Tonight on Close Up ` I think they're very unkind and cold-hearted people. What's going on at this state-funded primary school... You stuffed that up. ...for 30 families to remove their kids? I walked out. The information the school does not want you to know. The principal, she would say, 'We're decile-10. You need to go to a low-decile school.' Due to the live nature of Close Up, captions for some items may be incomplete. ONE News captions by Hannah Reynolds and Sam Bradford. Close Up captions by Lauren Strain and Jessica Boell. Families are abandoning a high-achieving primary school, claiming its obsession with success means it ignores struggling pupils. It's a decile-10 school in a flash suburb and refers to its young primary pupils as undergraduates. But its critics claim anyone needing any special help is encouraged to leave. Matt Chisholm on Chelsea School. MUSIC Do you think they care at Chelsea? In my experience, no. I think they're very unkind and cold-hearted people. Those are little lives. You stuff that up and you've got some pretty disillusioned little kiddies. It's a decile-10 state school known for its high academic achievement ` Every six days they're tested in maths, English and spelling. ...a school where primary pupils are even called undergraduates, Masters and PhD students. Nonsense. (LAUGHS) I mean, I don't understand it. ...but Chelsea Primary is in turmoil,... As a statement, really, of no confidence, I walked out. ...and they say families of struggling students ` children who can't keep up in the classroom ` are doing the same. The principal, she would say, 'Well, we're decile ten. 'You'll need to go to a low-decile school if you want help with special needs.' They're driven out. How many families are we talking about here? I am aware of about 30 or so families. The school says in the past two years only nine families have left to other local schools. During that time, it's enrolled 19 families. At least one occasion when the principal reported, two Maori whanau took their six children out of the school in 2010. We were told that they hadn't gone to a local school. But actually what we knew was they had gone to a local school. But while the majority of parents say there's no issue at Chelsea,... I think the school is a brilliant school. Um, we've had a really positive experience here. ...we've heard from a dozen people who say there is. What's their philosophy? Simply the best. 8 make the grade? You're swept under the carpet, or you're ignored. I don't think they want those children at the school because it brings down the overall achievement results of the school. There has been some change at Chelsea. Off the back of a poor education review in January, a limited statutory manager was appointed to address problems with dysfunctionality in the board, poor management of complaints and inadequate governance. How many times would you have visited the school to try and get some help? I'd say seven or eight times. Fruitless? Mm, nothing changed. Denise Rossi pulled her son, who struggled, out of Chelsea in April. He would constantly come home and tell me he felt stupid and humiliated and frustrated. Denise later found that in order to keep up, her 8-year-old son was forced to do extra work outside the staffroom in his lunch break. He was being humiliated because the other pupils were asking him, 'What are you doing sitting there, Cruz? 'What's going on?' He wasn't eating his lunch. And in the classroom... Both Paul and I coached him to say, um, if you don't understand something, Cruz, Both Paul and I coached him to say, um, if you don't understand something, Cruz, or they're speaking too quickly, put up your hand, and say, 'Excuse me, Miss,' or, 'Excuse me, sir, can you say it again?' Or, 'Can you repeat that for me?' Cruz tried this. He told us that he tried this, and he was ignored. Denise did try to tap in to some special needs funding for extra help for her son, but she says the school turned her down at the last minute, and she's at a loss to know why. When I met them, they sat down and said to me, 'Oh, um, there is no LTB funding any more. It's changed. 'It's just not available, full stop.' My frustration, however, was that I know someone who received an email from the principal saying that RTLB funding is still available, and while the goal posts had moved and it was much more difficult to get funding, it was still available. And then when that was further questioned, Sue actually said, 'Well, the special needs funding has been used to top up the ESOL.' Which means what? English` English as a second language. That doesn't sit well with Denise. I guess if things are difficult enough for your child, or they're treated badly enough, or ignored enough, maybe you as the parent will think, 'I don't like this,' and you'll take them out and remove the problem from the equation. Is this just sour grapes because your boy's not making the grade? No, this has been going on for a long time. We tried to talk to Chelsea Primary School; tried to get their side of the story, but they weren't keen to talk to us on camera. Instead they provided this statement. As for Denise's son, well, since leaving Chelsea, Mum says he's now tracking very well. He is a totally different child. He's confident. He's happy, wants to go to school everyday. But Denise says he should be getting that from his local state primary. And all the women agree that at the very least the culture at Chelsea Primary needs to change. For the 20% that it's not working for, those are little lives. And this is a very influential time in their life. You stuff that up and you've got some pretty disillusioned little kiddies. That was edited by Rochelle Grace. And the invitation is still open to Chelsea School to talk to us. We spoke to the Ministry of Education too, who referred us back to the school, who, of course, had referred us to them, which means both are ducking for cover. So what do you think? Undergraduates and graduates at primary school, a good or a bad thing? You know what to do to be heard. Go to our website or email us at... And we're on Facebook too... What do you do for a job after serving in the world's most elite special forces in the world's hotspots and earing one of the world's highest awards for bravery, the Victoria Cross? Somehow, a desk job isn't going cut it. Willie Apiata's headed to the High Wire Trust Outdoor Pursuit Centre. Pity the recruit who doesn't cut the mustard there now. I went to check out Willie's new workplace. Mark, this is` this is` what makes High Wire Trust so special, this is the start of the great outdoors. This is where we're teaching kids, young people, life skills. Have you been up there, by the way? No, I haven't. I haven't. I haven't been game enough to try that yet, Mark. Look, to be blunt, to get someone like Willie Apiata to come and work here, you've gotta have something going for yourselves, don't you? Oh, look, it's an absolute coup for us. I mean to say, having Willie coming on-board with us, we've got 16 other highly qualified, highly skilled staff that we've got on-board our Trust here. We've had a number of them work closely with Willie over the last number of years. So, you've got an army background. What was`? What was attractive about this place? I guess it's about, um, providing opportunities and experiences. Like, as you see here, we've got different challenges we provide the kids. You do it for the love? Uh, I do it for the passion of passing on my knowledge to the kids. That's the most important thing and the reason why I'm here. Um, it's not necessarily about the pay. It's not necessarily about what you walk out the gate with. It's about what you can provide to the community, especially. And you've got a high-profile colleague joining you soon, too. Hey, I think everyone's excited about that, Mark. Ex-SAS. Could be earning squillions anywhere in the world, if he wanted to. But he chose to come here. The guy's not leaving to come to the High Wire Trust because the defence force is at an all-time low what people think it is. It's not that at all. They come here because they want a different direction in their lives. Willie, for argument's sakes, been in the force for 23 years. A number of the guys that we've got here been even longer. And that's a career change, but they want to deliver something back to their communities. A lot of them want to get to know their own families again. So, what have we got here? This is another part of the complex. This is a full set-up gym. Flash gear. Yeah, it's all up to SAS standard and was actually designed by our guys at the camp. Tell me something. I can understand for the kids who come here this is fantastic. You're in the SAS. You've been around the world. You've been in hotspots. What's it for them? What's in it for them coming here? IT'S ABOUT ROLE MODELS WILLIE IS A ROLE MODEL FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY NOT MANY PEOPLE WOULD DISAGREE WE'VE GOT SOME HIHG POWER GUYS HERE. GEORGE, YOU'RE NOT SAS? THEY ARE THOUGH, THESE SAS BOYS I'VE COME FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR WHERE I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR PAST 18 YEAR.S I'VE LEARNT LOTS FROM THEM I'VE COME FROM A FEMAL SDOMINATED SECTOR THIS IS FIRST TIME I'VE WORKED IN PREDOMINATELY MALE ENVIRONMENT. TOUGH MALES? TOUGH GUYS THEY'VE GOT A LOT TO TEACH YUS FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES. FEEL RPUD HAVING WILLIE COMING HERE? DEFINITELY. HE'LL BRING A LOT TO THIS PLACE. THERE'S PHOTOS ON THE WALL ALREADY THAT'S BEEN UP SINCE 24TH SEPT LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD OPENING OF VC ROOM. HIS JOB WILL BE RUNNING SATELLITE CAMP AT AWHITU. HE'LL ALSO BE INVOLVED IN THE DAY TO DAY WITH THE TURST IS HE A GOOD GUY? I'M SURPRISED YOU HAVEN'T ASKED WHAT WE'RE PAYING HIM. HE'S DEDICATED LOOK, HE'S NOT ON A DIFFERENT SALARY, HE'S DEDICATED AND WANTS TO MAKE A SDIFFERENCE Coming up ` burglars beware. There's a lot of people around here that will do whatever it takes to protect yourself. I like to think we leave no stone unturned. Why a top cop says the country's most burgled suburb won't be easy pickings any more. And the new to-do list for mums: look after the kids, do the laundry` oh, fight the fires. ENGINE RATTLES SONIC CRACKLING, ZAPPING Debt comes in all shapes and sizes. SONIC CRACKLING, ZAPPING Sometimes borrowing is a smart thing to do,... SONIC ZAPPING INTENSIFIES ...and sometimes it isn't. SONIC ZAPPING SOARS Shrink your dumb debt. It's all part of being sorted. Chances are you know a victim of crime because a staggering 60,000 burglaries took place in NZ last year. And it's not the loss of the flatscreen or the stereo that stings most ` although that is pretty bloody annoying. It's the invasion. Well, the message from a top cop at Waitakere police is burglars beware, because in his district falls the most burgled street in the most burgled suburb in the country, and he's not having it. Here's Mark Crysell. WILD-WEST MUSIC To some, Henderson can feel like the wild west. Uh, when it's three to one and they've got a 1m crowbar it's a little bit intimidating. There were more burglaries here last year than anywhere else in the country. Absolutely devastated to think that somebody had been in my house. The biggest policing area in the country has its hands full. With 200,000 plus people living in the area, with all the households in that, we're going to have, in numerical terms, a high burglary rate. That equates to 2,225 burglaries last year to the people who live and work on the mean and green streets of Henderson. And the most burgled street in the most burgled suburb? Henderson Valley Rd. Stats can be tough - I the figures are higher because t s d is also the longest road in the When the thieves broke through the window, they couldn't get in because of the bars, So they kicked a hole completely through the wall and came and entered, and took a computer and a computer screen. But Henderson Valley Rd is where Russel Stevens' business is, and last year he was getting hit at least a couple of times a month. At 5 o'clock one morning they were being crow-barred open by two very very big fellows with a metre-long crowbar, so we've got this big hurricane door in front of that for added security. You were inside when this was happening? Yeah, yeah. What does that feel like? Uh, a little bit intimidating. People who've been burgled feel violated and vulnerable. Actually they've been in there, because I had a Pandora's box that my bracelet came in, which I kept in there. This woman came home after work to find her house completely ransacked. Laptop, jewellery, passports - gone. Just an invasion of my space and my privacy, and for what? If they can't have a job and earn their own money, don't come around to my house and start taking stuff. Fingerprints were dusted for, but whoever broke in here was wearing gloves. The chances of finding the offender, I would say, with glove marks and the only evidence being a shoe impression ` it would be reasonably slim. It would be very slim. It sounds loose and lawless out west, but Henderson police are fighting back. And there's a new sheriff in town. We sat down and we decided that clearly the crime statistics were not acceptable. As 60% of crime is committed by 10% of criminals, Waitakere commander Steve Kehoe decided to pay a lot more attention to that 10%. For me it's far better to prevent a crime from happening than it is to actually investigate and successfully prosecute one. Good morning everybody - welcome to the daily management meeting at Waitakere. The emphasis has shifted to gathering and sharing information on who's likely to commit burglaries. Um, just to go over the key issues that have been identified in our report ` um, <BLEEP> have been seen again, one seen in New Lynn. <BLEEP> has some dishonesty issues, so, Ross, if you can just get John to have a look at it down in New Lynn, just see if there's anything with that. And those who are breaching bail conditions are mopped up quickly. Attempted burglary overnight, uh, and one in Glen Eden, so two overall. The attempted burg' ` you've got a couple of suspects? SIREN WAILS Catching the crims before they commit the crime has seen an extraordinary turnaround in Henderson's burglary rate. We've seen crime rates reduce to somewhere around between 40% to 50% of the same time last year. Clearance rates are up too. Just put it down here? So this is the one stolen the other day. Even when they're returning stolen gear, police are still gathering intelligence with the help of the public. So three people have been arrested on the day for stealing the TV. They've been charged with burglary, so they're all facing court at the moment. So if you see them around again, just give us a call. And back on Henderson Valley Rd, they're noticing it there too. It does actually seem as if things are getting under control a little bit - it's nowhere as bad as it was. It's not quite high noon in Auckland's west, but Waitakere's new sheriff has a message for it's burglars and he's shooting it from the lip. If you're planning on committing a burglary in Waitakere, first of all there's a high likelihood of us actually preventing you from doing it in the first place, and even if you do get to commit your burglary, then there's a very high likelihood that you'll actually get held to account. Just ahead ` calling all multi-skilled mums. Why the fire service wants your help. If anyone knows how to multi-task, it's mums, and now the fire service wants you to add another string to your bow ` firefighter. It's all part of a recruitment drive for much-needed volunteers. So, can you stand the heat out of the kitchen? Early in the morning, in the middle of the day, right in the middle of dinner... They page everybody. ...it doesn't matter when the siren goes, they're out the door. SIREN BLARES # I'm an ordinary guy! # Burning down the house. And whether it's a factory, a paddock or a house on fire,... See the windows are cracking. She's getting pretty warm in there. ...a car crash, an earthquake or just a false alarm, it could be volunteer firefighters who attend, and they do it all for free. While about 1700 career firefighters look after our large urban centres, there are about 8000 volunteers, mostly in rural areas and small towns. And these guys and girls are the community's front line in an emergency. We see our fair share of carnage. On top of their day job, on top of their family, and again, they're just volunteers. Joining me now is national recruitment manager David Utumapu, who is in New Plymouth. WHY AREN'T MORE JOINING? DAVID, I THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD BE FLOCKING TO BE FIREFIGHTERS OR VOLUNTEERS. THEY ARE, BUT NOT IN ALL OF OUR CENTRRES SOME AREAS DO STRUGGLE TO FIND SUITABLE PEOPLE. IS THAT MAINLY RURAL AREAS? DEFINITELY, CHALLENEGED BY PEOPLE WHO WORK IN TOWN. THEY ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE EVENINIGS BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS IN DAYTIME MANNING. WHAT'S CAUGHT ATTENTION IS YOURPTICH FOR MUMS. STAY-AT-HOME MUMS COULD BECOME VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS. ARE YOU AVAILABLE DURING THE DAYTIME. STAY HOME MUMS ARE AVAILABLE WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY GET THE CALL, BUT THEY'VE GOT BUBBA AT HOME? ABSOLUTELY NOT. SOME PEOPLE SHOE GREAT INITIATIVE SOME BRIGADES HAVE SHOWN GREAT INITIATIVE. SOME BRIGADES HAVE ONE MOTHER STAY AT FIRESTATION WHILE OTHERS GO TO FIRE. REALLY OUT OF THE SQUARE STUFF INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN LED BY BRIGADES. WHAT ABOUT STAY AT HOME DADS? WE WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE DURING THE DAY. ON BRIGADE IN TARANAKI USES HIGH SHCOOL STUDENTS. STUDENTS AVAILABLE DURING SCHOOL HOURS. 'AM I UP TO IT?' THERE'S A REAL PERCEPTION OUT THERE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE A FIREFIGHTERS, YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY STRONG AND FIT. WE'RE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY-MINDED PEOPLE. PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO GIVE BACK IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT GIVING. EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, CAMRADERIE SOME REAL VARIETY AND ENJOY SOME GOOD CHALLENGES. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? WE TAKE CARE OF ALL THE TRAINING AND INDUCTION THE QUICKEST IT CAN HAPPEN IS THREE MONTHS. TYPICALLY, A BIT LONGER THANN THAT. OK, LOOK, YOU WANT PEOPLE TO JOIN. IF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING, GIVE THEM YOUR BEST PITCH RIGHT NOW. THANKS. VARITETY, CHALLENGE, CAMRADERIE NZ FIRE SERVICE OFFER THESE IN SPADES. GETTING REAL SATISFACTION FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE./ GOOD ON YOU. So you've heard the pitch. If you're up to the challenge, the number to call is 0800 FIRE RECRUIT and we'll have details on our website. PLENTY OF FEEDBACK ON CHELSEA PRIMARY. DENISE WROTE... SHIRLEY SAYS... ARTIFICE, ADVERTISING AND CHERRY PICKING' CHARLOTTE DOESN'T HTINK SO. SHE WROTE IN AND SAID... I ATTENDED CHELSEA PRIMARY SCHOOL I COMPLETEY DISAGREE WITH COMPLAINTS OF PARENTS. I HAD A GREAT EDUCATION THERE AND IT SET ME UP WELL That's tommorrow night, and that's NZ Close Up.