Guidelines, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Vulnerable Children Act.

The mental health of students has been identified as a key factor to improving the wellness and consequently the learning outcomes of young people at Nayland College, linking with our strategic goal of developing a caring and inclusive learning community which enables different groups of learners to achieve. Over the next term my sabbatical will focus on practical steps that schools can take to improve the health and wellness of their students. It will also demonstrate how schools have developed strategic partnerships to increase their capacity to support students through what are increasingly challenging years, and how these strategies could be replicated within Nayland College.

I wish Hannah, the Senior Leadership Team and all staff and students  the very best for Term 2.

Ngā mihi nui

Daniel Wilson
Principal