Ormiston Elementary School Principal turns his office into a classroom for growth

The principal of a South Auckland school has given up his office and the school’s staff lounge for teaching spaces due to delays in the construction of new classrooms.

Heath McNeil of Ormiston Elementary School is now working in the school’s reception area and has converted part of the same area into a makeshift staff room that can house about 20 of the school’s 80 staff members.

“It’s kind of a logistical nightmare,” he said. “Some of them just come to heat their lunch and take it to another part of the school or eat in their classrooms because there is nowhere to sit.”

About 200 students have been taught at the school next door, Ormiston Junior College, until six manufactured homes move to the elementary school site next term, and four more manufactured homes will be delivered in second term next year.

The explosive population growth in the school zone has raised the list to 967 in buildings built for 720.

School board president Russell Thomas says the school has been trying to get more buildings since its capacity doubled from 360 to 720 in 2018, but to no avail.

Now he has written to Education Minister Chris Hipkins, National Education Spokesperson Nicola Willis, and top Ministry of Education officials to try to take action.

“We were not going to be in 1000 [students] until 2028. We are already at the capacity of 2028, ”he said.

“My learning leader, the principal, has actually been living in a hallway and the teachers are also doing the same, so now we have a health and safety issue and a problem in terms of the work environment.

“It’s not really good that teachers don’t have a rest area and are standing in a hallway.”

Thomas said hundreds of new homes are being built in the school zone, which covers most of the area between Chapel Rd and Murphys Rd from north Ormiston Rd south almost to Redoubt Rd.

McNeil said hundreds more apartments are planned at the Ormiston Town Center, which is now under construction.

“We thought it could slow down with Covid, but it has kept pace,” he said.

“Today I’m at school doing 14 family reunions [for new enrolments] and there are 27 new students as of the beginning of the term. “

Thomas said Ormiston would soon have as many people as Dunedin.

“The board cannot strategically plan for the future when they don’t know when the next stage of classroom development will be built or how many children it will be able to accommodate,” he said.

“The board of directors offered to finance the design phase of the project, but this offer has been repeatedly rejected by ministry officials.

“The only consistent response appears to be the commissioning of another demand analysis report that quickly becomes outdated and the community and its children begin the waiting cycle again.”

He said the ministry has not yet decided whether to increase the school’s capacity to 1,000 or 1,200.

The problems of the school seem to be exceptional. Auckland Secondary School Principals Association President Steve Hargreaves said he was not aware of any other schools with similar problems.

“In fact, I think, according to the directors I talk to, everything is going well. The wheels turn slowly, but no, I don’t have anyone wanting to complain,” he said.

Hobsonville Point Elementary School Principal Daniel Birch said his school has seen similar explosive growth to 880 students at the beginning of next term in spaces built for 690.

“We just received six relocatables, which has eased the pressure,” he said.

A new school opening next year in nearby Scott Point will further ease the pressure.

Papakura High School principal John Rohs, whose school was singled out by National Party leader Judith Collins in this week’s Newshub leaders’ debate as needing rebuilding, said he expected the school to be rebuilt, but that it was not. a priority in the five years it has been going. been there.

“The condition of the school is really very good,” he said. “I was quite surprised when I first came to Papakura in early 2015 to see what a really nice campus it is.

“The main problem is that, being a very old school, it is not suitable for the purpose of a modern school and for the needs that students have for their learning.”

The Acting Director of Education Infrastructure at the Ministry of Education, Rob Campbell, said the ministry was working closely with the Ormiston school to accommodate its growing role.

“We are in the process of delivering six modular classrooms to address the immediate need at Ormiston Primary. These classrooms will be operational by the end of 2020,” he said.

“Another four modular classrooms will be delivered and will be operational from the second quarter of 2021.

“While this is delivered, we are working with the school to plan for further expansion. We will meet with the school early in the fourth quarter of 2020 to update them on this work.”