He kāinga tupu, he kāinga ora.
A nurtured home, a healthy home.
Module Objectives:
- Describe the roles and responsibilities of the Ministry of Education and Boards of Trustees in the day-to-day management and cyclic maintenance of school property in New Zealand.
- Explain the purpose and key components of the 5 Year Agreement (5YA) and the 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP) in relation to school property funding and planning.
- Analyse how property upgrades can enhance the learning environment within a school setting.
- Evaluate the alignment of their own kura’s current property status and future plans with the challenges and opportunities outlined in Te Rautaki Rawa Kura – The School Property Strategy 2030.
- Reflect on the strategic directions for school property to 2030 and their implications for future property management within their kura.
- Identify key priorities for property development and maintenance based on their school’s context and strategic goals.
Learning Material:
Every school in New Zealand provides a physical environment for learning. These environments vary widely in age, size, scale and functionality, reflecting the era in which they were created and the investment made in their maintenance over time. Funding for support of schools is formula driven and roll dependent, factoring in roll numbers as well as such dimensions as ethnicity and socio-economic status.
All schools are supported in maintaining the structure, function and development of their physical environment by partnership between the Ministry of Education, owners of the land and buildings of the school, and the Board of Trustees, who are tenants of the Ministry (Integrated schools have ownership of property).
Day to Day Property Management
The challenge of property maintenance and management is always to use the funding available to provide the optimal learning environment for students and teachers. This is a balancing act between maintaining existing property and planning for upgrades and innovations. It usually requires engagement with property advisers as well as financial advice and is something that the cyclic funding agreements with the Ministry set out to define and support.
There are two of these cyclic property agreements:
- the 5YA (5 Year Agreement) which is a capital funding budget to use over a 5 year period, helping schools plan for capital upgrades as part of the second cyclic agreement, the 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP) process.
- The 10YPP, 10 Year Property Plan is developed to ensure that the school is well maintained and the physical environment supports teaching and learning, within the budgets provided by the Ministry. The 10YPP sets out the property work to be completed over a 10 year timeframe.
The following information about property management is extracted from the Ministry of Education website and supported by the material found at the Ministry Property portal at https://property.education.govt.nz/:
The Ministry’s Role
The Ministry is responsible for the management of the state school property portfolio of around 2,100 schools. They also provide advice and funding for around 330 state integrated schools in New Zealand.
The Ministry is responsible to the Government for making sure that Boards of Trustees:
- care for school property
- follow Government and Ministry spending rules when using property funding
- spend funding in a way that will get the best educational outcomes for their school.
The Ministry does this by:
- developing policies and procedures so Boards can meet all legal requirements and Ministry standards for school property
- allocating property funding through various funding programmes so Boards can build and maintain school property
- providing information and advice about how to manage school property using the website at https://www.education.govt.nz/school/property-and-transport/roles/state-schools/ as the main resource
- supporting Boards when property at a school is affected by disasters or other problems
- monitoring compliance so they can assure Government that Boards are using the funding well and caring for property at their school.
Boards’ Role and Responsibilities
The Ministry notifies the board of a state school of their responsibilities for managing school property in a Property Occupancy Document (POD). https://web-assets.education.govt.nz/s3fs-public/2024-08/Property-Occupancy-Document-POD-2022.pdf?VersionId=AkDp0tdpPjGF_U6J769ZGU6K6vrmU9jZ#:~:text=The%20POD%20is%20a%20legal,integrated)%20school%20and%20the%20Ministry.
To manage property at a school, the Board must:
- maintain school property
- upgrade and modernise school buildings
- plan for the need for new capital works (new buildings and services) at the school.
The board’s responsibilities are to:
- make sure the school charter outlines how school property will contribute to raising student achievement.
- make sure property work that is commissioned complies with all legal and Ministry requirements. Part of this role is to hire the right people, like project managers and contractors, to do property work Boards should make sure that the people hired meet all legal and Ministry requirements, have an appropriate level of skill for the job, and are working in a healthy and safe environment.
- develop a 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP) to plan for the right amount of space and to care for school property so that the school provides the best learning environment. (Refer to the 10YPP page.)
- manage capital building projects, meeting the Ministry’s project management requirements. (Refer to the Project management page.)
- oversee the school’s day-to-day maintenance to keep it in good order and repair.
Future Planning for Property Management
The day-to-day planning and management of school property falls under the wider umbrella of the future focused School Property Strategy 2030 Te Rautaki Rawa Kura. The School Property Strategy 2030 sets the long term direction for how the Ministry will manage school property to support all schools having quality learning environments by 2030.
It will also provide the framework for any improvements the Ministry makes in their continued effort to support schools to manage school property effectively.
The Strategy is supported by four objectives:
- Quality Learning Environments – school property meets agreed standards to support teachers to succeed
- Sustainable Portfolio – policies, planning and investment optimise long-term social, environmental and economic benefits
- Well-managed Property – everyone understands their role in managing school property and is supported to deliver
- Equitable Outcomes – diversity is recognised, and schools and students with the greatest needs are prioritised.
It also makes four assumptions:
Te Rautaki Rawa Kura 2030 will be regularly reviewed to consider wider changes occurring in the system, specifically maintaining alignment with government’s objectives, and progress made to date in relation to improving asset management.
Pages 23 to 35 of the document outline the implementation plans for the School Property Strategy to 2030 and are the focus if you respond to assignment 5, part (b) but the whole report provides context.
It is also worth noting that a significant Ministerial Inquiry into School Property was conducted in 2024. The findings, released in October 2024, were critical of the Ministry of Education’s management of the school property portfolio, highlighting issues such as:
- Bureaucratic and inefficient processes.
- Lack of transparency in funding decisions.
- Ineffective organisational structure.
- Significant delays and cost overruns in projects.
- Concerns about the value for money of offsite manufactured buildings
See here for more information on the inquiry – https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/strategies-policies-and-programmes/property-and-infrastructure/independent-inquiry-school-property-system
And here for more on the Government’s response to this. – https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/school-property-back-track
Task:
EITHER:
Dimension 1 – Day-to-day Property Management
- From your school’s 10YPP, identify one key priority for implementation in this cycle and, in a brief forum post (max. 150 words), comment on the rationale behind this priority in terms of teaching and learning.
OR
Dimension 2 – Future Planning for Property Management
- Reading through pages 18 to 21 of the Te Rautaki Rawa Kura 2030 document, identify one key area where your current kura is aligned with future directions OR one key area that would need to improve. Briefly explain your choice and its implications in a forum post (max. 150 words).
Accompanying Resource Documents:
Link to all documents: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13zbyqV-86hFg9hEC1ZQ_LGpfG2dOOp3m?usp=drive_link
Assessment:
- Completion of relevant readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Post on forum
4 Responses
Dimension 2 – Property Challenges and Opportunities at my school
The biggest challenge for us is knowing that in a few short years, the Ministry will be removing 6 prefab classrooms from our site. These prefabs all sit in our junior area of the school, meaning limited space for our students. The challenge of how the system is set up to create competition between schools that are very close in distance and a decreasing child population in our area means that our current property footprint based on 580 students cannot increase due to the need for a set field and play space that cannot be lessened through building. And the ability to build our own buildings in replacement is fraught with paperwork and cost maintenance, so not a really viable option either. Our school will need to do some clever thinking over the next few years to ensure we are able to cater for space for our children to learn best.
The opportunities around property-enhancing teaching and learning are highlighted in how we have managed our cyclical maintenance by putting some aside each year to now be able to paint the school in one hit, rather than piecemeal. We have a good relationship with our Ministry Property advisor as well as our Property manager. Every year, a walk around with these supports highlights areas of need (the essential and the sensible needs), then every 5 years, there is a more significant inspection and a plan is created for the 10YPP. Property is an essential part of the Principal’s role, but sadly can feel like it has nothing to do with education. If we consider property to play a large part in enhancing teaching and learning, then we will make good decisions and better serve our students in the long run.
Dimension 2 – Future Planning for Property Management, I would choose a key area where my school aligns with the future directions outlined in Te Rautaki Rawa Kura 2030. Specifically, one alignment is the focus on Quality Learning Environments. Our Big Picture Learning prioritises flexible learning spaces that can accommodate diverse teaching styles and collaborative student learning, aligning well with the Ministry’s strategic goals. These upgrades will support our efforts to cater to different learning needs and promote student engagement.
However, one area that could be improved is Sustainability. While we are starting to implement energy-efficient systems, there is room to further integrate sustainability into our property management, ensuring long-term environmental benefits. This would align with the goal of optimising the social, environmental, and economic value of our school’s infrastructure, ensuring that we are proactively preparing for a sustainable future.
Dimension 1 – 10 YPP A key priority for implementation is an outdoor teaching area.This is a key priority to enhance our outdoor teaching space, encouraging a more indoor/outdoor flow from 3 classrooms and increasing learner space. A unique part of our school is our large, thoughtfully designed plantation that holds native trees, fruit trees and great paths for play. This new space will look directly out onto the plantation and when students are working in the new outdoor space they will feel fully connected to our special environment. The space physically connects learning areas of 3 classes. This encourages a natural flow for students and a chance to work alongside others not in their classrooms, reinforcing our small school whānau feel. We know a strong sense of belonging within schools enhance achievement.
The added benefit of the roller blinds that are to be installed make it a space that can be used throughout the year, sheltering students from direct sun in the Summer and cold winds in the Winter.
Dimension 1 – Day-to-day Property Management
A key priority in our schools current 10YPP is the construction of a Fale Pasifika. This initiative aligns with the Board’s responsibility to upgrade and modernise property to better support student achievement. The Fale is not just a structure—it is a cultural hub that affirms identity, strengthens whānau engagement, and enriches learning. As outlined in our school charter, we believe culturally inclusive environments are essential for raising student achievement. The Board has ensured that all planning and procurement meet Ministry and legal requirements, and the Diocese has formally approved the project. The Fale reflects our ongoing commitment to providing a responsive, future-focused learning environment, as required under the POD. This space will support academic success by deepening the cultural connection between home and school, particularly for our Pasifika learners.