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How long have you been an educator, and where did you train?
I’ve worked in education for 25 years. I completed my education degree at Otago University and my Masters in Educational Leadership at Auckland University.
When did you become principal of Elm Park Primary School?
In 2022. It’s a great privilege to be the principal of Elm Park School. The role is very varied, so every day it’s an interesting and challenging workplace. The opportunity to live and work in my community was important and attracted me to the position. I’ve led and taught extensively in the Howick and Pakuranga area for a long time, so becoming a principal in the area seemed a good next step!
What’s the best thing about being an educator and principal?
As a principal, you can lead and drive meaningful change that positively impacts both students and teachers. I’ve always been passionate about curriculum design and building leadership capacity in others. Seeing student achievement progress as a result of careful strategic planning and developing the skills and qualities of leaders. To contribute and enable that progress is very rewarding. Our weekly assemblies are a favourite school activity for me. Here, we get to see students’ learning celebrated and recognised. The teachers always think of innovative ways to share their class’s learning journey with our whānau and community. Seeing students thrive is the best thing about being an educator.
What’s special about Elm Park School?
We’re a very diverse school, reflective of Auckland! Our staff are wonderfully committed to providing outstanding and quality education for a diverse range of needs. We have spacious grounds and a quality learning environment. Our staff and students are what make Elm Park special. We have outstanding staff in many and varied roles. Our three “R’s” – Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience, are woven into all we do at Elm Park School. The students use the language of our values, which gives us a shared understanding of how we operate and what we expect from each other. As a school, we’re always looking for ways to provide our students with opportunities that have a point of difference from the classroom. For example, offering specialist classes and good relationships with sports providers that give exposure to activities, which for some students is a new experience. Best student outcomes drive all that we do both in and outside of the classroom.
Is there anything you’d like improved in the education/school management sector?
We need significant systemic change in the area of learning support. Learning support is woefully inadequate to meet the needs of diverse learners. A significant change would enhance the quality and equity of learning for our most vulnerable students. I’d also like to see increased recognition of teachers. It’s a complex job and often understated by society. We need to ensure our teacher workforce is always valued and equipped to do their job which is becoming an ever increasingly challenging profession. In order to get best educational student outcomes, we must first ensure teacher and educational leader outcomes are enabled through continual investment into the profession.
How is the relationship between Elm Park School and its immediate local community?
Elm Park School still has that quintessential Kiwi feel about it. We serve a very connected and committed local community. Our relationship with the local community is everything. Our parents are committed to their child’s education and support the initiatives the school puts in place for best student outcomes. Recently, we’ve installed two new playgrounds, which we could not have done without the support from the community through fundraising efforts. We also value being part of the local business and sporting communities. We liaise and use local businesses frequently, which enhances our local connections.
Elm Park is also part of our Kāhui Ako. It’s another important local community connection that strengthens our ties to the community. Elm Park School has experienced significant change over the past three years. Extensive property work has been undertaken, and targeted investment has been made into teacher practice and leadership. We wanted to be a local school of choice, and we’ve achieved that. We accept very few out-of-zone students. This has been an important step in building and serving our local community. Our mantra of Continuous Improvement is a cornerstone of our core school values and underpins our culture of learning for impact.
