School management systems can evolve and change. This is the story of how two principals came to share the power and responsibilities of the top job at Selwyn College, Auckland.

School grounds have considerable influence on children's attitudes and behaviour—not only in terms of the grounds themselves, but also in relation to the school as a whole.

The proposal that professional development can empower teachers as curriculum leaders and thus enable them to transform curriculum practice is based on the authors' experiences at Australian National Professional Development Program workshops.

Social competencies have been highlighted in New Zealand's new curriculum documents, but what criteria do teachers of five-year-olds use when they think about social behaviours?

A comparison of the ages and year levels of students in different school systems.

The way teachers talk to children can influence their learning. This paper explores features of quality talk in early childhood centres, and discusses how quality can be documented.

Being ready, willing, and able to learn are important attributes for four-year-olds. Can early childhood centres encourage persistence?

Many centres use valuable display space for notices to parents, rather than displaying children's writing. This study of New Zealand kindergartens gives insight into the kinds of environments which help children get ready for literacy.

A study of 100 childcare centres shows that many parents make passive choices of centres rather than actively choosing between alternatives. Parent choice is not currently a viable means of controlling quality and policy makers need to look at other mechanisms.