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About the awards#
The New Zealand Education Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding performance in primary and secondary schooling. They highlight the work of schools and kura making an exceptional difference for their learners, educators and communities.
The 2026 awards ceremony took place at the Parliament in Wellington at 3:30pm on Wednesday, 24 June. It was attended by Minister of Education Hon Erica Stanford.
2026 winners#
There are 4 award categories across different schooling settings recognised. All 2026 finalists were celebrated at a national awards ceremony held at Parliament on Wednesday 24 June.
Each winning school received $20,000. Other finalists received $5,000. Another 5 schools were recognised with a commendation and each received $1,000. All winners, finalists and commendations received a framed certificate, and winners also received a trophy.
Congratulations to all winners, finalists and commended schools.
Judging process#
A judging panel of education experts has reviewed all shortlisted applications and selected finalists for each award in each category.
Finalists will take part in an online discussion with the panel. This will be used by the judges to determine the winning schools.
NZEEA judges#
Sandy Hastings
Sandy Hastings was a primary principal for 18 years before spending 2 years as a leadership advisor, with her term ending earlier this year. She is currently self-employed as a leadership consultant. Most recently Sandy held an acting principal role at Templeton Primary. Sandy served on the Executive of the Canterbury Principal's Association for over 10 years, and was a member of the NZPF Executive for 4 years. Sandy is currently a first-time principal mentor.
Shona Oliver
Shona Oliver has been a principal for 25 years. Her most recent was 8 years at Central Normal School in Palmerston North. During her 50-year career in Education, Shona has spent time as a first time principal mentor, and has been seconded twice to the Education Review Office.
Shona was one of the first recipients of a Woolf Fisher Award. Since retiring from principalship, Shona continues to support schools and is currently a limited statutory manager.
Tim White
Tim White has been principal of 4 primary schools. He was Associate Director of the New Zealand Principal and Leadership Centre, and Rural and Small School Leadership Advisor at Massey University. Tim has also acted as a limited statutory manager, commissioner and director for a range of Ministry of Education contracts.
He was the Kāhui Ako lead and RTLB lead school principal at Frimley School, which won both the Supreme Award and the Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award in the 2021 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards. Tim is currently the chief advisor of the Leadership Advisory Service at the Ministry of Education.
Sandy Pasley
Sandy Pasley began her teaching career at Waitaki Girls’ High School before becoming assistant principal and subsequently deputy principal at Birkenhead College. She was the first lay principal at St Mary’s College in Auckland from 2002 to 2011 and then became Principal of Baradene College from 2011 to 2025.
This year she is finishing her leadership advisor role to work for the Auckland Catholic Education Office. Sandy is a long-time executive of the Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand. In 2015, she was the first elected female president of the association and became a life member in 2017. In April, Sandy became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Dame Susan Hassall
Susan Hassall started teaching at Hamilton Boys’ High School in 1979 where she worked for 46 years, including 25 years as principal. She was the first woman to be appointed as a principal of a boys’ state school in New Zealand.
Susan has been involved as an executive member of the Association of Boys’ Schools since its inception in 2002. She was a member of the Ministry of Education Gifted and Talented Advisory Committee from 2003 to 2010 and was appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2021. She is also a former deputy chair of the Waikato Secondary Schools Sports Principals Association from 2004 to 2014. Susan is currently a member of the Teaching Council Board and was recently appointed to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) Board.
She holds an MA (Hons) from the University of Auckland and is currently the Chancellor of the University of Waikato, following 7 years as Pro Chancellor.
Chris Grinter
Chris Grinter spent 50 years in education and recently retired in 2024 after 33 years as principal of Rotorua Boys’ High School. Under his leadership, Rotorua Boys’ High School won the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence in Leading Award in 2016 and 2019, and the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Supreme Award in 2019.
Chris was coach for the New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team, coaching secondary school students to national and international honours. He was appointed as a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023.
Assessment criteria#
Excellence in improving student achievement through a range of innovative approaches, driven by data and evidence.
Context
Criteria
School can identify key challenges or areas for development to improve student achievement in their school.
Application may want to consider
- Challenges or areas for development.
- Groups of learners most impacted, and how these were determined.
- Why these areas were priority for improvement now.
- Patterns, trends or disparities in achievement data that informed your analysis.
- Curriculum and the structured approach to literacy and numeracy.
- Smarter assessment and reporting.
- Use of learning support resources and programmes.
- Greater use of data.
Approach
Criteria
School can describe the policies, approaches, and initiatives they have designed and/or implemented to improve student achievement.
Application may want to consider
- How have you used data, high quality pedagogy, and targeted supports to accelerate student progress and lift student achievement?
- What new or creative teaching, learning, and assessment practices have you employed? How and why were these employed?
- How have you drawn on evidence-informed pedagogy to lift achievement for students?
- Who was involved in developing your approach and when?
- How were these initiatives embedded into everyday teaching practice?
- How do the approaches implemented align with the school’s vision, values, and strategic priorities?
Outcomes
Criteria
School can describe the policies, approaches, and initiatives they have designed and/or implemented to improve student achievement.
Application may want to consider
- Provide evidence of improvement in teaching practice, student achievement, and/or student learning because of the policies, approaches, or initiatives implemented.
- Provide evidence of changes in teaching practice that have occurred, and how these link to improved outcomes for learners.
- How do you know the improvements made are a result of the actions taken?
- Provide examples of measurable improvements to your school linked to your approach to student achievement.
- Provide evidence of how you have monitored and evaluated the impact of new practices.
- Provide evidence of any plans to modify your school’s strategy in the future.
Excellence in working with the community to improve student attendance and engagement.
Context
Criteria
School can identify key challenges or areas for development to improve student attendance in their school.
Application may want to consider
- Barriers to attendance.
- Disengaged students.
- Community engagement/relationships.
- Greater use of data.
Approach
Criteria
School can describe the policies, approaches, and initiatives they have designed and/or implemented to improve student attendance.
Application may want to consider
- What is your attendance plan and any specific targets/planned actions your school has for identifying and reducing barriers for students and whānau?
- What new or creative, evidence based, data-driven strategies and tailored interventions are you using to respond to attendance challenges?
- How are you responding to local needs and supporting students at risk of disengagement?
- How has your school’s approach to improving attendance been developed through collaboration with the school board, staff, students, whānau, and the wider community?
Outcomes
Criteria
School can demonstrate how these efforts have led to measurable improvements in student attendance over time.
Application may want to consider
- Provide examples of measurable improvements in attendance linked to your school’s approach.
- Provide evidence of how you have monitored and evaluated the impact of new practices.
- Provide evidence of any plans to modify your school’s strategy for the future.
Excellence in developing the workforce of the future, including growing new teachers and supporting leadership development.
Context
Criteria
School can identify key challenges or areas for development for the workforce in their school.
Application may want to consider
- Leadership development.
- Attracting new staff, including new teachers, leaders, and learning support specialists.
- Growing workforce capability through professional learning, development, and mentoring.
- Meeting future anticipated workforce needs.
- Finding relief teachers.
Approach
Criteria
School can describe the policies, approaches, and initiatives they have designed and/or implemented to support workforce development in their school.
Application may want to consider
- How does your school approach workforce development to meet the needs of your learner community?
- How has your school used available workforce supports or initiatives?
- How does your workforce development approach use data and evidence?
- What is being done differently or for the first time?
- Who was involved in developing your approach and when?
- How did you decide this approach was the right approach for your school?
- How was your approach informed by the needs of your students or community?
Outcomes
Criteria
School can demonstrate how these efforts have led to improvements in workforce sustainability, capability, and improved teaching and learning.
Application may want to consider
- Provide evidence of any monitoring and evaluation of the impact of new practices/change.
- Provide evidence of how workforce development initiatives have improved student/school outcomes.
- Provide evidence of any plans to modify your school’s strategy for the future.
Excellence in leading change for student success.
Context
Criteria
School can identify significant change(s) they have implemented in their school and explain why change was required.
Application may want to consider
- Curriculum change.
- Property or infrastructure change.
- Accelerated supports for learners.
- Learning support change.
- Attendance changes.
- Legislative change, new policies or regulations.
- Rapid roll growth.
- Responding to change in the community (for example crisis response).
Approach
Criteria
School can describe the policies, approaches, and initiatives they have designed and/or implemented to lead and support their school through change.
Application may want to consider
- How did your school’s leadership strategically approach the change you have introduced?
- How did your school’s leadership ensure change was implemented consistently across your school?
- What did your school’s leadership do differently or for the first time?
- How did your school’s leadership respond to challenges that came with change in your school?
- How did your school’s leadership incorporate student and whānau voices in the change process?
- How did your school’s leadership decide the approach you took was the right approach for your school?
Outcomes
Criteria
School can demonstrate how these efforts have led to measurable and sustained improvements to their school’s teaching and learning.
Application may want to consider
- Provide evidence of how the change initiative(s) improved student/school outcomes.
- Provide evidence of how you have monitored and evaluated the impact of new practices/change.
- Provide evidence of how you built the capability of your school’s leadership to embed the change in your school.
- Provide evidence of any plans to modify your school’s strategy for the future.
- Provide evidence of how you expect to use learnings from this change process to inform how you approach change in the future.
Ngā paearu aromatawai#
Te kairangi mō te whakapiki paetae ākonga mā te whānuitanga o ngā ara auaha, i runga anō i ngā raraunga me te taunakitanga.
Horopaki
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te tautuhi wero matua, wāhi matua rānei hei whakapiki paetae ākonga i tō rātou kura.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Ngā wero, ngā wāhi whakawhanake rānei.
- Ngā rōpūtanga ākonga e pā nuitia ana, me te ara i whakatauria ai aua rōpū.
- He aha aua wāhi i noho ai hei whakaarotau mō te whakapainga ake.
- Ngā tauira, ngā ia, ngā manarite-kore i roto i ngā raraunga paetae i whai mōhio ai tō tātari.
- Te marautanga, te rangaranga ā-tā me te pāngarau.
- Te aromatawai me te tuku pūrongo atamai ake.
- Te whakamahi rauemi me ngā hōtaka hāpai ako.
- Te nui ake o te whakamahi raraunga.
Ara
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te whakaahua i ngā kaupapahere, ara, kōkiri hoki kua hoahoatia, kua whakatinanahia hoki/rānei ki te whakapiki paetae ākonga.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Kua pēhea tō whakamahi raraunga, ngā tikanga ako kounga, me ngā tautoko kua āta tāreia ki te whakahohoro koke whakamua me te whakapiki paetae ākonga?
- He aha ngā panoni, ngā aronga hou kei ngā ritenga whakaako, ako me te aromatawai kua whakamahi koe? I pēhea te whakamahi i ērā, he aha hoki i whakamahia ai?
- He pēhea tō ruku ki roto i ngā tikanga ako whai taunaki i whakapiki paetae ai mō ngā ākonga?
- Ko wai i whai wāhi ki te whakawhanake i tō ara, inahea hoki?
- He pēhea aua kōkiri i tāmaua ai ki ngā mahi whakaako o ia rā?
- He pēhea te hāngai o ngā ara kua whakatinanahia ki te matawhānui, ngā uara me ngā whakaarotau rautaki a te kura?
Ngā putanga
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te whakaahua i ngā kaupapahere, ara, kōkiri hoki kua hoahoatia, kua whakatinanahia hoki/rānei ki te whakapiki paetae ākonga.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Whakarato taunakitanga me ngā tauira o ngā whakapainga o ngā ritenga whakaako, o ngā paetae. ākonga, o te ako ākonga hoki/rānei nā ngā kaupapahere, ngā ara, ngā kōkiri rānei kua whakatinanahia.
- Whakarato taunakitanga o ngā panoni ki ngā ritenga whakaako kua puta, me te hononga o ērā ki ngā putanga pai ake o ngā ākonga.
- He pēhea koe i mōhio ai kua puta ngā whakapainga i nga mahi i whai koe?
- Homai tauira o ngā whakapainga ka taea te ine ki tō kura e honoa ana ki te ara whakapiki paetae ākonga i whāia e koe.
- Whakarato taunakitanga mō tō aroturuki me tō aromātai i te pānga o ngā ritenga hou.
- Whakarato taunakitanga o ētahi mahere, mēnā kei a koe ētahi, ki te whakarerekē i te rautaki a te kura mō muri atu ki te tāmau i ngā huringa.
Te kairangi mō te mahi tahi me te hapori me ngā ākonga ki te whakapai ake i te taetae me te whai wāhi a te ākonga.
Horopaki
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te tautuhi wero matua, wāhi matua rānei hei whakapai i te taetae ākonga i tō rātou kura.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Ngā tauārai taetae.
- Ngā ākonga kāore i te aro mai.
- Te whai wāhi a te hapori/ngā hononga.
- Te nui ake o te whakamahi raraunga hei whakatau hāpaiora i runga i te mōhio.
Ara
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te whakaahua i ngā kaupapahere, ara, kōkiri hoki kua hoahoatia, kua whakatinanahia hoki/rānei ki te whakapiki taetae ākonga.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- He aha te mahere taetae me ngā ūnga / mahi whakamahere hoki a tō kura mō te tautuhi me te whakaiti tauārai mō ngā ākonga me ngā whānau?
- He aha ngā rautaki hou, auaha rānei, whai papa taunakitanga, ā-raraunga hoki, me ngā hāpaiora kua āta tāreia, hei urupare ki aua wero taetae?
- Ka pēhea koe e urupare ai ki ngā hiahia paetata, me te tautoko ākonga e noho whakaraerae ana ki te korenga e aro ki ngā mahi ako?
- Kua pēhea nei te whakawhanaketanga o te ara e whāia ana e to kura ki te whakapiki taetae i te taha o te poari kura, ngā kaiako me ngā kaimahi, ngā ākonga, ngā whānau me te hapori whānui?
Ngā putanga
Ngā paearu
Ka taea e te kura te whakaatu ngā whakapainga ki te taetae ākonga i roto i te wā nā aua mahi.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Homai tauira o ngā whakapainga pūmau ka taea te ine mō te taetae ākonga e honoa ana ki te ara e whāia ana e tō kura.
- Whakarato taunakitanga mō tō aroturuki me tō aromātai i te pānga o ngā ritenga hou.
- Whakarato taunakitanga o ētahi mahere, mēnā kei a koe ētahi, ki te whakarerekē i te rautaki a te kura ā muri atu.
Te kairangi mō te whakawhanake i te ohu mahi mō āpōpō, taea noatia ngā kaiako hou, me te tautoko i te whakawhanake kaihautūtanga.
Horopaki
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te tautuhi wero matua, wāhi matua rānei hei whakawhanake i te ohu mahi i tō rātou kura.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Te whakawhanake kaihautūtanga.
- Te kume kaimahi hou, tae atu ki ngā kaiako hou, ngā kaihautū, me ngā mātanga hāpaiora ako.
- Te whakapakari pūmanawa kaimahi mā te ako ngaio, te whakawhanake me te whakaruruhau.
- Te whakatutuki hiahia ohu mahi e matapaetia ana ā muri atu.
- Te kimi kaiako rīwhi.
Ara
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te whakaahua i ngā kaupapahere, ngā kōkiri hoki kua hoahoatia, kua whakatinanahia hoki/rānei ki te tautoko i te whakawhanaketanga ohu mahi i tō rātou kura.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Ka pēhea e tutuki ai ngā hiahia o tō hapori ako i te ara e whāia ana e tō kura ki te whakawhanake kaimahi?
- He pēhea te whakamahi a tō kura i ngā tautoko, kōkiri rānei e wātea ana mō te whakawhanake ohu mahi?
- He pēhea nei tā tō ara whakawhanake ohu mahi e whakamahi raraunga ai me ngā taunakitanga?
- He aha ngā mahi kua whakarerekētia, kātahi anō ka whāia rānei?
- Ko wai i whai wāhi ki te whakawhanake i tō ara, inahea hoki?
- He pēhea koutou i whakatau ai koia te ara tika hei whāinga mā tō kura?
- He pēhea tō ara i aweawea ai e ngā hiahia o ō ākonga, o tō hapori rānei?
Ngā putanga
Ngā paearu
Ka taea e te kura te whakaatu ngā whakapainga kua puta i aua mahi e pā ana ki tō te ohu mahi toitūtanga, kaha, me ngā whakapainga i ngā mahi whakaako me te ako.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Whakarato taunakitanga aroturuki, aromātai hoki mō te pānga o ngā ritenga hou me ngā panoni.
- Whakarato taunakitanga mō te whakapainga ake o ngā putanga ākonga / kura nā ngā kōkiri whakawhanake kaimahi.
- Whakarato taunakitanga o ētahi mahere, mēnā kei a koe ētahi, ki te whakarerekē i te rautaki a te kura ā muri atu.
Te kairangi i te ārahi huringa mō te angitu ākonga.
Horopaki
Ngā paearu
Ka taea e te kura te tautuhi huringa hira nā rātou i whakatinana i tō rātou kura me te whakamārama he aha aua huringa i hiahiatia ai.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Te huringa marautanga.
- Te huringa papawhenua, tūāhanga rānei.
- Ngā mahi tautoko whakahohoro mā ngā ākonga.
- Ngā huringa tautoko ako.
- Ngā huringa taetae.
- Ngā panoni ā-ture, ngā kaupapahere me ngā waeture hou.
- Te Tere Pikinga o ngā Rārangi Ingoa.
- Te urupare ki te panoni i te hapori (hei tauira, ngā urupare tairaru).
Ara
Ngā paearu
Ka āhei te kura te whakaahua i ngā kaupapahere, ngā kōkiri hoki kua hoahoatia, kua whakatinanahia hoki/rānei ki te ārahi me te tautoko i te kura ina mahia ngā huringa.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- He aha te rautaki i whāia e ngā kaihautū o tō kura hei anga atu ki te huringa i tō kura?
- Kua pēhea tā ngā kaihautū o tō kura whakarite kia ōrite te whakatinanatanga o te huringa puta noa i tō kura?
- He aha ngā mahi rerekē i mahia e ngā kaihautū o tō kura, kātahi anō ka mahia rānei?
- I pēhea tā ngā kaihautū o tō kura urupare ki ngā wero ka puta i te wā o te huringa i tō kura?
- I pēhea ngā kaihautū o tō kura i komokomo ai i te reo ākonga me te reo whānau ki roto i te tukanga huri?
- I pēhea ngā kaihautū o tō kura i whakatau ai he tika te ara i whāia mō tō kura?
Ngā putanga
Ngā paearu
Ka taea e te kura te whakaatu i ngā whakapainga pūmau ka taea te ine i ngā mahi whakaako me te ako i te kura.
Me tautuhi pea e te tono ngā whāinga tauwhāiti mō te whakapiki tutukinga
- Whakarato taunakitanga mō te āhua i whakapai ai ngā kōkiri panoni i ngā putanga ākonga/kura.
- Whakarato taunakitanga mō tō aroturuki me tō aromātai i te pānga o ngā ritenga hou/te huringa.
- Whakarato taunakitanga mō te āhua i whakapakaritia ai te raukaha o ngā kaihautū o tō kura ki te tāmau i te huringa ki roto i tō kura.
- Whakarato taunakitanga o ētahi mahere, mēnā kei a koe ētahi, ki te whakarerekē i te rautaki a te kura ā muri atu.
- Whakarato taunakitanga ka pēhea koe e tūmanako ai kia whakamahia ngā akoranga o tēnei tukanga huri kia mahia ai ngā huringa ā muri atu i runga i te mōhio.
Conditions of entry#
Applicants for the 2026 New Zealand Education Excellence Awards must comply with the conditions of entry listed.
- Applications will only be accepted from a New Zealand-based registered state, state-integrated or charter school, kura, wharekura.
- Only schools and kura are eligible for nomination and to submit an application. Individuals cannot be nominated.
- Nominations or applications will not be accepted from a staff member or contractor from the following lead education-sector agencies:
- Ministry of Education
- Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
- Education Review Office
- Education New Zealand
- Tertiary Education Commission
- New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
- Schools and kura may nominate themselves for a category.
- Schools and kura may only submit one application entry per category.
- Schools and kura must receive a nomination for a category before submitting an application.
- Area schools may submit an application for the primary or secondary category, or both, depending on the applicable year levels for the initiative being entered.
- Each application must clearly state the year levels involved in the initiative, programme, or practice being presented.
- If an area school is accepted into both categories it will be judged independently by each sector’s judging panel.
- An area school application may only be named a finalist in 1 category even if assessed by both judging panels.
- For the Kaupapa Māori schooling setting, the following kura are eligible:
- Te Rūnanga Nui-affiliated kura
- Ngā Kura ā Iwi-affiliated kura
- Kura Motuhake, or standalone kura Māori with all students in immersion level 1 and immersion level 2.
- For the purpose of these awards, schools with some learners in immersion level 1 and immersion level 2 classes or units (for example, Rumaki) are only eligible to be considered for the primary and secondary schooling awards.
- All nominations must be received no later than 9pm on 24 April 2026.
- Schools and kura must submit their application using the official application form provided by the Ministry of Education for the category in which they are nominated.
- Any supporting documentation must be submitted in a PDF, PNG, JPEG or DOCX format as part of the application.
- If your school wins a category, the information provided in the application form will be used at the awards ceremony and may be used for media stories, case studies and/or promotion of the awards.
- All entries must be submitted online no later than 9pm (closing time) on 1 May 2026 (closing date).
- Entries will not be accepted if an application has not been received by the Ministry by the closing date and time.
- The judges shall be entitled to follow up and authenticate any information, or material provided in an application and/or in support of the application. An entry may be deemed ineligible for consideration if the information or material provided cannot be verified to the judges’ satisfaction.
- By submitting an application, you and the relevant staff members are agreeing to make yourself available to be interviewed by the judges in the week commencing 18 May 2026, should your application be shortlisted.
- If your school is selected as a finalist, you and the relevant staff members agree to be available to participate in a promotional video for the awards, coordinated by the Ministry from the week commencing 18 May 2026.
- If your school is selected as a finalist, 2 members of staff must be available to attend the awards ceremony in Wellington on 24 June 2026. Where applicable, flights and accommodation will be provided by the Ministry.
- An entry will only be chosen as a finalist if the judges consider that the application has met the entry criteria and is of an appropriate standard of quality, as determined at the judges’ sole discretion. The judges will determine whether there are any, and if so, the number of finalists.
- The judges shall also be entitled to deny entry to any applicant, or terminate any entry, if in their opinion any applicant or entry could pose a risk to the credibility or integrity of the Awards.
- The judges’ decisions shall always be final, and no correspondence will be entered into/considered regarding their decisions.
- Do not include confidential or commercially sensitive information in your application. Applications for the awards will not be treated as confidential, and we may use the information provided for publicity, communications, and case-study development. By applying, your school consents to this information being used in these ways.
- Entries will only be judged on achievements, performance or results that can be evidenced over a sustained period between 1 January 2024 – 1 May 2026.
Award-specific conditions of entry
Refer to specific award entry forms for additional award eligibility criteria.
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