Page 3 - NHS_1991_Cranshaw_Interview

There were too many interruptions, they don't have anything to compare
things weren’t streamlined enough and I with, but I've taught in six schools and I
wanted to change that. can compare it.
We had a House system which I I think we've got a really good staff

really liked but we had a Form system, a here. So, that’s change. There have been
Whanau system, a House system and other changes, I managed to get the ,Boar
bells were going every five minutes. One of Governors, and Trustees to do away
minute you were in your Form, next with corporal punishment, now it’s not
minute you were in your Group, next allowed anyhow, but I think that’s really
minute you were called to Whanua (or important to me; that we don't have that

whatever) and it was really very right to go around beating people. I think
confusing. that’s pretty awful, and if you can't run a
So we've done away with that, and school without that, well then its
my latest talks with staff is to actually hopeless, that's absolutely hopeless,
think about going back to a vertical form That’s not the example that we want to

system, perhaps even next year, when we have.
really could use houses. But I'm letting I think that in the last two years, and
the staff decide that, that's just an idea not just because of me, but there has
I've thrown at them, and we may not do it been higher retention rates for students
next year, I don't know. That is one thing. coming back to school, and that’s one of
I was concerned about some the measures of a successful school.
members of the staff, who were not, who People coming back and staying on.

were coming towards the end of their That means we’ve had to introduce
teaching career who weren’t really filling a few alternative courses, because in the
their roles very well. So some of those past people were streamed into virtually
people retired, because they were ready to taking an academic subject or a non-
to retire, some of those people went academic, or whatever it was, and as you

elsewhere, some of those people retired went through the school the only options
because of health reasons, and perhaps were academic ones, so people left.
one or two left because they felt there Now you’ve got to actually have
was some pressure was being put on things that will fit people.
them, I don't know, I couldn't comment
on that. But as a result I was very lucky, Options?
because I managed to get my own staff, Yes, and wider range and that’s quite

largely. hard to do in a small school.
There have been an awful lot of new And there are options I’d like to
teachers, here since I've been here, and have but we can’t have because of our
I'm really lucky because we could get rid size. But I believe everyone gets a pretty
of, well, I don't want to say dead wood, fair deal. I think the Guidance and Dean

but people who would be resistant to network have strengthened since I’ve
change. The people I appointed were been here, and I think that people have
people who knew what I expected, and taken more of a concern about students,
that’s effected the school. It has effected and they are.
the school a lot, because I think we've You can actually get alongside
got a really good staff and again individual students and actually can talk
people don't always realise that, because to them and actually give them a bit of