Ms O’Neill, the senior leadership team, staff members, parents and students of St Thomas.

I intend to be brief in my comments tonight because this celebration is really about recognising individual success among our boys.

However, I do wish to speak tonight on 2 more generally focused aspects of the 2015 year at St Thomas’.

Firstly, I wish to recognise the very successful year that the college has had as a whole.

Secondly, I wish to briefly address some of the challenges that we face.

Successes

Initially, is it important to acknowledge the successful state of St Thomas’.

It is particularly easy to do so this year.

In 2015, the school received not 1 but 2 external reviews.

Both were time consuming and demanding for those involved. However, both reviews were exceptionally positive in their findings of the special character, ethos and/or curriculum delivery St Thomas’.

It is worthwhile dwelling briefly on the conclusions of those reports.

The Government’s Education Review Office’s conclusion reads: “The college’s special Catholic character is strongly reflected in all aspects of the school. Students from diverse backgrounds benefit from the highly inclusive and supportive culture. There are high expectations for students’ achievement and wellbeing and a sense of family and brotherhood among boys. The school’s curriculum effectively promotes student learning. Achievement trends over time continue to be positive. The school is very well led and managed”.

These positive comments are substantiated by the ERO’s stated intention of not carrying out another review for 4-5 years. That is the longest period between reviews the Ministry allow.

The review of Catholic special character undertaken by the Catholic Education Office states: “St Thomas of Canterbury College is a fusion of faith and action. As a college it lives its faith through the Edmund Rice tradition which has a major focus on social action and social justice”.

Later it comments: “Honouring, respecting, including and forgiving are key behaviours that were observed in this review”.

Both reports identify key concepts of inclusiveness, support, honouring diverse cultural backgrounds, respect, family and brotherhood.

These are key aspects of a St Thomas’ education.

They are the values to which the school and the Edmund Rice tradition aspire to.

Those who spend any time at the college know these values are evident in the day-to-day interactions between students and their peers and between student and the teachers.

However, it is also really gratifying for these successes to be acknowledged and so clearly recognised by both the external review teams.

Challenges

Acknowledging success does not mean that there are no challenges or matters requiring improvement.

Specifically, challenges identified for the Board of Trustees by the Education Review Office report are better documentation of self review procedures and a more formal engagement with the wider parent community. We acknowledge those matters and are intending to address them over the review period.

More broadly, education is entering a transformative period. There is increasing focus on the use of technology in the classroom and on creating learning environments which will better equip young men for a world after school.

As trustees, we are excited by these developments.

They will make learning more relevant. The aim is to produce young men who are genuinely “work ready” and are able to move easily into modern working environments which are technology focused and collaborative.

However, we are also aware that these changes, like any changes, are challenging and at times difficult.

BOYD

The Board fully supports the move to “bring your own device” (BYOD-based learning). However, we also acknowledge the need to ensure that all pupils, including those from our more financially deprived families, are able to access the devices that are needed. The school is currently undertaking evaluation of the extent of this issue. We will ensure that as the BYOD environment is embedded no pupil is disadvantaged as a result of being unable to access that technology.

MLE

The trustees are also aware of some skepticism (generally) about modern learning environments (“MLE’s). The popular narrative is of very large numbers of pupils engaged in a single space with several teachers.

At St Thomas’ we are fortunate to have already had the experience of the Mount Sion Centre and its ability to offer flexible learning spaces. Sometimes that is larger areas where collaborative teaching can be undertaken. Sometimes it is smaller breakout areas for a small group or individual work.

The school does recognise the need to manage the issues of developing MLE’s carefully. No-one wants barn-like class environments. However, we are confident that with committed and engaged staff modern learning environments and collaborative teaching can provide an enhanced education for our sons.

Clusters

It is also very clear that the Ministry of Education in post-earthquake Christchurch is promoting, in fact, demanding, far greater collaboration between schools. The demand is to share resources, develop synergies and ensure that particular expertise within particular schools is made available more widely.

The concept of school “clusters” has been developed and will become an increasingly important educational concept.

In particular, substantial funding streams will be available, or not, to schools based on the membership of an effective and compliant cluster.

St Thomas’ has been particularly involved in the Upper Riccarton cluster including a number of local primary schools and high schools including Riccarton High and Villa Maria.

The final shape of that cluster and what that it can offer to our pupils remains a work in progress and one that is likely to crystallize over the coming year.

BUILDINGS

Probably the school’s biggest challenge is the state and age of its buildings. With the exception of the Mount Sion Centre, a number of buildings are aged and showing that age. They require substantial maintenance. They are not well equipped to provide the modern learning environments I’ve discussed.

St Thomas’ was extremely fortunate not to receive significant earthquake damage. However, the flip side is that there is no large insurance payout that can be applied towards renewing our building stock.

New post-earthquake building regulations have also identified the need to upgrade a number of our buildings within a relatively short time period (that is less than 10 years).

This requirement provides both an opportunity to but also substantial challenges on how that will be funded.

The challenge is how to think smart and produce modern adaptable learning spaces within a constrained budget.

Initial work is being undertaken as to how that might be achieved. The wider school community will be consulted as these ideas start to take shape over the next period.

In summary, the challenges are real and they are numerous. The education environment nationally, but in Christchurch in particular, is changing rapidly. However, those challenges also present opportunities which we as your Board are keen to make the most of to enhance the education your sons receive at St Thomas’.

In closing, I wish to return to the positives.

Both external reviews recognised the strength of leadership the college has.

The Catholic Education report says: “St Thomas has the benefit of a Principal who has a passion for both the charism and for the educational success of young men. Her leadership plays no small part in the success that she and her management team have created within the college”.

On the back of 2 such successful external reviews, I do wish to pay tribute to the outstanding leadership provided by the staff, by the senior leadership team and particularly by Ms O’Neill who sits at the heart of holding the college to its Catholic values.

I wish also to pay tribute to my fellow trustees for their willingness to give themselves in this role and for their ongoing support.

Finally, I would like to wish you all a happy and peaceful and especially a safe end to 2015 and for the Christmas holiday season.

Dominic Dravitzki