Empower. Inspire. Lead.
Wednesday 16th – Friday 18th June 2027, Rydge Latimer Square, CHRISTCHURCH
Hear from leaders and inspiring voices from beyond education, challenge your
thinking, share the mahi and leave with new ideas for leading in the middle years.
| WEDNESDAY 16 JUNE | THURSDAY 17 JUNE | FRIDAY 18 JUNE |
|---|---|---|
| From 8.30am Registration | 8.30am Coffee with sponsors
9am-10am Keynote 4 : Sam Johnson |
9am Coffee with sponsors
9.30am-10.30am Keynote 7: Dr Hana O’Regan |
| 10am Mihi Whakatau/Performance
Casebrook Intermediate Conference opening /Presidents Welcome |
10am-10.30am SPONSOR SPEAK/Morning tea | 10.30am-11am Morning tea |
| 10.30-11am SPONSOR SPEAK/ Morning tea | 10.30am-11.30am Keynote 5: Minister of Education tbc | 11-12pm Keynote 8: Dr Ashley Bloomfield |
| 11am-12pm Keynote 1: Eric Sheninger | 11.30am – 12pm NZAIMS update | 12pm Conference close/Poroporoaki |
| 12.15-1.15 pm Keynote 2: Dr Mark Osborne | 12-12.45pm SPONSOR SPEAK/LUNCH | |
| 1.15-2pm SPONSOR SPEAK/ LUNCH | 12.45pm Walk to One NZStadium
1-2.30pm Stadium Tour 2.30pm -3pm Keynote 6: Kieran Reid |
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| 2-3pm Keynote 3: Kathryn Berkett | 3pm WELLBEING ACTIVITIES to be organised by yourselves at own cost
Check out fun things to do in CHRISTCHURCH & RECHARGE |
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| 3-3.10pm Short break to split rooms
3.10pm-4pm WORKSHOP Options Eric Sheninger/Mark Osborne/Kathryn Berkett 4pm FREE TIME 6pm Sponsors Drinks at Rydges 7pm Dinner at Rydges (included in conference registration) |
Own arrangements for dinner:Restaurants in Christchurch |
Eric Sheninger
Disrupt and Adapt: Leading Learning in an Era of Radical Change
Our world is in constant flux, driven by sweeping technological advancements and profound societal shifts. School systems and educational leaders must be equipped with the tools to navigate this evolving landscape. Now is the time to delve into the impact of these disruptive forces on education, exploring their potential to personalize learning and reshape the classroom experience. More importantly, critical leadership moves and strategies are necessary to cultivate our students’ essential critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability competencies. These are the hallmarks of future-proofed learners who will not only survive but thrive in this exciting, dynamic world. Together, we can chart a course for educational success in an era of radical change.
Kieran Reid
The High Performance Equation : How do you lead your team to the top of its field?
Kieran will touch on the keys to personal excellence and how setting up your environment to succeed may be the most important leadership decision you make.
Eric Sheninger
Efficacy-Based Leadership: Moving from Ideas to Results
A great deal of money is spent on programs, professional learning, innovative ideas, and technology. Additionally, so much time is spent trying to implement everything that has been purchased or heard about. How are these investments actually impacting learning and achievement? While it is natural to struggle with this, the end goal should be to achieve efficacy.
This session will focus on developing evidence to support a Return on Learning (ROL) when investments are made to improve outcomes. Attendees will explore proven strategies to improve pedagogy and curate evidence to validate expenditures and build stakeholder support.
Mark Osborne
Sam Johnson
The Extraordinary Power of Imagining What’s Possible
From the devastation of the Christchurch earthquakes to the creation of the Student Volunteer Army, now operating across New Zealand and Australia, Sam Johnson shares the story of how a simple idea became a movement.
At the heart of his message is the extraordinary power of imagination. The importance of dreaming big, continuing to imagine the world as you want it to be, and recognising the unbelievable power each of us has to make it happen.
An inspiring, energetic and practical challenge to young leaders to realise that they don’t need to wait for permission, experience or adulthood to start changing the world.
About Sam Johnson ONMZ
Sam Johnson ONMZ is Chair of the Student Volunteer Army (SVA), Projects Director of STILL, and a Founding Trustee of Paererewā, the 1,000-Year Bench Project.
Repeated…
Andrew Fuller – Powerful Ways to Improve Student Engagement and Behaviour
The aim of behaviour management is not for you to manage their behaviour but for students to manage their own behaviour.
Increase skills in shifting their students along a continuum from attack to avoid to agitate to activate to approach to attach.
Apply mindset methods to assist anxious and avoidant students.
Apply stagecraft, anchoring and calming strategies to their classrooms.
Apply knowledge of neurochemistry as to engagement and behaviour
Group dynamics and how they relate to different issues at specific times of the year.
Shift students from attack to avoid to agitate to activate to approach to attach.
Links directly with Andrew’s book Guerrilla Tactics for Teachers and Tricky Behaviours and Tricky Teens.
Donna Pendergast – Leading the Middle Years
This workshop introduces the Educational Change Model designed to guide leaders through the complex process of transforming schools to meet contemporary needs, with a focus on middle years education.
Grounded in research and practical application, the session explores the stages of change, from initiation to developing to sustainability.
Participants will identify enablers and barriers and consider how leadership actions influence system-wide outcomes. The workshop equips leaders with frameworks and strategies to drive purposeful, evidence-informed educational transformation in the middle years.
Donna Pendergast – What, why and how – Middle years
This address highlights the what, how and why of middle years education.
Global and education megatrends set the scene and provide a glimpse of the young adolescent learners’ future world and the importance of ‘why’ attention is needed to equip young people for their future lives.
Physical, social and emotional, and cognitive developmental attributes unique to the young adolescent learner are examined and a focus on cognition, the second sensitive brain period, and learning and implications for educational practice are featured as examples of the ‘what’ of middle years education.
The coalition between behavioural, social and emotional, and cognitive engagement is applied to the learning environment to explore ‘how’ middle years education is intentionally enacted, unpacking practices that work.
This keynote is designed to be inspiring and enabling for school educators and leaders, who play a key role in transforming, rather than reforming, educational practice.
Ellen Joan Ford – Belonging, Autonomy and Purpose Leadership: When people thrive, the school thrives
In this energising keynote, Dr Ellen Joan Ford brings her award-winning leadership model—Belonging, Autonomy, and Purpose—to life for middle school leaders.
Through powerful stories and practical insights, Ellen equips educators to create environments where young people thrive.
Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to foster inclusive leadership, boost engagement, and unlock the full potential of their students and staff.
Sarah Young : The Science of Leadership
Effective leadership is built upon several founding principles including clarity of vision, emotional intelligence, accountability, adaptability and effective communication. How do leaders combines these things to create a successful environment around them. The science of leadership is the study of how leaders influence individuals, teams and organisations using research-backed principles from psychology, sociology, neuroscience and management science. In this presentation Prof Young will discuss what the data shows to identify patterns, behaviours and strategies that make leadership effective, sustainable and impactful.
Jase Williams
Connection Is The Curriculum – Jase Williams
Adolescence is a time of massive change, not just in bodies but in brains, relationships, and identity.
At intermediate age and the middle school years, young people are wired for connection yet often experience growing disconnection from adults, from learning, and sometimes from themselves.
As a former school principal, who has worked alongside thousands of educators, and now working alongside men in prisons and gangs, Jase shares what happens when we don’t get connection and belonging right early on.
Through stories, science, and te ao Māori perspectives, this kōrero explores how belonging is the foundation of wellbeing and learning, and why connection isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a biological necessity.
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Zion Armstrong
Zion Armstrong: From West Auckland to the World Stage!
Zion Armstrong’s incredible journey began with a sprint away from the police in West Auckland, igniting an athletics career that led him to the Commonwealth Games.
But that was just the beginning of his remarkable ascent.
In his early 20s, Zion became the head of footwear at Adidas NZ, demonstrating his extraordinary talent in the world of sports retail.
Climbing the corporate ladder, he travelled to HQ in Germany, before honing his leadership skills in Asia before he reached the pinnacle as the president of Adidas North America. Under his leadership, the team achieved a record $US6 billion in annual profit, marking a significant milestone in the company’s history.
In 2022, Zion made a life-altering decision to leave his high-profile lifestyle and return to New Zealand for his kids.
As a speaker, Zion Armstrong offers an extraordinary narrative of success, transformation, and the courage to embrace what truly matters. His story is an inspiration, showcasing what’s possible with determination and a clear sense of purpose.
Zion’s story is a profound reminder of what’s truly important in life. His journey is a testament to the power of the right mindset and work ethic, balanced with a deep understanding of personal values and priorities.
Maori Leadership
Ko Taumarere te awa.
Ko Puketohunoa te maunga.
Ko Ngati Manu te hapu.
Hon Kelvin Davis is a successful former teacher and school principal who turned a struggling Northland school around, and enabled the students to achieve beyond their potential.
In the 2020 Labour Government, Kelvin was appointed Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, Minister for Children with responsibility for Oranga Tamariki, Minister of Corrections and Associate Minister of Education.
In the 2017 Labour-led Government he was Minister of Corrections, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti, and Tourism, and Associate Minister of Education.
He has held roles on a number of Select Committees including Māori Affairs (Deputy Chair), Law and Order, Local Government and Environment, Education and Science and Transport and Industrial Relations.
Kelvin has also held the spokesperson roles in Corrections, Biosecurity, Education (including Special Education and Māori Education), Māori Affairs, Tourism, Regional Affairs and Justice (Sexual and Domestic Violence).
Kelvin visited Australia, including Christmas Island in 2015 to advocate for the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia, particularly those in detention centres
Born and bred in the Bay of Islands but now living in Kaitaia, Kelvin is a man of the north who brings skills in education and Māori issues to the Cabinet table to improve outcomes for all New Zealanders educationally, financially, culturally and socially.
He is a person with common sense and pragmatism who is able to relate across all sectors of society, but is most at home either fishing or up in the bush of his beloved Karetu Valley.
Glen Savage
Our MC Glen Savage
Tena koutou katoa, my name is Glen Raana Savage of Ngati Awa and Ngati Porou.
I am currently an Associate Principal at Northcross Intermediate in Tamaki Makaurau. I have been teaching for 27 years, predominantly in West Auckland before moving across the bridge to the beautiful Hibiscus Coast.
I am the proud father of two teenage daughters who are actively involved in surf lifesaving, volleyball and netball. Outside of school I am involved in Surf Lifesaving, golf and have been on my own personal journey in learning Te Reo me nga Tikanga Maori these past few years.