I find it impossible to start this column without mentioning the All Black victory. 

During these last few weeks I told myself that I was quite philosophical about the outcome of the Rugby World Cup. After all we won in 2011 so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if we didn’t win this time. And that’s what I felt, that is, until I was watching the final and the Aussies started to make a comeback!

Cold fingers of dread gripped my heart and I realised that I desperately wanted the All Blacks to win and I couldn’t bear those brash Australians stealing the cup from us. So now, let me drop any pretence of sportsmanship and have a good gloat over our glorious, inevitable, and well deserved victory. It’s been a great tournament for us with England going out early and the All Blacks marching over the top of France, South Africa and Australia in triumph. All our ‘foes’ are laid low and I feel like being insufferably smug for the next four years!

Actually, I did have a serious point in mentioning the rugby but I’ve forgotten it amidst all the bragging. Ah yes! I remember now; challenge and change. The All Blacks are at the top of world rugby at the moment but they won’t stay there without successfully facing up to challenges and changes. Old players will move on, new players will have to be found and developed and the other nations will work continually to improve their performance. There will be new rules and circumstances, and if the All Blacks are to be champions again, they will have to adapt and anticipate these things.

It’s a bit like our school really. While I’m hesitant to claim world champion status in any regard, I know that we are a great school in lots of ways. Our school has tremendous strengths but some significant challenges coming up in the next few years and we will have to adapt to and anticipate these things. Some of them represent negative pressure and others are positive but they will all be demanding. Let me share some of them with you.

Firstly; property, after the 2011 quakes the Ministry of Education suspended the normal property funding for schools. A different plan had to be adopted and schools are in a long term queue for development and upgrades. Our turn comes in 2020. By then it will be nine years without meaningful property funding. How to get the best of the facilities we have until then is a serious question.

The next issue is money. Like many schools we benefit from international students and the extra resources this enables, but international enroloments still haven’t returned to pre-quake levels. Other aspects of our income are fairly static and costs tend to increase over time. Last year we absorbed a financial loss. We have substantial reserves but making losses is unhealthy in the long run. Inevitably our choices come down to increasing income, reducing spending or some combination of both. This has the diligent attention of our Principal and Board on an ongoing basis.

A more positive pressure comes from new developments in teaching and learning, particularly those relating to digital technology and innovative teaching environments. These trends offer great possibilities but moving from theory to reality means that staff must have the necessary familiarity, resources and equipment. This is a gradual process for everyone and takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes.

In the big picture context there are things that are really beyond our control for example; government has recently announced a major review of education, and while it will be some time before there are tangible results, we can be sure it will impact us in some way. Our goal is to get a ‘win’ out of any situation we are faced with.

Thinking about the future before it arrives is one of the primary duties of any governance board. It’s a big part of building a better future for our young people but there are also things to celebrate in the present such as the Senior Prizegiving which is a highlight of our school year.

And what about those All Blacks!