General - Southern Health School

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Southern Health School, by nature of the school's constantly changing community of students and parents, is somewhat different in composition. Members of our Board [with the exception of the Staff Trustee] are appointed, at triennial School Board election time, by the Minister of Education.

Board Members

		Craig Scott – Chair Craig is the current Board Chair for the Southern Health School. As a Clinical Manager, working in Child and Adolescent Mental Health for the Canterbury District Health Board, he brings considerable experience of mental health to his role on the Board of Trustees. Craig holds an MBA from Canterbury University, a Diploma in Management from the New Zealand Institute of Management, and he is also a Registered Comprehensive Nurse. He joined the BOT for the Southern Health School in 2015 and served the previous term as Deputy Chair. Craig is also the Chair of a Not-for-Profit Trust, based in Canterbury and a member of the Institute of Directors, Canterbury Branch.

		Eddie Norgate - Deputy Chair \| Chair of Audit and Risk Committe Eddie is the current Deputy Board Chair for the Southern Health School. He served the previous term as Chairperson. As a former primary school principal and now an intermediate principal, he brings considerable educational experience to his role on the Board of Trustees.

		David Ivory - Member David holds degrees from Canterbury/Oxford Universities & Australian Catholic University. He is a former Fulbright Scholar. David Ivory has been involved in governance of a number of educational institutions, including Council Member of University of Canterbury, President of the Canterbury Workers Education Association, and has represented the Minister of Education on a number of school boards including both Halswell/Westbridge Schools and Kingslea School. He has also served as a Board Member on the New Zealand SChool Tustees Association and served as the Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee. He represents the Minister of Health of the New Zealand Paramedic Council, and is a Director of several companies.
		Rachel Huggins - Member Rachel Huggins has worked in the education sector for over thirty years, within the Early childhood, primary and secondary areas. She has been a principal both in New Zealand and overseas in International Schools. She enjoys working towards providing the very best education for all students and the privilege of working closely with families. She understands the importance of school governance teams and is enthusiastic about supporting the team at the Southern Health School to see their students grow and thrive.

		Matthew McVicar - Co-opted Member Matthew is an undergrad student at the University of Canterbury, studying a double degree in law and commerce. He is a national mental health advocate and has a keen interest in Governance. As a former student of Southern Health School, Matthew gives valuable insight into youth and student related matters.
		Jo Kennard - Staff Trustee Tēnā koutou katoa. Jo Kennard has worked in the education sector for over 20 years. She was appointed to the Southern Health School in 2013 and previously taught in schools in New Zealand and London. Currently, she is the Curriculum Leader for Years 1-6 and the majority of her learners are in Years 1-10. She feels privileged to work for a school where students are encouraged to be the best versions of themselves despite their health conditions. She is passionate about whakawhanaungatanga, building relationships, with her students, their whānau, schools and medical professionals. These connections enable her students to have positive outcomes through needs and interest-based learning programmes as well as developing their lifelong skills through a key competency focus. Furthermore, transition back to their regular schools is a more fluid process. It is an interesting, rewarding role operating alongside talented Board of Trustee members. She enjoys being part of the governance of this wonderful kura and working in the best interests of the learners.
		Nicole Leete PhD, MEd (Hons), LLB (Hons) - Member Nicola is a lecturer at Massey University, where she teaches and researches in the areas of education law, inclusive education and social justice. She is also a national facilitator for the Learning Support Network. Prior to moving into the tertiary sector, she was a secondary school teacher. Central to her educational philosophy are the values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, along with a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Board Meetings 2024

The Board meets monthly. These are public meetings the dates of which will be published in advance here. Unless otherwise stated meetings are at 5.00 pm.

Next Meeting:

December - 12th Christchurch Campus 2 Halswell Road

Policies for Community Consultation

Please email: jThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any comments.

Strategic Plan

Strategic and Annual Plan 2024

Annual Report 2019
Annual Report 2020
Annual Report 2021
Annual Report 2022

ERO Report

You can read our 2016 ERO Report here.

Whakauru

Ko wai ka taea te whakauru ki te kura?

Here are the criteria:

1. Year 0-13 students with high health needs identified by a qualified medical practitioner specialising in the condition and who are undergoing:

an active treatment programme for their medical condition
or a health funded mental health programme

2. also students must be: (at least one of these)

in hospital and /or recuperating or rehabilitating for more than 10 school days
likely to have [or had] six hospital admissions in a 12 month period
absent from school for more than 40 school days in any one school year

Information for Schools

Student admissions to Southern Health School

How do I seek admission for my child?

1. Get a copy of your child's attendance record for this year from their school
2. Download the following forms:

Application for Admission Word Doc or PDF
Verification of Medical Condition
Home Visit Form
Student Internet responsible use agreement
Ask the students regular school for an absence printout.

3. Complete each form and make sure it is signed as appropriate

Incomplete applications cannot be processed so please ensure that all of the above documents are sent together.

4. Post all these completed forms and the attendance record to us

Southern Health School
Christchurch Campus
2 Halswell Road
PO Box 1757
Christchurch 8140

Or scan and send via email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or fax: 03 374 6503

If your child does not have a regular school

The Ministry of Education will consider whether to approve a Section 9 Agreement with you for special education. If it is required a copy of the Section 9 Agreement may be obtained from us or from the Ministry of Education. We will forward the completed form to the Ministry if we consider the above criteria are met.

Follow the 4 steps above and include the completed Section 9 Agreement

Community Classroom Attendance

Some students will be able to attend one of our classrooms for their lessons. The form below provides information and will need to be downloaded and returned to your child's teacher when completed.

Community Classroom Form

FAQs

Are we a state school?

Yes, the service is free to all eligible students.

Does the Health School become my child's only school?

No, your child will stay enrolled at their regular school and transition back as soon as possible.

What if my child does not have a school?

The Ministry of Education will consider whether to approve a Section 9 Agreement with you for special education.

Will my child gain qualifications?

Yes, all our students have access to NCEA qualifications.

What is an ILP?

An ILP is an Individual Learning Plan. It is designed for each student and our teachers to support the students learning while they are unable to go to school. The ILP is shared with the student's school, parents and medical team.

How long can I stay on the Health School Roll?

Until you are well enough to return to school. This will be determined by your medical specialist. All students require a medical certificate from a Medical Practitioner (GP) or Specialist in order to be eligible for our school. Every 15 weeks we require a new medical to verify your condition.

Why does a specialist have to sign my Medical Certificate?

If you are unwell for a long time, we need to be sure that you are getting all the medical help you can, so that when you are well you can return to regular school. A specialist medical certificate will outline when you will be well enough to go back to school.

How many times a week, will my child be taught?

This depends on where your child is living and their medical condition. We do not offer regular hours like other schools. Times and days will be discussed with you and your child at our initial meeting.

Where will my child be taught?

Health School Teachers teach in a variety of places. This could include a hospital setting, community classroom, in the child's home or at the regular school. You and your child will be informed where the teaching will occur.

We have classrooms in Canterbury, Blenheim, Nelson, South Canterbury, Otago, Southland and West Coast. We work hard to ensure all students receive an equitable service regardless of their geographical location or medical condition.

For Schools:

Will our school lose funding if a student is taught by a Health School?

No. The student will remain on their regular school's roll and the funding will stay with the school. The Health School will be in regular contact with the school regarding the student's learning and a hand over meeting will take place if possible.

Term 4 October 2016

Kia ora and Welcome to Term 4

I extend a very warm welcome back to SHS. If you are a family joining us for the first time, we look forward to supporting your child’s learning and transition back to school.

Important dates to note are:
31 October – Last day to enrol with Te Kura, The Correspondence School
23 November – Last day for new community enrollments to SHS
25 November – Awards assembly
16 December – SHS closed for 2016

Nga mihi nui
Helen Mantell, Principal

Our Story

Maori Version

New Zealand's Health Schools were established fourteen years ago, out of "Special Education 2000", to help keep children learning when they are unwell for extended periods and missing school.

There are three Health Schools in New Zealand – Northern Health School, Central Regional Health School and Southern Health School – and together they assist around 2,500 students each year.

It's a common misconception that Health Schools only help children who are ill in hospitals. This is largely because Health Schools evolved from the earlier framework of Hospital Schools which had classrooms based within the hospital, but our mandate now extends far beyond the hospital grounds.

Health Schools today provide educational support to children whether they're in hospital or at home in the community. This change reflects the fact that modern medical practice has reduced the amount of time patients actually spend in hospital for treatment, and the fact that there are long-term illnesses which don't require hospital treatment.

Today, Health School teachers spend about two-thirds of their time teaching children in a community setting and only one-third of their work occurs in hospitals. It was this growing emphasis on community-based teaching that provided the rationale for a change in name from "Hospital School" to "Health School" in 2000.

The Southern Health School began with around twelve teachers in six sites around the South Island, teaching around 100 students in a year. As the school has become more widely known it now has 21 teachers in eleven sites, teaching nearly 700 students in a year.

It is encouraging to know that students who are unwell are able to continue their education with the support of Health Schools.

Ko te whai mātauraka. Ko te hauora.

Admissions