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Salisbury School is New Zealand’s only single-sex boarding school for girls aged 8 to 15 years.
photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Just weeks after the new Coalition Government offered a helping hand to two South Island schools for high-needs students, they still don’t know what the future holds.
last month, Education Secretary Erica Stanford announces plans to rebuild and upgrade the Mattei and Salisbury schoolsAfter months of uncertainty Government investigation into school property despite years-long redevelopment plans.
“You have waited 10 years for this and this is unacceptable,” Stanford told Maitai school staff, students and their families during a visit to Nelson in June.
“We want to get the rebuild started as soon as possible because we want to deliver as quickly as possible and I know we can start construction and have the rebuild completed early this year.”
This statement comes as the government pledges $90 million to rebuild specialized facilities and add satellite classrooms Suitable for students with higher needs.
Weeks later, staff at the Mattei School said the reconstruction plans had changed, and the Salisbury school was yet to learn what the reconstruction would actually involve.
Maitai School principal Jenny Milne said the new base school would be located in Salisbury, Richmond, after a decade of planning, with the Department of Education suggesting two weeks ago that the school be located at the front of the campus, rather than the back.
“We were given four proposals last week and we came to the Salisbury site to walk around and see if any would suit us and we thought maybe a combination of this and that would work.
“It’s not ideal, it’s not what we wanted, but again we’ll compromise and try to make it work.”
Ellie Salčin-Watts, headteacher at Salisbury School, explained that some of the school’s buildings are nearly a hundred years old and in need of repair.
photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Mr Milne said they were concerned the new site was too close to a main road and nearby multi-storey residential development.
“We took one step forward and now we’re three steps back because we have to rethink and we have to re-educate the people we work with all the time about what our needs really are.”
Ellie Salčin-Watts, the head of Salisbury School, said she had not seen plans for the reconfigured Maitai Base School and was waiting for more details, as Salisbury’s redevelopment plan turned into a $10 million renovation.
She had concerns after an initial meeting with the Department of Education, which mentioned funding was only enough for “a coat of paint and some carpeting,” and planned to take the matter to Secretary Stanford.
“I’m not sure it fits her vision for a massive renovation.”
“It will take a lot of money to improve underground infrastructure as well as walls, roofs and double glazing.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who visited the Salisbury campus on Tuesday, said the school’s lack of progress was frustrating after he, as education minister, announced in 2019 that it would spend $8 million to rebuild the school, two years after it was vacated. Designated Close.
“The Department for Education has long viewed Salisbury as being on the decline and has not been very supportive of maintenance and upgrading efforts.
“Now there is a commitment from both sides that Salisbury is here for the long term and now there is an agreement between the two sides… it gives certainty.”
Principal Ellie Salčin-Watts (left) shows Labour leader Chris Hipkins around Salisbury School in Richmond.
photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
He said any reconstruction would have to meet the complex needs of students.
“Both Maitai and Salisbury have legitimate concerns and they both have reasonable views on the specific requirements for the refurbishment and reconstruction work and therefore the ministry must take their views into account.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, these schools are all very unique and they do require a unique and differentiated approach.”
Sam Fowler, the department’s director of estates, said the department had met with both schools to confirm that funding would be provided through Budget 24 for new facilities at Maitai School and refurbishment of Salisbury School.
He said the site proposal for the new Maitai school had been put to staff for comment and feedback, while the scope of the refurbishment of Salisbury school had not yet been determined and would be developed in conjunction with the school.
He said they plan to bring the two schools together early next semester to discuss plans for reconstruction and renovations.
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