[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]
25/08/2025
Ian Sinclair
[FYI request #31838 email]
Tēnā koe Ian
OIA: 1351950 – Funded overseas travel for the Principal of Cambridge School
Thank you for your email of 1 August 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry) requesting
the following information:
Please confirm details of all international travel undertaken by Mike Pettit during his time as
Principal (2008 to today) where any special or specific funding (such as grants,
scholarships, sabbatical funding etc) has been provided, allocated or managed by the
Ministry of education, to contribute towards or cover the cost of his trips.
In each case, please provide:
1. Dates of travel.
2. Destination(s).
3. Stated objectives/purpose/rationale for trip and funding assistance.
4. Amount of funding provided, and any breakdown of that amount if available.
5. Any family who joined him?
6. A copy of any report, summary or other documentation written or sent by Mike or his
team after the trip to report back on outcomes or otherwise acknowledge the funding
assistance.
7. Who approved this within the MoE and when.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Principal of Cambridge School, Mike Pettit, has been granted two sabbaticals in the timeframe
covered by your request – one in 2016 and one in 2023.
Details of dates of travel, destination and any family who joined him are not held by the Ministry,
but are believed to be held by the Cambridge School Board. As such, it is necessary to transfer
parts one, two and five of your request to the Cambridge School Board in accordance with
section 14(b)(i) of the Act.
I am extending the 10 working day time limit available to make this transfer, to 25 August 2025.
You may expect a response from the Cambridge School Board directly concerning these parts of
your request.
Wellington National Office, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
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The Ministry also needs to extend the timeframe for responding to the remainder of your request.
Both extensions are being made pursuant to section 15A(1)(b) of the Act, as consultations
necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a proper response cannot reasonably
be made within the original time limit.
You can now expect to receive a response to
parts three, four, six and seven of your request on
or before 22 September 2025, which is an extension of 20 working days.
You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to investigate our decision to extend the timeframe for
responding to this request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Emma Drysdale
Manager, Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
OIA: 1351950
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