How long have you been an educator, and where did you train?
I’ve been an educator for 22 years, starting my career at Auckland College of Education where I was the 2002 student president and later completed my honours at the University of Auckland in 2008. I began teaching at Willowbank Primary, moving to Bucklands Beach Intermediate and Cockle Bay School where I was deputy principal for the past 11 years.
When did you become principal of Pigeon Mountain Primary School?
Five weeks ago. I was welcomed into the school with a mihi whakatau and have had a busy and exciting start to term two meeting and getting to know the students, staff and families. A highlight was getting into classrooms to meet every student in the first week and working alongside the librarians and student leaders to get to know the school.
What’s the best thing about being an educator and principal?
There’s nothing more rewarding as a teacher than connecting with students. Witnessing their growth, celebrating their academic breakthroughs, and watching them develop essential social skills and lasting friendships. Being present for those “aha!” moments of understanding, or simply being present to hear about their day, is a privilege I value. It’s why I continue to teach a maths extension class. That direct engagement with student learning remains incredibly motivating. My drive to become principal grew from my desire to make a significant positive impact on student learning and achievement and to create opportunities for our staff and students to learn and grow and be the best they can be.
What’s special about Pigeon Mountain School?
Our motto, Education with a Heart, truly guides everything we do. We’re proud to be a high-performing academic school, consistently seeing our students achieve above expectations. Beyond strong results, we create a rich learning environment, offering exciting opportunities in science, technology, engineering, extension mathematics and sport. We deeply care for our students, fostering their growth through our core values: resilience, responsibility, respect, and excellence. Our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) programme and dedicated team of teachers and teacher aides ensure every child feels supported. We also empower our students through an exceptional leadership programme, with house captains, class councillors, well-being leaders, and cultural leaders, who organise engaging events like discos, quiz nights, and our special Matariki Noho and hiko, a memorable overnight stay followed by an early morning hike up Ohuiarangi/Pigeon Mountain to watch the sunrise.
Is there anything you’d like improved in the education/school management sector?
Firstly, the relentless workload on principals and teachers is a significant concern. While I love my role and the opportunity to shape Education with a Heart here at Pigeon Mountain, the sheer quantity of administrative tasks, compliance requirements, and evolving policy demands can be overwhelming. This often detracts from the crucial time principals need for educational leadership – being in classrooms, observing teaching and learning, mentoring staff, and strategically planning for student growth. We need a system that genuinely supports us in focusing on our core purpose: high-quality teaching and learning.
Secondly, the increasing complexity of student needs, particularly in learning support and well-being, requires more robust and timely resourcing. We’re seeing more children entering school with diverse needs, including those with behavioural and communication challenges.
While the recent Budget announcements around learning support are a positive step, the reality on the ground often means long waiting lists for specialist support and immense pressure on our existing staff. Our dedicated teacher aides do incredible work, but they also need more consistent, targeted professional development to support these complex needs effectively. We need to ensure that every child, regardless of their background or challenge, receives the tailored support they need, when they need it, without undue burden on schools.
Finally, we need to ensure that new initiatives and policy changes from the Ministry of Education are well-resourced, clearly communicated, and integrated thoughtfully. Often, changes come at a rapid pace, requiring significant school resources to implement, sometimes without sufficient lead-in time or ongoing support. A more streamlined, less fragmented approach to policy implementation would allow us to embed changes more effectively and sustainably, truly benefiting our students and communities.
How is the relationship between Pigeon Mountain Primary School and its immediate local community?
We’re proud to be an active member of the Te Ara Bucklands Beach Kahui Ako, a strong collaboration of local schools. Together, we’re committed to key initiatives like accelerating writing achievement, supporting student well-being, and ensuring successful transitions across the education pathway. Our regular engagement with Macleans College and Bucklands Beach Intermediate creates valuable opportunities. A highlight is our recent collaboration where our well-being leaders and class councillors teamed up with Macleans College students to establish a Pātaka Kai – a community pantry providing support with the guiding principle, “give what you can and take what you need”. Additionally, our students benefit from working alongside BBI students in a beneficial student coaching programme.
