Thames High School won't explain why board sought Ministry help

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Thames High School has called in help for its board, but won’t say why.

Limited statutory manager Ted Benton’s appointment was confirmed in a notice published in the Gazette on Monday - a move the school says it’s “very grateful” for.

The notice, signed off by the Ministry of Education, says he’ll take over the school board’s responsibilities for employment and for health and safety compliance functions.

The principal remains responsible for day-to-day operations.

The school board’s presiding member Alia Finn wouldn’t tell the Waikato Times why the board sought assistance but said it had identified areas of need to “strengthen the capacity of the school”.

“We are very grateful to the ministry for their support and hope that we can change stigma of asking for help.”

Ted Benton, the limited statutory manager appointed to the school, is a former principal and had been a limited statutory manager at Te Aroha College in 2021.

He will work with the board, principal and school leadership team but the principal remains in charge of day-to-day operations.

The aim of intervention is to “return the school to self-governance as soon as possible”, Marcus Freke from the Ministry of Education said.

In a statement to families, Finn said the appointment was an opportunity to further strengthen the school's “systems, processes and governance practices for the benefit of our school community”.

She thanked parents, caregivers, volunteers, whānau and staff for their ongoing support.

“Together, we will continue to move forward with purpose, strengthening our school for the benefit of all.”