High Trust / High Responsibility Environment
The willingness to be vulnerable and open, speak freely, and to listen
Huanui College fosters a ‘high trust/high responsibility’ environment. We trust that all our school community will act responsibly.
We are less concerned with doing things right, than with doing the right thing. There is considerable research that shows a causal relationship between the level of trust among all members of a school, students, teachers, parents, and community members, and the degree of improvement of student outcomes.
What does this look like?
Huanui College is a school community where everyone will find:
- High energy, motivation, and engagement
- Newcomers will be welcomed and made to feel at ease
- Fun and laughter
- High confidence, creativity, and risk taking
- Thriving innovation, and productivity
- Sharing and quick forgiveness
- Accountability and transparency are the norms
- Willingness to be vulnerable, open, speak freely, and to listen
- Positive team building including gratitude and empathy
- A strong sense of our community and shared values
How trust is displayed:
Students who feel trusted are more likely to feel empowered and more likely to feel satisfied with their life at school. Trust is a major factor in student engagement. With trust comes responsibility. At Huanui College students are trusted to:
- Take responsibility
- Do the right thing
- Self-manage their behaviour
- Complete their work in whatever way they deem best
- Work in flexible ways – off site during flexible hours, for example
- Make decisions in their own without the need to get permission for everything. Naturally, there may be limits, but often limits can be expanded over time
- Work collaboratively
- Voice their opinions and thoughts
- Work with staff in making decisions on school matters
- Share knowledge amongst one another
How trust is modelled:
One of the key mental models at the College is that there needs to be a higher level of student involvement in the school direction. We model trust to our students by:
- Ensuring that our policies and actions foster respect amongst students and staff
- Encouraging collaboration to build trust
- Paying attention when complaints are made and take them seriously. We ensure that students know they can come to us and their concerns will be heard and addressed. We follow up as much as is needed
- Showing student’s that their efforts are recognised and appreciated
- Providing learning opportunities for student’s at every level, giving them skills to grow into new roles and to better utilise their true capabilities
- Encouraging regular feedback from students and try to take action on it as soon as possible
- Giving challenging projects to student’s to show that we have faith that they will rise to the occasion
- Communicating often, so that students do not feel they are left out of important matters
- Ensuring that student’s know what is expected of them by communicating clearly about goals and expectations and how to meet them
- Asking for and pay attention to student’s personal development and long term goals so that they know they are valued
- Showing students they are valued by investing in their development and well-being