Skills Workshops

Half- or one-day sessions to enhance your strategic thinking.

Developed in response to school leaders’ needs, Springboard Trust Skills Workshops are one-day events that focus on a specific element of school leadership. These offer a fantastic opportunity for principals and their teams to dedicate time and resources to their planning and leadership, with guidance from our expert volunteers and Programme Managers.   With more Skills Workshops in development, Springboard Trust is thrilled to continue working with school leaders on whatever facet of their leadership needs focus.

Our Skills Workshops

Annual Planning Workshop

Principals also need to know how to deliver their strategic plan effectively, year on year.  Which initiatives you’ll take on this year, who will be responsible versus who will be accountable, and when do actions need to be completed. With the Annual Planning Workshop, you get the clarity you need to deliver on your strategy in the upcoming year.     What happens in the Annual Planning Workshop The Annual Planning Workshop is a Term Four programme tailored for alumni principals who have completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme (SLPP). A single-day session for you, your senior and/or middle leaders, it is a time to break down your strategic hierarchy (vision, mission, initiatives, actions and outputs) and set clear goals and initiatives for the following year.   Once finished, you will:  Understand your strategic hierarchy  Be able to define and tell apart the above terms in your own plan  Have a shared language for talking about the plan in your team   Use the SCOT and PEST models, and apply them in your school  Understand where you are in the delivery of your strategic plan Be able to apply RASCI frameworks to your plan  Have a leadership team who understands the ins and outs of the strategic plan.  In short, the Annual Planning Workshop breaks down the strategic plan into an annual plan.    Who is the Annual Planning Workshop for?   As above, this workshop is open to all alumni principals who have completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals (SLPP) programme.   While principals may come on their own, we recommend they bring at least their Deputy Principals or Assistant Principals, as well as other key members of their leadership team.   In Auckland, the workshops will take place at the Springboard Trust offices in Onehunga. Elsewhere in New Zealand, we will host them at venues to be advised based on demand and resource.   Please note that, as with most of our programmes, resource is limited. While all alumni principals are welcome, we may have to prioritise based on school need. What does the Annual Planning Workshop cost?   Nothing but your time! Annual Planning is a free workshop, and will run for approximately six hours on a single day. Where can I enrol in the Annual Planning workshop?   Registration will open in term three but before then you can get in touch with your Programme Manager, or head on over to our contact page to fill out an expression of interest.  

Coaching for Results Workshop

Develop and hone your coaching skills with an expert facilitator. Coaching for Results is an online workshop, available nationwide, that introduces New Zealand school leaders to the basics of being an effective coach through a specially developed curriculum from the NZ Institute of Coaching. How does Coaching for Results work? Lead by an expert facilitator, school leaders join a group of 10 to learn and develop their skills across two sessions - the workshop itself, and a debriefing session 2-3 weeks later. During these sessions school leaders will cover what coaching is (and importantly, what it isn't), how to create space to coach, key models of coaching and have the opportunity to practice their skills. Participants receive all workshop materials ahead of time to review, and get access to our specialised micro-learning site to revisit the coursework any time they wish. Who can participate in Coaching for Results? Coaching for Results is open to all school leaders including senior and middle leaders. Participants do not have to be leaders within school where the principal has completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme or Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals beforehand. Express your interest here!

Kickstart Your Strategy Workshop

A strategic plan is a foundation document for any future-facing school. However, that plan takes the long and broad view of your school’s vision and strategic goals and does not provide the level of granularity that is required to translate strategy into action.  Kickstart Your Strategy is all about breaking down your strategic plan into scoped, measurable pieces of work that your team can use to guide action and review progress on a regular basis.   How does Kickstart Your Strategy work? This workshop will assist you and your lead team to: Initiate - Practical experience in initiating and planning your activities Communicate - Understand who your key stakeholders are and how best to engage them Implement – Gain knowledge of tools that will assist in monitoring and measuring your plan Change - Appreciate your role in leading the strategic change within your school.  Who is Kickstart Your Strategy for? The KYS workshop is open to principals who have completed the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme in the prior year, as well as their senior leadership teams.   To find out more about our next KYS workshop, get in touch with your Programme Manager or head on over to our contact page. 

Our Strategic Partners