Skodel has officially gone live in New Zealand with** **the first check-in sent last week at Manurewa Intermediate School. There is a fascinating success story behind this school, placed under statutory management in 2008 for severe disruptive behaviour to now a recipient of the supreme Prime Minister's Education Excellence Award. In less than 10 years, Principal Iain Taylor has taken a school that was spending $105,000 a year on vandalism repairs and experiencing worryingly low attendance rates to one of New Zealand's great success stories.

Students now sit on a Curriculum Council and Pastoral Care Council to oversee what is taught and select inquiry topics at the school. Parents are drawn into the school with a community centre, buildings and playgrounds have been renovated and there are regular events for Maori & Pacific families. Only 29% of Year 7 students that enter Manurewa are at or above national standards in reading & writing, by the time they leave Year 8, that number jumps to 60%.

It all comes down to school culture and engagement, with "environment being the third teacher". Skodel is proud to support this continuing success story in New Zealand and thrilled to have three more schools in the Manurewa area adopt Skodel this term.