Ngā WhakataungaWhat The Plan Promised
In 2024, Naenae College publicly released its 2024-2026 Strategic Plan — a professional, glossy document outlining ambitious goals for students. The plan speaks of partnership, transparency, comprehensive support, and detailed implementation across six key focus areas.
Detailed Working Documents
"For each of the development priorities listed in the annual plan there will be supporting documentation which includes: strategic goals, desired outcomes, current state data, consultation process, target groups, outcome targets, plan details..."
Data-Driven Decisions
"Processes to collect, assess, analyse and use longitudinal data to inform decisions and measure progress will be improved."
Comprehensive Support
Promises of quality health education, career guidance, literacy and numeracy plans, attendance support, and celebration of achievement — all supposedly backed by detailed implementation plans.
Community Partnership
"A sustainable model of communication and interaction... will focus on improving relationships, building trust, celebrating achievements and enhancing learning outcomes."
Resource Planning
"The 10 Year Property Plan will provide for a high standard of maintenance and development... There will be astute financial management with resources targeted to meet the priorities of this plan."
Regular Monitoring
"The management of the school will monitor progress and report to the Board on an agreed review cycle. All working documents will be accessible to the Board and staff on an ongoing basis."
Ngā TaunakitangaWhat We Found
We obtained the actual working documents linked in the strategic plan. What we discovered was shocking: many are still marked "First draft," with critical sections completely blank. Here's the evidence.
The Public Promise
Cultural Identity & Values (1.4 Uara)
"All ākonga will grow in their understanding of the college Uara, Tikanga Māori, te reo Māori, Aotearoa history and their own cultural identity as a citizen of Aotearoa/NZ"
Sounds comprehensive, right? The plan promises an induction programme that "explicitly teaches key facets of who we are."
The Reality
Behind the Scenes
The actual working document has:
- Blank: Description of current state/performance data
- Blank: Consultation process
- Blank: Target groups
- Blank: Outcome targets
- Blank: Plan details
The Public Promise
Health Education (2.2)
"Ensure all ākonga in Y9-11 receive a quality health education programme, consistent with the te whare tapa wha model. This includes sharing resource material with whānau."
Student wellbeing is paramount — surely this would have a detailed plan?
The Reality
Behind the Scenes
The health education document shows:
- Blank: Desired outcome
- Blank: Description of current state
- Blank: National comparison data
- Blank: Consultation process
- Blank: Target groups
- Blank: Outcome targets
- Blank: Plan details
The Public Promise
Numeracy Plan (3.3)
"To ensure all ākonga in the junior school are taught the necessary numeracy skills to achieve the NCEA numeracy CAA requirements"
With a target of 90% of students passing by end of Y11, this needs a solid implementation plan.
The Reality
Behind the Scenes
The numeracy document is literally marked:
"First draft; Sign off:"
It has some data, but many crucial implementation details in "Plan details" are still being figured out — shown by text in red saying "Begin to develop a method..." suggesting this is aspirational, not actual.
VIEW SOURCE PDFThe Public Promise
Monitoring & Evaluation (4.1)
"To develop and maintain a comprehensive longitudinal database to drive continuous improvement across all elements of the strategic plan"
This is the foundation for accountability — how can any plan work without proper monitoring?
The Reality
Behind the Scenes
Document header shows:
"First draft Nov 2023
Plan signoff:"
Current state description simply says "While we have access to a plethora of data though KAMAR..." and then nothing. All other sections blank.
How can you monitor the plan when the monitoring plan itself is incomplete?
VIEW SOURCE PDFThe Public Promise
Communication & Partnerships (5.1)
"To develop and maintain active partnerships with Kahui Ako, whanau/caregivers, iwi and community groups, tertiary education providers and relevant employers"
Building trust and celebrating achievements together — sounds wonderful.
The Reality
Behind the Scenes
Document status:
"First draft; Sign off:"
Every single implementation section is blank:
- No current state description
- No consultation process outlined
- No target groups identified
- No outcome targets set
- No plan details provided
The Public Promise
Property & Budget (6.1, 6.2, 6.3)
"The 10 Year Property Plan will provide for a high standard of maintenance... There will be astute financial management with resources targeted to meet the priorities of this plan."
Infrastructure and financial planning are foundational to any successful strategy.
The Reality
Behind the Scenes
All three documents (6.1 Maintenance, 6.2 Capital Works, 6.3 Budget) show:
"First draft; Sign off:"
And then... nothing. Every section blank. No current state analysis, no consultation, no targets, no detailed plans.
Where's the "astute financial management" when there's no actual budget plan?
VIEW 6.1 PDF VIEW 6.2 PDF VIEW 6.3 PDFTe PāngaWhy This Matters
These aren't just empty pages — they represent broken promises to students and whānau. Here's what incomplete planning actually means on the ground:
- Attendance crisis without solutions: With 31% of students chronically absent (vs 8% nationally), we need urgent intervention. But the attendance plan (4.2) was only just being addressed "for the first time since pre-covid" in 2024. Students are falling through the cracks while the plan is still being written.
- Literacy and numeracy gaps unaddressed: Year 10 students at Naenae had only a 49.5% pass rate for literacy reading (vs 64.4% national). The literacy plan exists but with ongoing development. Students can't wait for "complete" plans — they're losing learning time right now.
- No clear support for Māori and Pasifika students: The cultural identity document (1.4) promises programs to help students "experience success as Māori," but has no consultation process, no target groups, no outcome measures. How can you close achievement gaps without a plan?
- Missing community voice: Multiple documents show blank "Consultation process" sections. If you haven't consulted with students, staff, and whānau, how can your plan possibly respond to their needs?
- No accountability: With the monitoring and evaluation document itself incomplete, there's no clear way to track whether any of these promises are being kept. It's a plan to have a plan.
- Staff confusion and frustration: The Professional Development document (3.1) notes that in 2023, "PLD was eclectic and confused... the direction could have been more precise." If staff don't have clear guidance, how can they support students effectively?
The glossy Strategic Plan makes Naenae College look organized and forward-thinking. But the reality behind the brochure is very different. Students and whānau deserve better than aspirational documents. We deserve actual, complete, actionable plans.
Ngā Tono a MātouOur Demands
The Naenae College Union — students, whānau, and supporters — demands immediate action to turn these empty promises into real plans. We call on the Board of Trustees and school leadership to:
- Publish fully developed working documents for every strategic goal within 60 days, with all sections completed: current state, consultation process, target groups, outcome targets, and detailed implementation plans.
- Establish genuine co-design processes with students, whānau, and staff for all major initiatives. No more top-down planning. Our voices must be heard and reflected in the plans.
- Commit to transparent, monthly progress updates on each strategic priority, published on the school website and shared with the community. Show us the data. Show us the progress. Show us the accountability.
- Set concrete deadlines for filling in every blank section identified in this campaign, and publish a public timeline for completion with named responsibilities.
- Conduct an independent review of the strategic planning process to identify why so many working documents were left incomplete while the public plan was published, and implement changes to prevent this from happening again.
- Establish a Student and Whānau Advisory Board with formal input into all strategic decisions, ensuring that those most affected by these plans have a real seat at the table.
These demands are reasonable, achievable, and necessary. If Naenae College truly values partnership, transparency, and student success, leadership will embrace these steps rather than resist them.
Ngā PātaiQuestions & Answers
We anticipate some common questions and pushback. Here are our responses:
Isn't every school's strategic plan a work in progress?
Our response: Yes, plans evolve and improve over time. That's normal and expected. The issue here is not that Naenae's plan is imperfect — it's that the school publicly released a polished strategic plan before completing the underlying working documents that are supposed to support it.
The strategic plan itself states: "For each of the development priorities listed in the annual plan there will be supporting documentation." These documents exist, but many are still marked "First draft" with entire sections blank.
If the working documents weren't ready, the strategic plan shouldn't have been presented to the community as if everything was in place. That's the transparency gap we're highlighting.
What would a "real plan" actually look like?
A complete, implementable plan would include:
- Current state analysis: Where are we now? What does the data show about student outcomes, attendance, achievement gaps, etc.?
- Consultation evidence: Who did we talk to? What did students, staff, and whānau say? How did their input shape the plan?
- Clear target groups: Who exactly are we trying to help? Which students, which year levels, which communities?
- Measurable outcome targets: What specific, measurable results do we aim to achieve, and by when?
- Detailed implementation plan: What specific actions will we take? Who's responsible? What resources are needed? What's the timeline?
- Monitoring process: How will we track progress? What data will we collect? How often will we review and adjust?
These aren't unreasonable expectations — they're basic elements of competent strategic planning. Some of Naenae's working documents (like 3.2 Literacy and 4.2 Attendance) have made good progress on these elements. Others are completely blank. We're simply asking for consistency and completeness.
Why go public with this? Why not work within the system?
Transparency is essential for accountability. When a school publicly releases a strategic plan, that plan should accurately represent the state of readiness for implementation. The community — students, parents, whānau, staff — has a right to know what's actually in place.
The strategic plan says "All working documents will be accessible to the Board and staff on an ongoing basis." We obtained these documents and discovered significant gaps. Sharing this information publicly isn't hostile — it's democratic.
We're also engaging "within the system" through formal channels — attending Board meetings, submitting requests, and sending communications to leadership. This campaign is one tool among many.
Ngā TuhingaThe Documents
Don't just take our word for it. Here are the documents we reviewed to create this campaign. We encourage you to read them yourself and come to your own conclusions.
Naenae College 2024-2026 Strategic Plan (Main Brochure)
The glossy, public-facing strategic plan that promises comprehensive support across six focus areas. This is what was presented to the community as the "complete" plan.
Download PDF2024 Priority Actions
Overview document listing the priority goals for 2024 with high-level targets. Shows what the school committed to achieving in the first year.
Download PDF2025 Priority Actions
Similar overview for 2025, showing continued focus on literacy, numeracy, cultural identity, and attendance.
Download PDF1.4 Uara: Cultural Identity and Bicultural Citizenship
Strategic goal present, but implementation sections almost entirely blank.
Download PDF2.1 Restorative Practice & Student Behaviour Management
Has some detail on implementation.
Download PDF2.2 Health Education
All implementation sections blank.
Download PDF2.3 Career Guidance and Transition Education
Has consultation and targets outlined.
Download PDF3.1 Kaimahi Professional Development Programme
Has self-aware critique of past issues.
Download PDF3.2 Schoolwide Literacy Plan
Well-developed with data.
Download PDF3.3 Numeracy
Marked "First draft; Sign off:"
Download PDF3.4 Learning Advisory Rōpū Programme
Blank implementation sections.
Download PDF3.5 Celebration of Achievement
Marked "First draft" with everything blank.
Download PDF4.1 Monitoring and Evaluation
Marked "First draft Nov 2023, Plan signoff:" with all sections blank.
Download PDF4.2 Attendance and Engagement
Has detailed analysis and plan (one of the more complete documents).
Download PDF5.1 Communication and Partnerships
Marked "First draft; Sign off:" All implementation sections blank.
Download PDF6.1 Maintenance and Care of Facilities
Marked "First draft; Sign off:" All implementation sections blank.
Download PDF6.2 Capital Works and 10 Year Property Plan
Marked "First draft; Sign off:" All implementation sections blank.
Download PDF6.3 Budget Planning
Marked "First draft; Sign off:" All implementation sections blank.
Download PDF1.3 Pasifika Achievement
Additional supporting document on Pasifika student outcomes.
Download PDFNote: All documents are provided for transparency and educational purposes. We encourage you to read them critically and form your own opinions.