New head impressed by Kiwi “frankness”

Lesley Longstone from the UK has been appointed to head our Ministry of Education. She tells EA why she’s so excited about the job.


What motivated you to apply for the position in New Zealand? Do you have connections here?
I do actually. My grandparents were married in Wellington and lived in Hawke’s Bay and my cousin and her family live in Auckland. We also have really good friends in Wellington, people we’ve met and worked with over the years. But the real motivation behind my applying was the opportunity to do what is one of the most rewarding jobs possible in such a beautiful country.

What are your initial impressions of the New Zealand education system?
In my one-week familiarisation visit, I did manage a visit to a school, a polytechnic and a university, all of which impressed for different reasons. I was struck by how welcoming everyone was; the frankness of discussion, with people very open to talking about what was working and equally what wasn’t; and I was left with a sense that everyone is genuinely committed to working together to address some of New Zealand’s big education challenges.

I understand you've worked in education in the UK, Europe and Australia - do you have any classroom experience, that is, directly with students?
No, I need to be very honest and say I’ve never worked as a teacher, or a lecturer. I did set out in life to be a maths teacher, but after graduating took another turn and entered the UK civil service instead. My classroom experience is therefore limited to the many visits I have done in a work capacity, as a mum and school governor. I’m also married to a primary school teacher. My education experience relates entirely to work within the English Department for Education where I have been responsible for a range of policies from schools to further and higher education.

The State Services Commission said you also have experience in the "employment" sector - what does that mean?
In the early part of my career I worked for the Manpower Services Commission, the Training Agency and then the Employment Service. These organisations were responsible for helping young people and adults who were unemployed back into work or long-term training. I have also sat on the Education – Employers Task Force, with a range of big and small employers keen to contribute to the development of the education system. My experience in Australia was also employment related.

From looking at YouTube, we've seen that you've been involved with the implementation of the free schools policy in the UK. That makes us a little apprehensive. The NZ system of strong state and state-integrated schools is one of the key contributors to our being a high-performing education system, at the top of international rankings. We would see any moves toward opening up the sector to "free schools" as a backward step for student achievement. Should we be apprehensive?
Time will tell, but I think we have good reason to be optimistic about the long term impact of free schools in England. In terms of New Zealand, of course I will bring with me my experience of reform in England, but the differences in the issues and context will be as important as the similarities. I have no intention of arriving with an English prescription for the New Zealand education system. It is often helpful to draw upon international experience, and we in England have certainly drawn upon some of your experience, but first and foremost New Zealand policies need to be attuned to the needs of New Zealand’s children and young people.

As Director General for Infrastructure and Funding at the English Department of Education, what effect did the British Government's decision to axe the "Building Schools for the Future" programme (scrapping building projects at 700 schools, to save £5 billion) have on your job - was that a factor in the decision to move to New Zealand?
I started the job I’m currently doing after the BSF cancellation, so that wasn’t a factor at all in my decision. I have really enjoyed my current job and have been involved in developing a new approach to capital investment on the back of an independent review of our school building programmes. That led a short while ago to an announcement of a new Priority School Building programme* and new investment in response to demographic growth in particular areas.

The New Zealand position is quite different from your current position - much more of a generalist's role. Are you looking forward to the change? How will you manage the transition?
I’m certainly looking forward to my new role and feel that it is a very natural next step, drawing on so many aspects of my career over the past 25 years. I have managed many different kinds of specialists: educationalists, procurement and property experts, analysts and accountants to name a few. In all cases, my role has been the same: to provide strategic direction; to ensure that ministers get good advice and that their decisions are implemented effectively; and to ensure that the day-to-day operations I am responsible for are managed well and in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders. I think all of these things will stand me in good stead for my new post.

There are some quite controversial education policies being implemented in New Zealand currently (National Standards, ECE funding cuts). How would you describe the role of Secretary of Chief Executive and Education in this situation?
 It would be wrong to comment on specifics before I’ve arrived. I do see it as my role to be really clear about why things need to happen, to listen carefully to concerns, and to work with those willing to find ways of alleviating concerns, without undermining the purpose of reform in the first place.

NZEI is ambitious to make our education system the best in the world. Do you have any initial thoughts on how a sector can work together to make this happen?
That is a fantastic ambition and I’m sure that “working together” is an important first step, as is being clear about what needs to change, how that change can be effected and the different roles of different parts of the sector in bringing that to fruition. I very much look forward to working with NZEI and other sector groups to do exactly that.


Watch Lesley talk about free schools on You Tube, at http://tiny.cc/kw9e4
*Priority School Building is a privately-financed 2bn pound building programme for UK schools in the worst condition, using standardised designs for new buildings.