Professional experience
For the last six years Nick has worked for CORE Education as a kaiarahi (leadership coach and mentor) for the National Aspiring Principals’ Programme. During 2016, he was the Southern Regional Coordinator for this programme. Nick has also worked as a mentor in CORE Education’s uChoose online mentoring programme. In addition to these roles, Nick has worked closely with principals, leadership team members and boards of trustees in Canterbury, Nelson, Tasman, and Marlborough as a performance appraisal adviser and facilitator, and as a consultant to boards on principal appointments.
Prior to his current roles in leadership, coaching and mentoring with CORE Education, Nick completed 21 years as primary school principal, and five years as a deputy principal. His teaching experience included working in primary and intermediate schools, being a museum education officer, and a seconded teachers’ college lecturer. Nick has been involved in principal leadership and mentoring programmes, education trusts and presented to teacher and principal groups over many years. During his teaching career he was the recipient of a number of fellowship awards, including a Commonwealth Relations Fellowship which enabled him to further his interest in primary science teaching at the Institute of Education, University of London.
Expertise
Nick is passionate about using coaching and mentoring approaches to support school leaders to grow their professional knowledge, understandings and practice, and to develop effective strategies in response to specific situations and challenges.
He is able to provide professional development or consultancy services in the following areas:
Leadership support and development
Successfully supporting leaders (team, senior leaders, principals, CoL leaders) to:
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grow their leadership efficacy through coaching and mentoring
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offer critical friend support and advice
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deepen their understanding of effective deliberate acts of leadership
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respond effectively to complex problems and issues
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implement effective leading change strategies
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collaborate and network
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develop and maintain effective team dynamics.
Strategic planning and self-review
Guide and support leaders and boards to:
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develop effective long-term strategic and annual plans based on identified priority and targeted needs
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develop effective self-review frameworks and processes
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conduct effective self-reviews leading to next step improvements.
Evaluative capability
Support and guide school and CoL leaders to:
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develop sound student achievement data collection, collation and analysis procedures that enable high-quality evidence of added value and to inform theories for improvements (Based around BECSI project work)
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develop ‘teachers as inquirers’ dispositions and implement effective TAI and Spirals of Inquiry frameworks to build evaluative capability.
Performance management and appraisal
Support and guide boards of trustees and CoL governing boards by:
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advising and facilitating principal, senior school leaders, and CoL leader performance appraisal processes.
Principal appointments
Support and guide boards of trustees by:
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advising and guiding the recruitment and appointment process.
Professional memberships
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Graham Nuthall Classroom Research Trust, Trustee (2004 – 2010), Chair (2009 – 2010)
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Christchurch Digital Learning Trust, Trustee (2009 – 2011)
Awards/Fellowships/Scholarships
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Canterbury Primary Principals’ Association Fellowship (2009)
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Commonwealth Relations Fellowship (1990 – 1991)
Personal statement
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini
Strength comes from working together, not on your own.
I remain as passionate about today to working alongside others in pursuit of a better education for our students as the first day I stepped into a classroom as a young teacher. The diversity of competing demands and views, the increasing complexities of the educational and schooling environment in the twenty-first century, urges us to collaborate, to develop rich networks and communities of best practice. I regard myself as privileged to be able to continue to contribute to such communities and support leaders through my work with CORE Education.