From meeting Ed Sheeran to postcard bombing MPs: Principal leaves with good memories

It’s not every day a global music superstar drops into your primary school - but it will be one of Rose McInerney’s best memories of her time at Te Raekura Redcliffs School.

McInerney spent 22 years at the school, the last six as principal during the battle to keep it open. But it all came to an end on Friday.

She has taken up a new role at Performance Wellbeing, a company which helps manage staff well-being in schools.

“It’s a real wrench for me to leave,” she said. 

“Principalship is a big job. I hope that I have given it my all.”

McInerney’s time at the school would not be forgotten.

“The visit with Ed Sheeran was unbelievable,” McInerney said.

Sheeran’s visit was organised by MoreFM.

He stayed at the school for nearly two hours, singing and talking with the children.

“He chatted to the kids about finding their thing and working really hard at it,” McInerney said.

The pupils were also treated to visits from musician Dave Dobbyn and former prime minister Jacinda Ardern for the opening of the new school campus in 2020. “Jacinda talked about never giving up when you believe in something strongly enough,”  McInerney said.

She became principal in 2016 while it was based at a temporary site on the Van Asch College grounds in Sumner, which the school moved to in 2011 following the earthquake.

In 2015, former Minister of Education Hekia Parata announced the school may close due to the threat of potential disruption to education in the future.

Parata initially suggested the pupils moved to Mt Pleasant or Sumner schools.

But following McInerney’s appointment as principal, she made it her mission to save the school.

After enlisting geotechnical engineers, lawyers and the community, she worked to convince the Government that Redcliffs needed its school.

“Once the Government’s made their mind up about something, it’s actually really hard to change that decision,” McInerney said.

“We did marches, we did a postcard campaign where we bombarded MPs with postcards about why it should stay open.”

Their first submission to the Government was turned down but the school was saved.

“It was a massive battle,” McInerney said.

“Every time we met a hurdle we found a way to get through.” 

McInerney then oversaw the design and build of a new campus, which pupils moved into in 2020.  

“We could focus on a future-focused school and the kind of purpose-built environment that we wanted for our children,” she said.

Former Casebrook Intermediate School deputy principal Nick Leith will replace McInerney as principal.

“The world of education is a small and highly-connected one in Ōtautahi. I have followed Redcliffs story like many in our city over the years and had heard great things about an amazing new build and the strength of support for their local school in the community,” Leith said.

“It is a tight community and I understand the importance of the role, especially following on from the legacy of the previous principal, Rose, her team, and the community that fought so hard and endured so much to have the school rebuilt.”