From the Board

When we talk about leadership, our minds often go straight to those in senior positions, principals, Board members or student leaders. Yet, leadership is something much broader, and much closer to home. It’s something each one of us carries. It begins not with titles or roles but with the way we each lead ourselves.

Leadership is about responsibility, integrity, and growth and is a lifelong journey. This is something we see every day across our College. For our youngest learners, self-leadership begins with small but significant steps: mastering a new skill, remembering to put things away, or helping a classmate. As they grow, so too does their sense of responsibility. By the time they reach Secondary School, our students are leading themselves through selecting subjects, managing their time, stepping into new roles, and making decisions which reflect who they are becoming. Each of these moments is leadership in action, and each prepares them for life beyond school.

Our staff also grow and model leadership through their teaching, their care, their collaboration, and their willingness to keep learning and adapting. In doing so, they show our young people what leadership looks like in action.

We welcomed new leadership at the College this year. Mark Wilson, our new Rector, has navigated his first year with skill and resilience through both challenges and successes. He and his wife, Judi, have quickly settled into the community with warmth and energy.

This year, we acknowledge with gratitude the contribution of Jonathan Bierwirth, who has led the Preparatory School for nearly 30 years. Jonathan’s care, wisdom, and unwavering commitment has shaped generations of students and families. As he moves into retirement, we send him off with our very best wishes and heartfelt thanks.

At the recent annual ISNZ Conference Phil Adams received an ISNZ Honours Award. A select number of these awards are given each year to recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions made by staff from ISNZ member schools. The Board is delighted to congratulate Phil, who was recognised for his dedication to teaching Digital Technology and Calculus at St Andrew’s. Phil’s passion and innovation have inspired many ākonga and led to students achieving national and international awards.

Earlier this year, the College underwent an ERO review. Two ERO officers spent three days reviewing different aspects of the College including teaching and learning, boarding, student management, facilities, safety, and compliance. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with no areas for concern, affirming the strong position the College is currently in. The officers’ key comments commended us on the provision of excellent tuition, quality staffing, a pleasing appraisal system linked to outcomes and self-evaluation, responsiveness to students, high quality facilities and equipment, a safe and happy environment for students, and great systems.

From the Board’s perspective, leadership is also about looking to the future. This year, we’ve been working on our strategic direction for the next Property Master Plan. While we have reaffirmed the importance of our five values, Truth, Faith, Excellence, Inclusivity, and Creativity, we’ve refreshed the way we describe them to reflect where we are heading.

The emerging priorities focus on teaching and learning, well-being, outstanding holistic opportunities, and people, partnerships, and place. Central to all of this is our people, the well-being, growth, and flourishing of every member of our community.

Our Strategic Plan will be finalised and shared with you soon, while the master planning process will continue into next year with a goal of being ready by mid-2026. Importantly, these plans are not fixed documents but living ones which will be revisited regularly so we can adapt and remain responsive to the needs of our students and community.

Ultimately, leadership is a collective effort. It is the way each of us takes responsibility for ourselves, our actions, and our decisions, the way we model leadership for our students, the way we support one another, and the way we all contribute to shaping this community together.

On behalf of the Board, I wish you a safe and happy end to the year and an enjoyable summer break.

Felicity Odlin
Board Chair
On behalf of the Board of Governors