The Charter School Agency

Charter schools | kura hourua will be part of the publicly funded education system.

The Charter School Agency is a departmental agency established on 1 July 2024 to implement and operate the new charter school model, including negotiating and managing contracts and delivering funding.  

It will have a small number of staff and will be hosted within the Ministry of Education.   

The agency will be responsible for engaging with stakeholders, including those who may be interested in applying to be charter schools. It will support the Authorisation Board which will approve Sponsors for new and converting charter schools.   

Responsibilities 

The agency’s responsibilities will include:   

• being the secretariat for the authorisation board  
• contracting with school sponsors  
• monitoring and reporting on what has been achieved with contracts  
• providing advice to the authorisation board on interventions with schools  
• working with other statutory bodies  
• advising Ministers. 

Leadership team 

Chief Executive

Chief Executive is due to be appointed shortly. 

Bella Sutherland – Executive Director

Bella Sutherland has a strong background in establishment and implementation of Government policy.  She has established of the Ministry of Ethnic Communities and the Criminal Cases Review Commission. She was part of wider leadership team with Fire and Emergency NZ and Ministry of Science and Innovation. Most recently, Bella was Associate Executive Director for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse and Care.   

Bella holds an Executive Masters of Public Administration, Australia/New Zealand School of Government, Victoria University, and is a graduate of Waikato University, attaining a Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology and Management.

Last reviewed: 26 June 2024 Has this been useful? Give us your feedback