WHAT WE DO
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Better futures for South Auckland youth. New Foundations Trust specialises in Transitional Educational Mentoring. We desire to see disadvantaged young people thrive, achieve and aspire to reach their potential.
Much of our work happens within South Auckland schools where we have an excellent reputation for helping some of the toughest students remain in school, wanting to learn. How do we do it? Quality mentoring is a distinguishing feature of our programmes. Through trusting relationships we support young people to create their own personal development plan.
We use a unique approach called Transitional Educational Mentoring:
Transitional – encouraging youth to move from a negative view of themselves to developing positive self-belief and build hope for the future Educational – helping youth understand who they are and give them the opportunity and resources to gain the experience and knowledge to recognize and reach their future potential.Mentoring – to provide guidance, nurturing support and mutual respect while providing valuable feedback which allows the young person to determine their own path and self-determined goals. New Foundations have mentored over 4772 young people since 2008.
Our Programs
New Foundations Trust has developed three unique programmes that are tailored to the needs of disadvantaged youth in our community. Usually, each student participates in one programme only.
START Programme
BRIDGE Programme
STEPS Programme
Measuring success
An increase in positive self-identity
Increased respect for self, others and authority
Increased engagement with school (% of attendance at start, conclusion of programme and six months out.
Enrolment and start at new school for START participants.
START – Transition
ONE-ON-ONE & GROUP WORKSHOPS
| Targeted to | Year 8 students moving to high school who have a record of truancy and behavioural issues. |
| Objective | To prepare vulnerable Year 8 students to effectively transition from intermediate to high school. |
| Format | Groups workshops are run at school, supplemented by one-on-one visits with the youth and their family/whanau. |
Programme details
The aim of START is to transition and prepare at risk youth to cope with the move from intermediate school to high school. Our goal is to enable each student who is a part of this programme to settle and engage into their new school and to be a support to them as they make this move.The programme is run in two stages:
Excellent Outcomes
high-risk students have been through our START programme since 2010. Of these, 82% successfully transitioned from primary to intermediate or/to secondary school – only 1.3% were excluded in the following year. 17% moved out of the area (unable to be tracked.)
BRIDGE – Program
GROUP WORKSHOPS
(Building - Respect- Inspires - Dreams - Goals and - Expectations) High School / MINI BRIDGE Primary and Intermediate
Targeted to | Marginalised Year 6 to Year 10 (Primary, Intermediate, High) students at high risk of expulsion. |
Objective | To enable the student to change inappropriate behaviour and gain an understanding of the importance of education, being motivated and setting a goal in relation to their future. Help the student develop a positive self-identity, increase in respect and develop positive social skill towards others. |
Format | 10 x 60min Group workshops at school, followed by a full day outdoor adventure experience, if appropriate. One-on-one sessions are also provided to any student who require additional support following programme completion. |
Programme details
With a creative mix of group discussions, worksheets and activities, covers every learning style, led by two vetted NFT Mentors. Our resource material helps students to identify the root causes of their behavioural issues (including unjustified absence) and equips them with the tools and motivation to make healthy choices. We encourage respect for themselves, peers and authority, build confidence, and equip them to become better communicators and problem solvers. Our unique tools help the young person to identify their talents and marry them up with an educational pathway and potential career. Each programme is individualized to meet the needs, goals and objectives of the specific age group and the identified issues of the group. We commit to walk with the young person until he/she is settled and has developed the life skills needed to continue in a positive direction.
Excellent Outcomes
90% of the students who have entered our BRIDGE and MINI BRIDGE programme since 2008 were at high risk of immediate exclusion from school. We more than reversed that likely statistic: with our intervention, 87% of these students have stayed on to complete their schooling. These students also reported a dramatic increase in self-identity.
STEPS
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING
| Targeted to | Individual students who have been excluded or long-term truants. |
| Objective | To enable the student to change inappropriate behaviour and gain an understanding of the importance of education, being motivated and setting a goal in relation to their future. Help the student develop a positive self-identity, increase in respect and develop positive social skill towards others |
| Format | An NFT Mentor works one-on-one with the student for one hour a week for up to 20 sessions, depending on individual need. Sessions are held privately at school or home and we individualise the programme to help the young person set goals. |
Programme details
The first session involves family/whanau to build trust and a shared commitment to the programme. From there, we work with the young person to create a Transition Plan to guide them back into education. This involves building their self esteem and confidence by identifying their strengths, abilities and interests, and potential career paths. We also challenge the youth to address underlying attitudes and behaviours, to set goals and pursue them. Education and training options are explored in consultation with the family/whanau, including visits to relevant education providers and assistance to fill out enrolment forms. We also help them to develop the social skills needed in an educational environment. We continue to provide mentoring support until the young person is settled back into school or a training institution and demonstrating a commitment to both their education and healthy life choices.
Excellent Outcomes
Since 2008, defying all community expectations, 95% of the young people who have gone through our STEPS program have remained in education (school, alternative education, correspondence or a youth training course).
NFT Wellbeing Centre (TEM) for Yr 7 & Yr 8:
Cutting down student exclusions is critical because every day a young person is out of school increases the risk of disengagement, poor attendance, learning gaps, unsafe peer groups, and involvement in crime. When students are at home without support, small issues can escalate into long‑term patterns that are much harder to reverse. Our work in schools provides early intervention, relational support, and consistent mentoring that keeps young people connected, learning, and hopeful. By staying engaged in education, students build stronger pathways, healthier relationships, and safer futures — and that’s why the work we do today matters more than ever.
A small number of students at a time (10)
A short-term intensive support for up to 10 weeks.
Have 2 experienced, trained mentors so that every day the students have a one on one session.
Create an individual transition plan with input from the young person, teaching staff, professionals and Whanau
Each student would have a mentor assigned, work with them in the centre and support the student through transition into school for a whole term.
Referrals to professionals for assessments where required, including:
· Psychologists, Social Worker, Counsellor, Health Nurse
Characteristics of the TEM centre:
● This as a preventative platform
● A focus on their social, emotional wellbeing
● To Build supportive relationship with whanau fortnightly update, report, involved in development of transition plan.
● A safe place, where they are supported, encourage, cared for.
● An individualised programme to meet the need of each young person
● An NFT mentoring programme to prepare students to transition back into schools or some education space with an emphasis on positive life skills, positive social skills, and coping skills.
● Is open four days a week, from 10am to 2pm. Breakfast and lunches are provided.
● We help develop an individual transition plan with input from the young person, whanau, school, professionals
● A timetable is designed to be flexible and aims to meet the specific needs of the student
● A mentoring programme designed around an assessment tool and teaches the 5 core values, respect, empathy, forgiveness, wise-choices , teamwork.
● Ongoing support through a check-and-connect service weekly during their first term back in school to ensure they are engaged and settled.
The Program is designed to:
● Enable the young person to overcome issues that are stopping them from engaging in their education
● Prepare them for transition back in to mainstream schooling
● Build self-esteem, Confidence and a positive goal for the future
● Support whanau through the process of reintegration into school
Criteria of students identified
· Repeated stand downs / reconciliation meetings
· Behaviour is just starting to deteriorate in time could lead to suspension
· Poor wellbeing, lacks confidence which is viewed as high needs with low risks
· Truancy issues
· Behavioural issues
· Who come from highly dysfunctional families
· Who struggle socially to interact positively with other students
The centre is based in Papakura, Auckland
For more info email TEMC@newfoundationstrust.org.nz