Research-Invested Schools NZ.
Research-Invested Schools NZ.
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A grass-roots movement. Schools investing in research, together.
Research-invested schools are defined by a shared commitment to curiosity and excellence. In these settings, research is not a distant academic exercise but a living part of the school’s identity. Every leader and teacher is united by a pursuit of clarity: How do we know our decisions are right for our ākonga? How do we know we are making a genuine impact? By placing inquiry at the center, these schools foster a collaborative environment where evidence guides our journey toward better student outcomes.
Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio,
mā te mōhio ka mārama.
Mā te kimi ka kite, mā te kite ka mōhio,
mā te mōhio ka mārama.
Through seeking comes discovery, through discovery comes knowledge, through knowledge comes enlightenment.
What is a research-invested school?
What is a research-invested school?
Research-Invested Schools strongly value evidence-based practice by actively creating research opportunities directly linked to the classroom.
The Four Pillars of a Research-Invested School
The Four Pillars of a Research-Invested School
Pūmanawa (People): Empowering Inquiry Leads and distributed leadership to bridge the gap between theory and the classroom.
Wāhi (Place): Protecting time and space for collaborative professional dialogue and data reflection.
Mahere (Program): Aligning PLD with evidence-informed goals that directly serve our ākonga.
Whanaungatanga (Connection): Treating research as a taonga meant to be shared. We grow through collective inquiry, ensuring our insights lift the practice of the entire community.
While research has long been happening in schools, this has often occurred on the periphery, as something done to schools rather than by schools. The rise of Research-Invested Schools signals a much more grassroots, contextualised approach to encouraging research activity and use in schools. They are raising the expectation for schools as not just passive consumers of expert knowledge produced elsewhere, but genuine contributors to the knowledge economy. (RIS Australia)
How many schools are involved in the Research-Invested Schools movement?
How many schools are involved in the Research-Invested Schools movement?
In 2025, the New Zealand chapter of Research-Invested Schools was established, following several years of connecting and collaborating with the RIS Australia network. Since then, over 20 schools have joined, reflecting a growing interest in making research a central part of school life. Some schools have established research centres or Centres of Teaching and Learning Excellence, with designated ‘research leads’ focusing on building research literacy and capacity within the school. Many other schools, recognising resourcing constraints, integrate research into professional learning initiatives, enabling teachers to grow expertise in their fields while embedding evidence-informed practices across the school.
Our colleagues in Australia are leading the way in the global Research-Invested Schools movement. The vast majority of Australian schools involved are independent, with greater flexibility and resources, allowing them to provide models for proof-of-concept approaches that may be transferable and scalable across different school sectors. New Zealand schools have already benefited from this work, drawing inspiration from institutions such as The Barker Institute in Sydney, Churchie in Brisbane, The Scots College in Melbourne, and The Crowther Centre in Melbourne.
What is the Research-Invested Schools NZ Network (RISNZn)?
The Research-Invested Schools New Zealand network (RISNZn) brings together research leads in schools around Aotearoa to encourage the sharing of practice and collaborative projects. Aligning with the Australian model, RISNZn is a participatory venture - note the lower-case 'n' - that seeks to meet the needs of leaders in Research-Invested Schools. It is convened by Dr Aaron Columbus and Nigel Hunter (John McGlashan College), Nikki Corbishley and Nilesh Naran (Wellington College), and Jude Arbuthnot (Westlake Boys High School).
We meet online.
Please mark the following dates for our termly online conversations.
Term 1: Thursday 12 March, 3:30–4:30pm Online
Term 2: Thursday 28 May, 3:30–4:30pm Online
Term 3: Thursday 17 September, 3:30–4:30pm Online
Term 4: Thursday 19 November, 3:30–4:30pm Online
Zoom links are sent prior to each hui to our mailing list.
Join the Research-Invested Schools
NZ Network
Avonside Girls' College │ Botany Downs Secondary School │ Chapel Downs Primary School │ Christ's College │ Howick College │ John McGlashan College │ Long Bay College │ Lindisfarne College │ Ormiston College │ Mount Aspiring College │ Nelson College │ Palmerston North Boys' High School │ Pakuranga College │ Papatoetoe High School │ Rosmini College │ Southland Boys' High School │ St Bede's College │ St Patrick's College Silverstream │ St Peters College Palmerston North │ Wakatipu College │ Wellington College │ Westlake Boys' High School │
Upcoming Conferences of Interest
researchED: Saturday 2 May, Long Bay College, Auckland - Sold out!
A Matter of Translation Conference: Monday 13 July, Brisbane.
RIS (Australia) National Gathering: Thursday 13 - Friday 14 August, Brisbane (details to come).
We are planning a RISNZ National Gathering for 2027. Watch this space.
If you’re aware of any upcoming conferences or events that might interest this network, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Previous RISNZ hui notes:
RISNZ online 12 March 2026
Nilesh Naran (Wellington College) - Nilesh shared back his notes from the RIS AUS online hui and the Doug Lemov Conference held at Wellington College.
Dr Aaron Columbus (John McGlashan College) - Aaron shared the development of fostering a research culture and their Gilray Institute at John McGlashan College
RISNZ online: 3 December 2025
RISNZ Round-up
RISNZ online: 3 September 2025
Dr Caitlin Munday (The Scotch College, Melbourne) - Caitlin presented about her move to Scotch from Scots in Sydney. She played a significant role in the development of the research centre at Scots and had the enviable task of building up the research space at Scotch.
RISNZ online: 4 June 2025
Dr. Tim Scott (Barker's College, Sydney) - Tim shared the work of the Barker Institute and advice about the sorts of activities that can move your school towards the research-invested space.
Jude Arbuthnot (Westlake Boys' High School) - Jude talked to us about the action research programme they have established for teachers and students. You can find out more about this and their Centre for Excellence Excellence in Teaching & Learning here.
James Heneghan (Long Bay College) - James shared their Mahi Tahi initiative, which develops a culture of growth focused lesson observation and post observation conversations.
RISNZ online: 18 March 2025
Dr Hugh Chilton (Scots College, Sydney) - Hugh shared the research mahi at Scots and how schools can get started in the research-invested space. He also shared a little about the work of the RIS (Aus) network, which Hugh co-founded.
Dr Aaron Columbus (Wellington College) - Aaron shared the research initiatives of Wellington College, including their Professional Refresh program.
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