The Armour Institute
Te Wānanga o Āmoa – The Armour Institute provides professional learning and development, bridging research and practice by weaving together the intellectual, cultural, and relational strengths of Wellington College and its wider networks.
The goal is simple:
Ako Tahi: Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap
We have developed a teaching and learning framework and playbook to support our teachers – the Coll way.
Our Ako Tahi Playbook is a powerful tool for aligning our practices and strengthening our pedagogy. An instructional playbook is a practical, research-informed tool. It translates educational research into actionable strategies for classroom practice. Much like a coach’s playbook in sport, it equips educators with a clear and consistent set of strategies that supports equitable outcomes for all our students. Read more here.
Our PLD Programmes
Alongside our school PLD offereings, professional growth cycle, and PCT programme, our vision is to provide services to our teachers that invests in their professional growth, supports innovation in practice, fosters a culture of excellence, and strengthens outcomes for ākonga.
Coaching and Mentoring
We believe the most impactful to develop our teachers is through personalised coaching and mentoring. We provide trained coaches to support staff at any level of their practice
Wellington College Leadership Institute (WCLI)
Staff with leadership aspirations are invited to apply for the year-long WCLI programme, which features visits from experienced leaders who share their insights. Participants are provided readings, engage in interactive discussions, workshops, mentor sessions, and maintain a reflective journal throughout the programme.
Professional Refresh
One of the biggest barriers to professional reading is finding the time. The Professional Refresh Programme addresses this by offering staff a day of leave to engage in professional reading of their choice, followed by a written reflection. These reflections are then compiled into an annual publication, shared with teachers across the school and beyond.
Coffee, Croissants, and Pedagogy
Similar to a book club, Coffee, Croissants, and Pedagogy brings interested staff together to read and discuss selected articles, fostering shared learning, critical reflection, and the exchange of ideas. This is an informal gathering that happens in the Headmaster’s office twice per term.
Our Research Programmes
The importance of research in the setting in which it impacts cannot be underestimated. Teachers are the experts in the classroom, and their insight, analysis, and professional curiosity are vital to understanding what works, for whom, and why. When teachers engage in research, they not only deepen their own practice but also contribute to a collective knowledge base that drives meaningful, context-specific improvement. This is why the work of the Armour Institute is so important – it enables teachers to engage with research at multiple levels, offering support across a range of inquiries, from classroom-based reflection to more formal, school-wide investigation.
Teacher Action Research
Our Teacher Action Research programme supports educators to formalise their own investigation, generate evidence-informed insights, and report back to improve teaching and learning across the school. The action research is published in our Lumen collection.
International Boys’ School Coalition (IBSC) Action Research
We offer teachers a pathway into the IBSC Action Research Programme, empowering them to investigate questions from their own practice, generate insights through classroom-based inquiry, and contribute their findings to the shared knowledge of boys’ schools worldwide.
Past IBSC participants:
Serena Lawrence – “I Can Have Success Here” Building Belonging in 16-Year-Old Boys Through Peer Tutoring In The Classroom. (2024)
Current IBSC participant:
Nilesh Naran
Knowledge is for sharing.
Explore our publications and research domains.
WC Teacher Research Publication Jan 2024
WC Teacher Research Publication Jan 2025
WC Action Research Publication 2024 - 2025
At the CollFace Blog
FLAGSHIP PROJECT: CHARACTER EDUCATION
RISNZ.
Research Invested Schools Network NZ
Wellington College is privileged to be leading the Research Invested Schools Network in Aotearoa New Zealand (RISNZ), inspired by the pioneering research network of our Australian colleagues. The network’s purpose is to engage in educational research that sparks thought and action, generates new knowledge, informs policy, enhances practice, and involves students, educators, and academics alike.
We value our ongoing connections with The Crowther Centre (Brighton Grammar School, Melbourne), the Barker Institute (Barker College, Sydney), The Caledonian Institute (The Scots College, Sydney), and the Churchie Research Centre (Anglican Church Grammar School, Brisbane).
RISNZ has now grown to include 20 schools across New Zealand, and we warmly invite other schools interested in, or already engaging with, research to join us. We host termly online hui where schools are encouraged to share their mahi and learn from one another.
Dr Aaron Columbus and Nikki Corbishley join Dr Hugh Chilton and Dr Caitlin Munday on the closing panel at the RIS Conference Melbourne, 2025.
School Visit
Keen to visit our kura?
School leaders interested in visiting Wellington College are warmly invited to connect with us to learn about our approach to teaching and learning, student achievement and attainment, pastoral systems and structures, and schoolwide practices that support student success and wellbeing.
Visits provide an opportunity to engage with staff, students, observe classrooms in action, and gain insight into the systems, culture, and leadership practices that drive our work.
We offer visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To arrange a visit or discuss opportunities to connect and collaborate, please email Patrick Smith, Deputy Principal – p.smith@wc.school.nz.
The following schools have visited:
Christchurch Boys High School
Clifton School
Hamilton Boys High School
Hillmorton High School
Iona College
John McGlashan College
Kelston Boys High School
King’s High School
Lindisfarne College
Long Bay College
Marlborough Boys High School
Mount Aspiring College
Napier Boys High School
Orewa College
Palmerston North Adventist Christian School
Palmerston North Boys High School
Queen Margaret College
Rolleston College
Rongotai College
Rotorua Boys High School
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Southland Boys High School
St Patrick’s College Silverstream
St Peter’s College Auckland
St Peter’s College Cambridge
Taonui School
Timaru Boys High School
Westlake Boys High School
Whakarongo School
Whakatipu High School
Whangarei Boys High School
William Allan Armour (centre, in academic dress) at a ceremony to mark Wellington College foundation day.
Why The Armour Institute?
William Allan Armour, Headmaster of Wellington College from 1928 to 1942, was a visionary leader who believed education was a collective endeavour. He strengthened ties between staff, students, parents, and old boys, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and growth.
He championed a broader, more balanced curriculum, challenging the dominance of matriculation exams and advocating for approaches that better reflected the diverse needs of learners. His ideas anticipated later national reforms, showing his commitment to inquiry, innovation, and research-informed practice.
Beyond the College, Armour served on the Senate of the University of New Zealand, where he influenced major changes to secondary and tertiary assessment. His significant investment in education and the teachers and students it served provides the model for the Armour Institute today – a place where our people grow through research, reflection, and professional learning.
