Educational Leadership and Management

ii Service Academies are vocationally-focussed courses run in New Zealand secondary schools. They have a military style teaching and learning environment, and were initiated with the intention of helping students who were at risk of not achieving, in a very structured environment. Students seeking recruitment into the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and other uniformed government services also take part in the course to gain relevant skills and experience. The first course was set up in 1999, and since then there have been several expansions, resulting in twenty-six academies currently operating nationwide. This qualitative research sought the opinions of academy directors and ex-students on the efficacy of the course and its effect on the transition to employment or other outcomes. Research questions guiding the study considered the educational strategies and leadership practices that support the academies, the factors students and their course directors perceive as leading to successful engagement with the programmes and ways of further developing Service Academies to enhance student outcomes. Academy directors and ex