1. Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ

2. Every BLENNZ Learner is well prepared to achieve in life
Vision

3. BLENNZ
The Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ) (BLENNZ) is established under Section 98 of the Education Act 1964 as a special school.
BLENNZ has a core day school as well as residential service and an early intervention service, and provides a range of national services including regional teaching and specialist services, the national specialist assessment service and professional learning and development
Ministry of Education Resourcing Notice 2016

4. NZ population of learners who are blind,deafblind and low vision 2015
1542 total population
18% from birth to 5 years
98% educated in local communities
51% in regular settings
12% in special units
14% in special schools

5. 114.2 Specialist Teachers (FTE)
BLENNZ employs ……
114.2 Specialist Teachers (FTE)
Made up of:
85 Full time
43 Part time
50.3 Non teaching staff
29 Full time
41 Part time

6. History
Pre 1960’s
Auckland - Education provided at Jubilee School in Parnell
Christchurch - Waltham Sight Saving Class
1960’s
Christchurch – First Resource Centre established at Elmwood Normal School (1964)
Auckland - Homai College for the Blind, opened 1965
1999
Homai became a state school
Vision Education Agency established
2005
BLENNZ established
Both Elmwood and Homai were resourced by Ministry of Education but Homai governed by RNZFB

7. PRE 2005 Sensory and Visual Resource Centres: Hamilton Tauranga
Gisborne
Napier
Taranaki
Palmerston North
Wellington
Nelson
Christchurch
Otago
Southland
Homai National School for the Blind & Vision Impaired
Auckland VRC
While all services were funded by the Ministry of Education the governance structures were very different.
RNZFB (aka Blind Foundation) governed Auckland services
All visual and sensory centres as they developed were under the governance of the schools they were based at with some having management committees which had an advisory / support role.
All services were stand alone and in the 1980’s a teachers association was established to attempt to develop some sharing of information and break down isolation across the regional centres.
The biggest gap was between the Auckland based services and the other centres.

8. January 2005 BLENNZ established
To provide all learners who are blind or low vision with:
a range of educational options, all supporting inclusion in the learners community
access to these options throughout their education, according to individual need.
To establish one coordinated organisation to provide
innovation through pooling of resources
a united workforce with a shared vision
consistent, cohesive learner focussed services.
To provide all learners who are blind or low vision nationally with:
A range of educational options
All support inclusive in their own communities
Access throughout their education according to individual need.

9. National Board of Trustees
National Hub at Homai Campus +
13 Visual Resource Centres and
5 outposts

10. National Board of Trustees
BLENNZ Services

11. Administration Services
Homai Campus
Visual Resource Centres
Homai Early Childhood Centre

12. School and Residential Services
Homai Campus School & Satellite Class
Kickstart Transition Programme
Residential Services

13. Homai Campus School Classes of students with complex needs
Classes of students using braille or large print
Individual programmes include a mix of homeroom and mainstream classes.
Mainstream classes provide opportunities for peer support and social skill development.
Students are supported in accessing course materials through the use of specialist technology or through the production of braille.
Teaching and learning programmes focus on the New Zealand Curriculum and the key competencies.

14. James Cook Satellite Class
The students in the satellite class work in mainstream classes, satellite group learning activities and intensive one to one instruction programme designed to meet individual goals arising from the IEP process.

15. Kickstart Transition Programme
For students between the ages of 17 and 21 years
Transitioning from secondary to tertiary study, employment and independent living
The Kickstart transition programme provides an opportunity for young adults who are blind and low vision to live in a supported flatting situation as they make the transition to tertiary education, the workplace and living independently.

16. School IEP Immersion
Students can spend up to a week with their teacher, teacher aide or parent in the campus school.
Strategies observed and learned can then be taken back to their mainstream school.

17. Residential Services Routine - Structure Adaptive Daily Living Skills
Sport and Recreation
Community Activities
Art and Craft
Homework period with Tutor support
Special Formats Library
Leisure time

18. Assessment and Teaching Services
Visual Resource Centres
Homai Early Childhood Centre
DOM/Specialist Service
Immersion Programmes
National Assessment Services

19. Visual Resource Centres

20. BLENNZ key services include:
functional vision assessment for eligible students
early intervention services, including some centre-based programmes to help young children acquire essential skills in relation to their blindness or low vision, and to  support to families/whānau
assessment and teaching programmes in the Expanded Core Curriculum, in support of access to and participation in Te Whāriki and the New Zealand Curriculum
facilitation and consultation in schools
professional development for teachers and support staff
support for parents/caregivers
facilitation of the provision of assistive technology, and
production and provision of resources including accessible format materials for general teaching purposes.
Ministry of Education Resourcing Notice 2012

21. National Assessment Service
Educational assessments of up to 5 days with full range of specialists
Regional and campus based
Functional vision and other one-off assessments
Provides recommendations to support educational progammes

22. Homai Early Childhood Centre
Provides:
Programmes for children on the Auckland Visual Resource Centre roll
Placement for children attending a national assessment
Professional support to BLENNZ families, staff and other agencies

23. OPPORTUNITY
The opportunity to take advantage of the large population of learners nationally to meet individual needs by drawing together students with like needs for Immersion Courses.

24. Immersion Courses Early Childhood Braille Literacy Maths Skills
Life Skills
Visual Efficiency
Social Skills
Career and Future Planning
Planning for Tertiary
Technology
Orientation & Mobility
Performing Arts
All courses integrate, life, social and O&M skills.
BLENNZ draws others into planning and provision depending on learner need.

25. 2016 Immersion Courses JAWS Group
Career and Future Planning – Students 11 or 12
JAWS Group 2
Planning for Tertiary
Performing Arts
Staff Workshop – Exploring the Toolbox of Learners with low vision
Kickstart Experience
Braille Learners Group 2 JAWS
Braille Learners 5-7 Years
Braille Learners 9 – 12 Years
Contingency
The opportunity to:
Design and construct a new state-of-the art learning environment for children and young people who are blind, deafblind and low vision.
Learning Environment
Function and form have come together to support and strengthen the work of the camus as a professional hub for the national network.

26. OPPORTUNITY
With the geographically far flung staff and parent community, the opportunity to harness the online environment to:
Share practice
Establish a repository for BLENNZ teaching and learning
Provide information and new mechanisms for support and networking for parents

27. BLENNZ Development

28. BLENNZ Website

29. Personal professional goals
Strategic Planning
Consultation
3 year Strategic Plan
Annual Plan
Project planning
Personal professional goals
The opportunity to have clear and decisive strategic planning processes nationally.
BLENNZ teachers are vision
Is marching in the same direction with the outcome of consistent and high quality teaching practice right throughout the country.
The opportunity to develop consistent processes of both strategic and operational self-review which will allow for evaluation of systems and practice. This in turn will enable evaluation of learner achievement.

30. BLENNZ Curriculum Key services include:
assessment and teaching programmes in the Expanded Core Curriculum e.g. braille, in support of access to and participation in Te Whāriki and the New Zealand Curriculum
Ministry of Education Resourcing Notice 2014

31. The Expanded Core Curriculum
Covers the following aspects of teaching and learning for learners who are blind, deafblind and low vision:
communication modes
sensory efficiency
physical abilities
orientation and mobility
social skills
life skills
assistive technology
career and future planning