Taking the helm at ‘beacon of excellence’

Dunstan High School’s new principal Andrew King hopes to build on the school’s strong foundations...
Dunstan High School’s new principal Andrew King hopes to build on the school’s strong foundations. PHOTO: RUBY SHAW
Dunstan High School’s new principal wants the school to be a "beacon of excellence in education", as he completes his first week in the role.

Andrew King was welcomed to the school on Monday with a mihi whakatau (welcoming), and said he was eager to get down to business.

Originally from Darlington in the northeast of England, Mr King came to New Zealand with his wife in 2009.

He taught first at Mana College in Wellington — "a real cultural eye-opener" — then moved to Dunedin where he taught at Otago Boys’ High School for five years.

Mr King was deputy principal at Tokomairiro High School in Milton for two years before moving back to Otago Boys’, this time in the role of deputy rector, where he stayed for five and a-half years.

Dunstan High School’s reputation as a good, solid school attracted him to the principal’s role, he said.

"[The school is] set up fantastically well in terms of things we could do moving forward ... it’s a really strong foundation to build from", Mr King said.

The school’s strong connection with its proactive community was also a deciding factor.

"The positive feel around the community support was a real pulling factor and obviously something I’d continue to grow and nurture along the way."

His 18-year-old self could not have guessed he would go on to be a school principal on the other side of the world.

"Education ... allowed me the options to go and explore a massively new pathway and I want the students of Dunstan to be able to have those same opportunities."

He wanted to encourage a "growth mindset" in staff and students, making sure the students’ successes were not downplayed.

"We’ve got the opportunity to build on a really strong foundation to make it a beacon of excellence in education."

Mr King took up the role after Reece Goldsmith resigned as principal earlier this year.

ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz