Can you really just take over a school?
Kelston Boys’ High School could become a charter school by the start of 2026. Reports emerged last week that an outside group was attempting to take control of the school, in what has been described as a “hostile takeover bid” and, from Kelston MP Carmel Sepuloni, a “coup”. A West Auckland charity and a former school board member have filed a joint application for charter conversion, alleging serious problems with the way the school’s being run, including educational attainment, attendance and public perception.
Kelston Boys’ notified its community of the news in a letter published on the school’s Facebook page on October 29, explaining that the proposal goes against the wishes of the school. With “battle lines” drawn and charter schools back in the headlines, it raises questions about whether a conversion can happen without a school’s consent.
Who’s driving this?
Siaosi Gavet, a former presiding member of the school board who’s also worked for the Ministry of Education. Bangerz Education and Wellbeing Trust (BEWT) is the proposed sponsor for the charter school. BEWT is a “by-youth-for-youth” charity that provides youth development and tutoring in Kelston and New Lynn. Chaired by James Cherrington-Thomas, the board is otherwise entirely made up of Māori and Pacific youth under 25.
BEWT says consultation with the community and students has been under way since February and they’ve already met with the Charter School Authorisation Board. A payroll provider, Smartly, has been selected, as has an accounting firm, Education Services. They’ve even chosen a new principal from three interviewed candidates, one of whom was a “former principal of the school”.
Is this even legal?
It seems like it. A conversion application process can be initiated by “one or more members of a school community” alongside a sponsor. Applications (submitted via email) must identify problems the charter school model would solve and explain how it would benefit the students and community. The proposed sponsor also has to demonstrate capability. Applications are approved by an Authorisation Board, which has a “decision-making and monitoring” focus and the power to apply conditions. Sepuloni has questioned whether the charter system has enabled “cowboy organisations” to pressure public schools.
The state school was founded in 1963. (Image: Facebook)
This isn’t the first time BEWT has applied for approval, with unsuccessful attempts to establish an Auckland Sports College as a designated character school or charter school.
Remind me what a charter school is again?
The charter model was reintroduced last year (Labour had got rid of them in 2018) with new legislation and $153m allocated in the 2024 Budget. The government hopes to have 50 of them, 35 of which would be state-school conversions.
As Shanti Mathias outlined in this helpful Spinoff explainer, charter schools are paid for by the government and free for citizens and New Zealand residents to attend. They operate outside of the public education system and are run differently.
Though publicly funded, each is operated by a “sponsor” organisation – anything from a business to a charitable trust – that has to be approved by the Charter School Authorisation Board. The sponsor signs a contract with the Crown to operate the school.
They can be run as non-profits, but don’t have to. Like state schools, charter schools aren’t allowed to charge school fees but can accept voluntary donations. As outlined in a March 31 letter from Seymour to the Authorisation Board chair Justine Mahon, a new charter school should “demonstrate a strong business model” and “ensure good value for money”.
So what is Bangerz’ business model and why do they want to take over?
Its concerns range from “low achievement” and “violence” to “loss of community confidence”. The reasoning for the “intervention” was laid out at length on BEWT’s website and the application to the Charter School Agency. It claimed Kelston had a “long history of low achievement which has worsened over the last six years” – a decline it described as a “death spiral” in a letter to the school board in September.
Though its strategic goals are “very much in draft form” it had many proposed solutions, should Kelston become a charter school. These include reallocating funding to provide all students with a device, plans to “explore the use of AI as a ‘“private tutor’” for each student”, flexible timetabling to allow for work and family commitments, introducing a “modern curriculum where students with a keen interest in sport are prepared for careers in the sport and recreation sector” with new subjects like “sales”.
Meanwhile, the school is running as normal?
Yes, with acting principal Daniel Samuela. He’s been in charge for a couple of months, after former principal Adeline Blair left following 29 years at the school. (She was appointed to the role in 2018, making her Kelston’s first female principal and the first woman to helm a public boys’ school in Auckland.)
Kelston 2025 Student Leadership Team with then-principal Adeline Blair. (Image: Facebook)
And has Samuela or the school said anything about this takeover bid?
He certainly has. The school published a letter on its Facebook page on October 29 notifying the community of the proposed takeover and confirming “BEWT is not affiliated with Kelston Boys’ High School”.
Criticising the “lack of transparency” behind the attempted takeover, the letter stressed the proposal wasn’t “endorsed or supported” by the school, and senior leaders and staff didn’t believe a conversion was in the best interests of pupils.
Challenging the application’s claims of poor performance, the letter noted the school had a growing roll, achieved its highest ever NCEA Level 3 pass rates in 2024 (86.1% of year 13 students), topped its Polyfest categories and had champion league and rugby teams.
Rugby’s important there, right?
Correct. Kelston is pretty renowned for sporting achievements and alumni like Mils Muliaina and Sione Lauaki. In 2024 the First XV won the World Schools Rugby Festival for the third year. The school has won the national rugby championship five times, most recently in 2011, and topped the Auckland competition 14 times. Sir Graham Henry was the principal from 1987 until 1996, and Black Ferns coach Brian Evans ran the school from 2011 to 2018.
The school excels at union and league. Its 1st IV won the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rugby League National Championship this year. (Image: Facebook)
BEWT has claimed that opponents to the charter school proposal believe the conversion “threatens the primacy of rugby at the school”. The charity has been canvasing at matches; representatives are “regularly present at Saturday sport and have engaged in numerous sideline discussions about the school”.
Speaking of discussions, what’s everyone else saying about this?
Teaching staff at the school aren’t into it. “The Kelston Boys’ High School branch of the PPTA opposed the introduction of charter schools,” confirmed BEWT in its application, which included a PPTA letter opposing forcible conversions (“Our policy remains firm that we do not believe Charter Schools should have a permanent place in our education system”).
Sepuloni has expressed concern about BEWT’s application. “It’s been done in the most unusual way, in a way where the school’s felt quite threatened, it’s been relentless,” she told RNZ. Sepuloni pointed to visible support for the school on social media.
Reactions online have ranged from surprise and scepticism, to support for the current staff, students and community, and most people seem pretty shocked that a charter school conversion could potentially happen without the support of the school itself.
Across the aisle, converting has “support from local National Party MPs” according to BEWT. David Seymour told RNZ the government hadn’t endorsed the school’s potential conversion.
What happens next?
In November, the Charter School Authorisation Board will consult with the school board, staff, students and community about the proposal, assessing support for the change.
If it approves the conversion the school board would “no longer exist”. Current parent reps have already been invited by BEWT to join a new advisory board (one has reportedly accepted) made up of staff, students, parents and representatives from the PPTA and local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki. Siaosi Gavet would be the presiding member, and the plan is for it to meet before Christmas.
The new principal would be on it too. Their job’s described as “CEO of the school” and has operational authority, leadership and manages day-to-day finances and procurement.
As a charter school it would lease the Crown-owned property of Kelston Boys, so the Ministry of Education would essentially be its landlord (BEWT expressed concern about maintenance responsibilities in its application).
Staff would automatically become charter school employees, transferring to Individual Employment Agreements and no longer covered by collective agreements, though “PPTA members can remain members of the PPTA”, according to the proposal. The school timetable would be “reworked” in January.
And what if it doesn’t get approved?
Applicants are notified in writing this week and, if unsuccessful, offered a “debrief”. It’s against the Education and Training Amendment Act 2024 to operate a charter school without approval, so in the case of Kelston Boys, it would remain a state school and continue operating as normal.