Pathway to Opportunity
HISTORY
The Villa Education Trust was formed in 2002 and opened Mt Hobson Middle School, in Newmarket, in February 2003. Within a year the roll was full with 48 students across Years 7-10.
For the Trust, an opportunity for growth and expansion came in 2013 when the New Zealand Government established it's Partnership School policy, to enable change for priority learners – Maori, Pacifica and other students who were not achieving in mainstream education.
Using its proven middle school model, Villa Education Trust was selected by the Government to operate one of the first partnership schools. In just 14 weeks a superb location in Manurewa was found, secured and renovated and a team of highly qualified teachers was employed. When it opened in February 2014 the school had a full roll of 120 students - with a waiting list for 2014 and 2015. In 2016 the school increased its roll to 150, with a further increase to 180 places from Term 1 2017.
In 2014 the Trust was selected to open a second partnership school, this time in West Auckland. In less time than before, the Trust located two sites, one in Henderson and Glendene, and opened Middle School West Auckland in February 2015. In Term 3 2016 the school relocated its Glendene campus to 287-289 Lincoln Road, Henderson, named Jack Ralston House after the late Kiwi sports coach. Here up to 180 students can be accommodated in three fully renovated villas. Pohutukawa Villa, the schools Te Reo bilingual unit, houses up to 60 students at 22-24 Waipareira Avenue. An ERO report published in December 2015 recognised the achievements of the school on providing quality education and support to students and their families.
In 2018 the Partnership schools were closed and became Designated Character schools. They still operate the Villa Education Trust model. This was because of a government policy change.
In 2022 Mt Hobson Academy transitioned into being an online school. The MHA provides quality teaching and learning, positive learning focused relationships and an engaging Project Based Curriculum for Years 1-10 and follows the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) pathway for Years 11-13. It is an excellent option for parents and students who want the certainty and consistency of uninterrupted, high expectations learning and teaching for their children and young adults. This online school is thriving and provides an academically robust options for families wanting a options.
TODAY
With three schools, the Villa Education Trust has confirmed its capability to set up and efficiently manage schools in a variety of locations, to meet a spectrum of learning needs, and for a range of families. Core values unite the communities across our three schools:
Excellence in learning.
Cooperation among students, families and the community.
Building of personal character through applied Christian values.
A strong emphasis on thinking skills and students understanding how they think and learn.
Our success draws visitors from around the world and we are in the process of the formalising partnerships with schools and educational organisations in the United States of America and China. This will increase learning opportunities for our staff and students.
THE FUTURE
The original aims of the Villa Education Trust included a focus on Years 7-10. Developmentally, this is a critical time of transition from childhood to adulthood. The Trust will continue to focus on middle schools as places where we create pathways to opportunity for our students.
As we move ahead the Mt Hobson Academy provides online for Y1-Y13 and continues to develop as new opportunites arise.
Outcomes will result in:
More students engaged in their learning.
Continuously improving academic achievement for every child.
More pathways to opportunity for the many students whose needs are not met in mainstream education.
