Growing Leaders

May 2026

What does it mean to be involved in ‘Growing Leaders @ OPS’?

Movies and Support Materials for 2026

May 2026

At Onehunga Primary School, we are proud to see so many of our children taking on leadership roles within the school. For example, we have seen Enviro Reps planning and promoting enviro challenges and reporting back to the whole school. We see captains of sports teams encouraging and leading their team members. We hear children on the intercom teaching us to speak in their first languages. We see children sharing their cultural dances and songs on stage. We cross the busy roads safely due to our road patrollers guiding us across the road. We also notice the quiet leaders - the children who support others to make the right choices and empower others to be the best they can.

We know that leaders exist in all aspects of our lives, and can lead in many different ways. There are the obvious leaders who we all recognise, and we believe leaders also exist in schools, whānau, neighbourhoods and community groups.

We see enormous potential in all of our students and want to create another opportunity for our children to further grow into leaders. This initiative recognises self-motivation, a “can-do” attitude, and students seeing themselves as leaders. All Year 4, 5 and 6 students are invited to participate in this programme. This opportunity, while linked to aspects of the New Zealand Curriculum Key Competencies, is in no way compulsory. It is entirely optional to those who wish to take part.

In 2016, we launched and ran a leadership programme for any Year 4, 5 and 6 students who wanted to be involved. We are excited to offer this again in 2026

What does it mean to be involved in ‘Growing Leaders @ OPS’?

Tamariki will work towards the ‘bronze leadership level’ in their first year, the ‘silver leadership level’ in their second year and the ‘gold leadership level’ in their third year. However, children may choose to just go for one or two awards in their time at Onehunga Primary School. In the first year, the students would all be aiming to achieve the bronze award.

To achieve the ‘bronze leadership level’ children would complete the following:

complete and hand in the self reflection booklet
develop a personal definition of what it means to be a leader
list and write short notes about 3 -5 leaders
Interview 2 - 3 leaders
carry out 10 hours of community service within and outside of the school
set yourself 2 leadership goals. Keep a diary of how you are working towards achieving these goals

The silver and gold leadership levels build on from the bronze level and must be completed in order.

Participants will start their leadership project in Term 2 and will need to have completed their project by Friday 16 October (Week 1) Term 4, 2026. (We know that some of our students who are completing a second or third year of Growing Leaders may have already started working towards their 2026 tasks.)

While there have been fantastic examples of community service over the last few years which children enjoy, it’s important to be aware that to achieve any of the leadership levels, there are also written requirements which focus on self reflection and leadership which must also be completed, alongside the community service acts.

We anticipate that not every child who starts this initiative will complete it, and stress that it is entirely optional.

This programme includes support at school for students who get involved from staff, and from peers who have already completed parts of the programme. There will be some meetings they must attend and others that are optional. This year, Mrs Maka will be available to support children who feel they need it on every second Tuesday lunchtimes.

Children who complete the requirements will be recognised in a variety of ways including at the Awards Assembly in Term 4.

While support will be given to help participants understand what they will need to do, it will be up to individual students to actually complete the requirements of achieving the bronze, silver and gold leadership level.