Our Impact

Springboard Trust's impact for schools in Aotearoa.

Analysis and evaluation of Springboard Trust's impact on New Zealand learners.

2020 Impact Report

Positive impact for more than 60,000 students across Aotearoa. Meeting disruption with dedication, Springboard Trust delivered learning, development and impact to hundreds of New Zealand schools throughout 2020. This included a wider rollout of our Strategic Leadership for Rural Teaching Principals Programme, responsive workshops tailored for the COVID-19 environment, and a keen focus on inequities in education. All told, we had more than 600 engagements with school leaders through our portfolio, with hundreds more attending webinars and panels with some of New Zealand's foremost thought leaders in education. The 2020 Impact Report is a a summary celebration of this work - none of which was possible without the hard work and dedication to learning of every one of the school leaders and volunteers who worked with us. In this year's report, you will find: A breakdown of our portfolio and its impact for school leaders and volunteers Analysis of key themes from education and policy that continue to impact schools Springboard Trust's commitments for 2021 and beyond We have continued to grow our work and our impact, and are so glad to be able to share the results of so much learning and development.

Volunteer Impact Report 2020

Springboard Trust doesn’t exist without its volunteers. Every year, hundreds of cross-sector experts freely give their time and expertise to Aotearoa school leaders, all in service of a better future for our tamariki.   These volunteers and school leaders are transforming schools together – and the Volunteer Impact Report illustrates just how they’re doing it.  "Volunteers are a vital part of Springboard’s whanau. Hundreds of you across the whole of Aotearoa share our commitment to Kiwi kids, and are willing to show that commitment by making the time to collaborate with school leaders. Together we have worked with over 500 schools, and we are only just starting. To all of our volunteers: a heartfelt thank you. We deeply appreciate your generosity of spirit. We hope that you, in turn, are inspired by the school leaders you have come to know. We look forward to continuing our work together, supporting school leaders to help Kiwi kids thrive." - Ian Narev, Chairman, Springboard Trust Below you'll fund the full report, based on reflexive thematic analysis of our volunteer debriefs and surveys - as well as what principals had to say about their experience working with these cross-sector experts. We hope you enjoy it!

Great leaders make great schools - and Springboard Trust helps to create those leaders.

Our vision, Transforming Schools Together, is an expression of the idea that our cross-sector model delivers unique, leadership-enhancing learning and development to tumuaki. Together, our principals and volunteers learn and develop in ways that enhance the future of our tamariki.

Mapping our impact

Every year, we rigorously evaluate the impact of our programmes - whether learning objectives are met, where tumuaki leadership has improved and what effects that has for the wider school community.

This begins with learning the core tenets of strategic leadership – planning, resourcing, leading change and engaging stakeholders effectively. Principals are more than school leaders, they are community pillars. As such, their ability to positively engage everyone they come into contact with is vital.  

When principals have bedded in these skills, they begin to take their senior leaders on the journey with them. Through our Alumni Services, we help educational leadership teams develop distributed leadership (in line with peer-reviewed research on how leadership influences student outcomes).  

Over time, principals develop an environment that allows student to thrive. While a long-term process, it is one where we see near-immediate impacts on the ground in New Zealand schools.  

As our annual analysis shows, specific improvements in student outcomes under principals that have worked with us can be attributed to changes they made through our programming. Working with Springboard Trust has immense positive impacts for student wellbeing, engagement, and achievement.

For more information and details of our research, please find our annual Impact Reports below.

2018 Impact Report

Springboard Trust 2018 Impact Report

The 2018 Impact Report from Springboard Trust breaks down the breadth, depth and scope of our portfolio, as well as how the development we enable impacts New Zealand student outcomes.

2017 Impact Report

Springboard Trust 2017 Impact Report

The 2017 Impact Report from Springboard Trust explores the impact of our recently introduced Alumni Services, the growth of the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme, and the impact these have on New Zealand student outcomes.

2016 Impact Report

Springboard Trust 2016 Impact Report

Read the Executive Summary, discussing the birth of Alumni Services, plans for growth through to 2020, and the impact we have on New Zealand students in the 2016 Impact Report.

2015 Impact Report

Strengthening the Strategic Leadership of New Zealand Principals

A 2015 report by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research into the impact of the Strategic Leadership for Principals Programme on students.

Our Strategic Partners