Empowering Fi to champion local curriculum and elevate learner voice amidst national curriculum changes
For Fiona (Fi), educational leadership is a profound calling. Coming from a dedicated family of educators, including a mother who served as a respected Tumuaki, Fi stepped into her role as the leader of Alexandra Primary School with a deep passion for local community voice, indigenous approaches, and lifelong learning.
Fi's educational vision places learner voice and a rich local curriculum at the absolute heart of her school's identity. She is deeply committed to growing capable citizens who are intimately connected to their region, frequently bringing local experts into the school to enrich the learning process.
However, maintaining the integrity of a localised curriculum has become increasingly challenging in the face of shifting national education policies. With recent curriculum changes, Fi felt a growing need to navigate these systemic pressures without losing her school’s core pedagogical soul, she sought a coaching partnership that could offer deep international expertise, localised sensitivity, and a safe space for honest reflection.
A beautiful turning point in our work occurred when I invited Fi’s three across-school leads to attend the Network of Inquiry and Innovation (NOII) symposium in New South Wales. This experience injected a massive wave of passion and global perspective straight back into Alexandra Primary School, reinforcing Fi's dedication to leading-edge, research-informed practices, alongside her DP Kylie.
Cultivating vulnerability and inclusive growth: Fi’s collaborative leadership model
Our coaching relationship is anchored in absolute safety, allowing Fi and Kylie to lead their team into spaces of deep vulnerability and honest self-reflection. I work closely with Fi, Kylie and their team to curate educational readings, research, and expert perspectives that align perfectly with her school's specific strategic journey.
Rather than relying on generic, cookie-cutter coaching methods, our work is highly personalised. This bespoke approach has allowed Fi to make professional learning completely inclusive across her entire staff. From classroom teachers to kaiāwhina, every single voice is heard, empowering the entire team to take genuine ownership of the school’s strategic direction.
By focusing sharply on the progress of Māori learners and ensuring that tamariki can confidently articulate and share their learning journeys with their parents and whānau, Fi and Kylie have created an exemplary environment of shared growth.
Fi Mackley
Tumuaki, Alexandra Primary School
Celebrating successes & adapting practice with kindness
One of the aspects of coaching that Fi appreciates most is the balance of high standards with genuine care. Leadership can be a demanding, fast-paced journey, but our sessions intentionally create a space to slow down, review progress, and celebrate the small and large victories along the way.
Fi describes my coaching style as highly sensitive yet beautifully direct, ensuring that she and her team never stagnate, but instead continually adapt and refine their pedagogical practices to achieve the best possible outcomes.
A trusted partnership built for the journey ahead
Through intentional connection and an extensive toolbox of strategies, I have helped Fi and Kylie find the exact resources needed to navigate periods of educational uncertainty with absolute calm.
"We knew that through the work that Becc was doing and through the people that she was connecting us with, that was going to be the best journey for our school. She's sensitive, but she doesn't hold back either."
For Fi, coaching has provided a deeply reassuring, expert partnership that keeps her inspired, protected from isolation, and fully equipped to lead her school community with pride.
Talk to me today about 1:1 coaching that brings together leadership theory and reflective practice, so you feel confident and capable to develop trust, commitment and vision within and across your school.