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After more than 25 years at Ellesmere College, Antony French has gone from classroom teacher to principal, but his passion for helping students become good people remains at the heart of his career. Daniel Alvey reports
On December 21, 2000, Antony French walked into Ellesmere College as a teacher.
Twenty-four years later, on the same day, he walked into the principal’s office.
“It was quite special and quite an unusual coincidence,” he said.
For the 53-year-old, however, becoming a teacher was never part of the plan.
While at Shirley Boys’ High School, French received some short and sharp career advice.
“I had a very brief meeting with my careers adviser, and he kind of said, ‘French, you’re good at science; you should go to Canterbury University and study science,’ and he didn’t say anything else,” French said.
So off he went to study botany and ecology at Canterbury University before switching to production forestry at Lincoln University.
But by the time he graduated, jobs in forestry had dried up, so he spent six years working in resource management.
“The year before I graduated, the forestry industry was booming, and so graduates were being sucked up into the industry halfway through the year.”
After about six years in a paperwork-heavy job, a conversation with a university mate about his career as a horticulture teacher made the penny drop for French.
“I was just talking away with him about the job, and I was like, ‘Holy cow, that seems like a really good fit.’
“I left that job because of the level of paperwork, which is ironic because here I am, and it’s become quite a large part of my job again,” he joked.
After a year at teachers’ college, French got a job teaching science and agriculture at Ellesmere and “never really looked back”.
He helped establish the school’s rural trade academy, designed to get students work-ready for jobs or further study in the sector.
“It’s something I’m really proud of as a rural school with a connection to the rural community.”
Over his time at the college, French moved through the leadership ranks, becoming year 10 dean, head of science and assistant principal.
“Every time I’ve started to think I need to grow myself in a particular capacity, there seemed to be an opportunity that came up here.”
In 2024, French stepped in as acting principal while Ronan Bass was on extended medical leave.
“I threw myself into that role as best I could; there was a lot of learning in that year.”
By the end of the year, Bass had resigned and French was given the top job.
“It’s a great job. I’ve heard being a principal is the best job in the world, with some of the most difficult days, and I 100% agree.”
Despite moving into the principal’s office, French still enjoys getting back into the classroom whenever he can.
Academic success matters, but it is the human side of teaching that gives him the greatest satisfaction.
“It’s just that connection to people, and the ability to relate and get the best out of others is incredibly valuable as a teacher.
“I get more joy out of seeing someone who has just become a really good person.”
French’s own journey to Ellesmere began on the other side of the world.
Originally from Fleet, on the outskirts of London, he was about 12 when a family holiday to visit his aunt and uncle in Christchurch prompted a permanent move to New Zealand.
“We just threw ourselves into a month of paradise, effectively.
“Literally on the plane on the way back, my dad leaned over the back of his chair to my sister and me and said, ‘How do you guys feel about moving to New Zealand?’”
Initially, it was a “culture shock” for French, who effectively skipped a year of primary school before starting high school.
“My parents decided living by the beach was a nice place to be, so I had to bike to Southshore, a 12km bike ride.
“The first day I did that was surprising.”
Before leaving England, French’s dad, Alan, ran a large construction company, A W French & Son, in London.
“He pulled some pretty long hours, so moving over here gave him a chance to spend more time with the family.”
Among the things the family brought with them was a microwave oven, which had yet to catch on in New Zealand.
“I remember thinking this is a really weird thing to be carrying through the airport,” he joked.
Ellesmere has also become a family affair. Both of French’s older children attended the school, while his stepson Lachlan is currently in year 8.
Away from work, French likes to get outdoors and go hunting, fishing and camping with his wife Tracey and Lachlan.
“Downtime is precious, and I find the job does encroach on it, and I have to really try and manage that.”
He also coaches the school’s clay target shooting team and shoots personally with the Ellesmere club at an AA-grade handicap.
“I’ve won some provincial titles and bits and pieces.
“Clay target shooting is a very mental sport, and you have to switch off everything else apart from the moment, so that’s a really good, deliberate way of me taking that time.”
It has now been about a month since a major milestone was achieved in the rebuild of Ellesmere College.
The first stage of the college’s $55 million rebuild opened at the start of the school term, providing all 580 students with new classrooms.
There is still no word on when the rest of the school, including the administration block, gymnasium and new whare, will open.
But French said there had already been a positive shift in how students and staff were using the new facilities.
During lunch breaks, teachers were often choosing to stay in the new school and interact with students.
“We have a significant number of staff who are officially on duty, but when you walk through the school, there is a heap of staff walking around talking to kids, playing basketball with students.
“That has been a beautiful thing, and that relationship-building is key.”