The Principals (Aotearoa | New Zealand)

By MOE-PLDEducation

The Principals (Aotearoa | New Zealand) episodes

June 10, 2025Season 1, Episode 40: Recruiting te reo speaking kaiako
This episode discusses the challenges of recruiting te reo speaking kaiako, and of creative ways of addressing the issue.

Mārama’s guests are:
Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education
Nori Parata, tumuaki of Kahukuranui and Tolaga Bay Area school

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
The difficulties of recruiting all kaiako, and the particular challenge of recruiting te reo speakers, which is even greater in rural and remote areas. Relievers are an additional challenge.
The E-Bite programme, which allows fluent te reo speakers to be employed on a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) while they get their teaching qualification.
Using kaiāwhina i te reo, kaitautoko i te reo, and kaiārahi i te reo in classes where you can’t find a te reo teacher, treating them like a beginning teacher and providing them with good support.
Employing a LAT might sometimes mean assisting someone to apply for the LAT and paying for the application and renewals to keep them on.
Ensuring that te reo speaking kaiako have everything they need to do the job, so ensuring there is adequate budget for all they need.
Using the knowledge of the tumuaki around you to help with questions you may have.

Additional information
E-Bite programme https://workforce.education.govt.nz/principals-and-schools/local-employment-and-recruitment-support/kaupapa-maori-maori-medium-ebite-programme-funding-award

Employing LATS https://workforce.education.govt.nz/principals-and-schools/local-employment-and-recruitment-support/employing-someone-limited-authority-teach
21 min
June 03, 2025Season 1, Episode 39: Opportunities and challenges of leading a school within te ao Māori
In this episode, Mārama discusses the challenges and opportunities of tumuaki Māori leading a school in an English-medium system.

Mārama’s guests are:
Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education
Tom Paekau, tumuaki of Te Kura o Tūtarawānanga Merivale School in Tauranga Moana.

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
The inner challenges of following the directives you have to follow as tumuaki while still wanting to be pono to your own philosophy on education.
Your board can be your biggest support.
The importance of having mentors as a new tumuaki to help guide you through these challenges.
Remember schools do have a lot of autonomy, and that the Education Act says one of your primary roles as school leaders is giving effect to Te Tiriti.

Additional information
Dr Ann Milne https://www.annmilne.co.nz
21 min
May 27, 2025 Season 1, Episode 38: Leading a school within te ao Māori
In this episode, Mārama Stewart discusses leading a school within te ao Māori through the lens of our guests’ own journeys through the education system in Aotearoa.
Mārama’s guests are:
● Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and current Leadership Advisor for the Ministry of Education
● Tom Paekau, tumuaki of Te Kura o Tūtarawānanga Merivale School in Tauranga Moana.
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.
You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
Show notes
Episode themes:
Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero. Ko te tohu o te rangatira, he manaaki. Ko te mahi a te rangatira, he whakatira i te iwi.
● Duality of having to thrive in two different worlds as tumuaki Maōri.
● Importance of all tamariki having adults – kaiako and tumuaki - they can connect with and be inspired by to help them along in their educational journey.
● Importance of making Māori ākonga feel connected to school, and what you can do to help that connection.
● Understanding who to build relationships with as a new tumuaki, and the need for those relationships to be reciprocal.
Additional information
Dr Ann Milne https://www.annmilne.co.nz
25 min
May 20, 2025Season 1, Episode 37: Being tumuaki Māori in the early days of kōhanga reo
Kia hakatōmuri te haere whakamua: ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’
In this episode, Mārama continues the kōrero with her aunty, Ani Mohi (or Mrs Mohi to many), about her experiences as kaiako Māori, tumuaki Māori, and the beginnings of kura kaupapa Māori and kura ā iwi.
This episode is a personal tribute to those who walked before us, and a reminder that our stories — our whakapapa — are not just history, they are maps. They are a guide to help us reflect on your own leadership journey — where you’ve come from, who you carry with you, and what kind of future you want to help shape.
You can find more information about this topic in Looking after learning (part 4) of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - the Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules.
In this episode, we speak with:
Ani Mohi, Former Tumuaki of Te Kura Mana Māori o Maraenui
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz
27 min
May 13, 2025Season 1, Episode 36: Understanding our past: native schools and life for an ākonga Maōri in the 1950s and 60s
Kia hakatōmuri te haere whakamua: ‘I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past’
In this episode of The Principals Podcast, Mārama Stewart, tumuaki and former Leadership Advisor, sits down with someone incredibly special to her — her aunty, Ani Mohi (or Mrs Mohi to many), a proud Māori principal whose story continues to shape and inspire Mārama’s own journey. This kōrero spans generations as they reflect on Mrs Mohi’s journey through the education system — as a student in the 1950s and 60s, a teacher in the 1980s, and a principal in the 1990s and on.
In this episode, we talk about what it was like for her growing up in an era where te ao Māori had little or no place in the classroom.
This episode is a personal tribute to those who walked before us, and a reminder that our stories — our whakapapa — are not just history, they are maps. They are a guide to help us reflect on your own leadership journey — where you’ve come from, who you carry with you, and what kind of future you want to help shape.
You can find more information about this topic in Looking after learning (part 4) of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - the Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules.
In this episode, we speak with:
Ani Mohi, Former Tumuaki of Te Kura Mana Māori o Maraenui
This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
Mrs Mohi’s experience of life at native school
Differences between native school and other English-medium schools
Resistance to racism
Slow emergence of some te reo and Māori culture in some schools
Teachers’ College in the 1970s.
32 min
May 06, 2025Season 1, Episode 35: Financial reporting for schools
In this episode, we’re continuing to talk about school budgets, and we’re covering financial reporting and audits as well. Just a reminder that your school finance advisors are there to help – lean on them if you have questions about school finances.

My guests are:
Hannah Levy, Ministry of Education finance advisor – Otago/Southland
Mārama Stewart, former tumuaki and Ministry of Education leadership advisor
Adrian Edwards, Ministry of Education finance advisor.

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
Don’t leave it too long to start working on your school’s budget. Don’t wait until you’ve seen all expenditure through to December. Start early.
If something unexpected happens and your budget is no longer accurate, you can reforecast. In some cases additional funding may be available, talk to your finance advisor about the issue.
Ensure you code spending correctly.
Look for budget variances over 10%.
If you start at a school and you can see the budget is in deficit, go to your finance advisor for advice.
If your monthly accounts are in good order year round, not only will you have fewer (or no) surprises, but the preparation time for the annual financial statements will be shorter.
It’s compulsory to follow the Kiwi Park model financial statements. You can find them on the MOE website (link below).
Audits aren’t just about the figures that appear in the financial statements. They also look at the policies and procedures and how the school operates in order to produce those figures.

Additional information
School annual financial statements https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/administration-and-management/school-annual-financial-statements#paragraph-5775
Funding and financials https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials

Questions

0:38 [All] How long before it's due should you start working on a school's budget?

2:43 [Hannah] What happens to a school's budget if something unexpected happens? Like, you know, the boiler explodes, or something bigger where things have to pivot on really short notice. Can you re-budget? How does that work?

4:24 [Hannah] How much flexibility is there to move money around if there's a surplus in one area, and a deficit in the other?

5:12 [Hannah] What is variance analysis?

6:41 [Hannah] Do you need the variance analysis for the end of year accounts as well to help you tell the story?

7:03 [Hannah/Adrian] What happens if a school completely blows their budget?

9:12 [Adrian] How long before they're due should the tumuaki and the board start working on the annual report that includes the annual financial statements?

11:28 [Adrian] What do the annual financial statements have to contain?

12:48 [Adrian] And the principal isn’t expected to prepare the annual financial statements, the accountant does that?

16:08 [Adrian] What kinds of things does the audit checklist include?

16:50 [Mārama] When you were a tumuaki, what would you have looked at to get your head around a school's budget when you walked in the door? Would you have used the financial statements?

18:13 [All] What advice would you give new tumuaki about this kind of financial planning and budgeting and reporting part of running a school?
24 min
April 29, 2025Season 1, Episode 34: Introduction to school budgets
Today we're going to talk about school budgets, what's included in them, what's not, and what you'll need to do to prepare them.

My guests are:
Hannah Levy, Ministry of Education finance advisor – Otago/Southland
Mārama Stewart, former tumuaki and Ministry of Education leadership advisor
Adrian Edwards, Ministry of Education finance advisor.

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
Principals need to prepare their school’s budget, and their board signs it off.
The FISH (Financial Information for Schools Handbook) has a handy annual financial table with key dates around statutory deadlines and requirements for reporting.
Your budget is based on your total income, but many of the items in that total income are tagged for usage.
General categories included in your budget, and what’s not included.
What to think about when you’re preparing the budget.

Additional information
Pourato https://applications.education.govt.nz/pourato
Funding and financials https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials
Day-to-day financial management including link to Financial Information for Schools Handbook (FISH) https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials/day-day-financial-management#paragraph-9126
Kiwi Park training model https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/administration-and-management/school-annual-financial-statements#paragraph-5782

Questions
1:06 [Hannah] Can you remind us where new tumuaki can go to understand what they need to know about school finances.

1:55 [Hannah] When it comes to a school's budget, what are a principal's responsibilities?

2:28 [Hannah] In terms of preparation of the school budget, what does a principal need to do?

3:49 [Hannah] Does Pourato have information about staffing in it as well?

4:27 [Hannah] What are financial delegations? What does that mean?
5:25 [Hannah] You touched on the FISH there, the Financial Information for Schools Handbook. In the FISH there's a basic kind of annual financial timetable. Is that something that you'd recommend a new tumuaki take a look at to make sure they're doing everything they need to be doing?

6:08 [Hannah] And that timetable also outlines some key dates around kind of statutory deadlines and requirements for reporting. What are those statutory deadlines and requirements for financial reporting?

6:56 [Adrian] What is a school budget at its most basic level?

10:08 [Adrian] What does the budget outline, what are the general categories?

11:12 [Adrian] Is there anything that's not included in a school's budget?

12:20 [Adrian] What about fundraising and things like that, would that be included in your budget?

13:22 [Hannah] What should a tumuaki and the board be thinking about when they're preparing the school's budget?

14:38 [Mārama] When you were getting your head around the budget process in your schools, how did the budget process work?

18:12 [Mārama] And what kinds of things did you think about when you were preparing that budget, in terms of what you prioritized and how to make that all work?
19:35 [Hannah/Adrian] Did you want to add anything about depreciation?
22 min
April 22, 2025Season 1, Episode 33: Tips for managing school finances
There are a number of things that can trip new principals up when it comes to school funding, and this episode covers some of them. Remember you’re not expected to know everything right away – contact your Ministry of Education finance advisor if you have questions or concerns.

My guests are:
Hannah Levy, Ministry of Education finance advisor – Otago/Southland
Martyn Wetherall, principal of Laingholm School
Mārama Stewart, former tumuaki and Ministry of Education leadership advisor
Adrian Edwards, Ministry of Education finance advisor.

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
Things that can trip new principals up when looking at their budgets include use of land and buildings, provisional staffing, and the Ministry contribution to learning support funding.
You need to make sure you’re above reproach when it comes to school finances. You need to be prudent and responsible with the money because it is public money. Have very clear processes around spending and make sure there are no conflicts of interest when signing off on expenses. Use the ‘front page of the Herald’ test – could this spending be brought into question?
Focus on the working capital, not the bank balance, because those current liabilities show the cash that's going to come out very soon.
For most schools, most years, January is your cheapest month out of your budget, because the school's closed. And December, even though it's not a full month of school, is often the most expensive,
It’s really important to keep an eye on the budget year round – because if you’re 70% through the year and you’ve spent 90% of the budget, you may be in strife.
An external accountant can really add value when trying to keep track of the school finances, especially when it comes to interpreting what the numbers all mean.
When it comes to managing your staffing entitlement, the Ministry produces a spreadsheet that lets you plan this out for the year, one that you can update each fortnight when payroll information comes through. Request it from your finance advisor.

Additional information
Pourato https://applications.education.govt.nz/pourato
Funding and financials https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials
Managing staffing usage (banking staffing) https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials/managing-staffing-usage-banking-staffing
Day-to-day financial management including link to Financial Information for Schools Handbook (FISH) https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials/day-day-financial-management#paragraph-9126

Questions
00:58 [Mārama/Martyn] Are there any kinds of fish hooks for new tumuaki that they should be aware of when they're looking at their funding?

3:35 [Adrian] When is the operational grant paid?
8:04 [Mārama/Martyn] How do your schools keep track of your accounts?
10:59 [Mārama/Martyn] As tumuaki, how often are you looking at your finances? And are there particular things that you're looking for at particular times of year?
12:03 [Hannah/Adrian] If a new tumuaki came in and looked at their accounting or their software fees and thought, hey, this seems like a lot of money, I think we can save some money by doing it ourselves, what would you advise?

14:30 [All] Education money is obviously public money. What are the rules around using public money and what it should be used for?

18:13 [All] What is your advice for new tumuaki starting in a school and trying to get their head around school finances?
21:00 [All] Is there anything to add that we haven’t covered?

Suggested adding to complete the explanation given in transcript.
24 min
April 15, 2025Season 1, Episode 32: Introduction to school finances
State and state-integrated school funding is made up of various components that have different eligibility rules and funding structures. Staffing for your school is based on your roll, but there are also additional allowances and staffing that you are eligible for.
Being aware of what’s available to your kura is crucial for accessing the funding and staffing you are entitled to, and for making the best use of these resources.

My guests are:
Hannah Levy, Ministry of Education finance advisor – Otago/Southland
Martyn Wetherall, principal of Laingholm School
Mārama Stewart, former tumuaki and Ministry of Education leadership advisor
Adrian Edwards, Ministry of Education finance advisor - Bay of Plenty/Waiariki.

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
School budgets are based on the school’s income, which mainly comes from the Ministry of Education, and generally you want your income to match your expenditure.
The main forms of funding from the Ministry are teachers’ salaries, which are paid by the Ministry, the operational funding for the running costs of the school, and learning support funding. Locally-raised funds (or school fundraising) also contributes to the school’s income.
Responsibility for the school’s budget is most often delegated by the board to the principal.
Ministry of Education finance advisors can advise you on all financial matters, including banking staffing. They can come and give you a finance 101 when you start - in as much detail as you like - just give them a call.
When you first start at a school, speak with the person who manages (or has been managing) the school’s finances to see if your school is in surplus (income greater than expenditure), or deficit (expenditure is more than income), and to have them talk you through what you need to know.
It’s important to keep an eye on the budget throughout the year. Sometimes spending will go over budget, and you’ll need to take action on that. For example, if there’s a lot of teacher sickness, you can apply for additional relief teacher funding to make sure you can cover those costs.
It’s important to understand banking staffing, which is the amount of money you get for the number of teachers the Ministry says you can have. If you’re allowed 10 teachers and you hire 11, you’ll end up accumulating debt that you’ll need to pay back.
You can find most of the funding information about your school in the Pourato tool (link below).

Additional information
Pourato https://applications.education.govt.nz/pourato
Funding and financials https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials
Managing staffing usage (banking staffing) https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials/managing-staffing-usage-banking-staffing
Day-to-day financial management including link to Financial Information for Schools Handbook (FISH) https://www.education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/funding-and-financials/day-day-financial-management#paragraph-9126

Questions
1:59 [Hannah] Obviously, a school has a budget to work within. What's a school's budget based on?

2:34 [Hannah] There are different pots of money and different sources of money for different things. What are those different pots of money?

2:57 [Hannah] Who's responsible for the financial governance of a school, what do they need to do, and what kinds of things do they decide?

4:47 [Hannah] What's the key financial information that a new tumuaki going into a school needs to understand about their kura?

5:57 [Martyn] Where can a new tumuaki find information about the finances of their kura?

7:25 [Martyn] What is banking staffing?

8:21 [Adrian] Can you tell me what you do as a financial advisor, please?

11:31 [Hannah] What are the dangers if a school's finances aren't managed well?

12:48 [Martyn/Mārama] Did you have any financial experience before you became a tumuaki, and if not, how did you learn what you needed to know?

15:08 [Hannah] Can you give us a bit more detail about the different streams of funding, and what they each pay for, please?

17:55 [Adrian] What does operational funding cover exactly?

20:28 [Hannah] Can you tell me about Pourato?
22 min
April 08, 2025Season 1, Episode 31: Managing state school property projects
Today we’re talking about state school property projects. All schools have to plan for maintenance and upgrades, as well as planning for new capital projects – like new or improved buildings. But who leads which projects, how are they planned for and funded, and what’s it like to be involved in or to lead a property project?

My guests are:
De Thomson, Ministry of Education Infrastructure manager Otago/Southland
Hugh Gully, (now retired) tumuaki of Collingwood area school
Linda Tame, former tumuaki of Golden Bay high school.

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

Show notes
Episode themes:
Who leads most major school property projects.
How the Ministry works with schools on major projects, including in the design phase.
What to think about when involved in planning major property projects.
The importance of the tumuaki or someone senior who knows about teaching and learning to be very involved in building projects, because the smallest decisions can sometimes make the biggest difference.
The importance of the tumuaki understanding the scope of the project, and being able to push back when people ask for changes or for things that are out of scope. Contract variations are very costly.
Initial planning conversations are key to agreeing on scope, setting expectations and making sure everyone is on the same page.
Sometimes unplanned things crop up, and there’s no way to avoid variations. Work your way through those with your project person.
Health and safety on site is everyone’s responsibility, and everyone needs to recognise and understand the part they have to play. Keeping a constant watch on everything on site and vehicles etc coming and going is a massive responsibility and is very time consuming, but essential.
Someone needs to be the point person for the foreperson to contact with any health and safety issues. Ensure everyone knows who this person is.
If asbestos is found there are clear guidelines, and the Minstry has in-house experts on this. Communicating with staff and community about asbestos being present is key so they don’t overreact.
During 5YA projects a rule of thumb is that if you were to pick up your building and shake it, and something falls out, it's your furniture and equipment funding that's going to pay for those things. If it's fixed to the building and it's part of the structure of the building, then that’s paid through capital funding.

Additional information
Ministry of Education property portal https://property.education.govt.nz

Questions
1:39 [De] Who leads most major school property projects and why?

2:59 [De] In terms of the delineation between the kinds of property projects managed by the Ministry and those that are led by schools, where does that line sit?

3:41 [De] How does the Ministry work with a school on those major projects?

4:34 [De] Tell me about the Ministry's responsibilities when it comes to property projects and design.

5:25 [Hugh] When it comes to thinking about what you might need in that planning of a property project, how do you go about anticipating the needs of your kura?

6:17 [Hugh/Linda] And what kinds of property projects have you been involved in?

9:54 [Hugh/Linda] Have you ever seen an initial design for something in the kura and gone back and said, actually, this isn't going to work as a learning environment. Have you ever had to intervene or make suggestions in that way?

15:59 [De] There are obviously big health and safety responsibilities that are shared by a whole lot of parties, everyone on site. Can you tell me about the responsibilities for health and safety around any property projects in a school, just in general terms.

17:49 [Linda/Hugh]
What’s been your experience?

20:04 [De] What about handling hazards and things like asbestos?

22:23 [Hugh/Linda] What lessons have you learned through your involvement with school property projects?

24:31 [De] Is there an easy way for a tumuaki to see a breakdown of what the school is paying for and what the Ministry is paying for?

27:08 [All] If you were to be giving some advice to a new tumuaki coming in to a school where perhaps they're in the middle of a property project, or they are due to start one, what would your advice to them be about getting their head around what's happening or is going to happen?

30:09 [All] Is there anything you wanted to add that we haven't covered?
32 min

About The Principals (Aotearoa | New Zealand)

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Experienced school leaders and officials share stories and offer tips about leading schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. This series sits alongside the online learning programme: Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā…

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