Appointment of Junior School Principal

The board of Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate is delighted to announce the appointment of Vasati Vaoiva to the position of Tumuaki/Principal of the Junior School starting middle of 2023. 

Vasati joins us from Mangere Central School where she has been in a Deputy Principal role and has previously led the school as Acting Principal. Vasati’s brings with her over 18 years of teaching and leading experience in South Auckland. More importantly, Vasati brings an inclusive, community-focused approach and relational leadership capability to our Kura as we journey together towards our next far horizon.

 Starting in October 2022 the board embarked on an exhaustive mission to find a principal who would fit us as a Collegiate and community and bring new ideas and energy to our school as it plans for the future. The Board of Trustees appointed experienced education consultant Laurayne Tafa to lead the search, giving us comprehensive, culturally appropriate and relevant recruitment expertise to lean on and opening up access to principal networks across Aotearoa.

 Principal recruitment is particularly challenging in post-COVID Aotearoa, with many experienced tumuaki/principals retiring after the stresses of the recent challenging school years or seeking to maintain employment stability within their existing school. This has led to schools across the country turning to new principals to fill the gaps, and with this in mind, the board was united throughout the process in prioritising talent, values, cultural alignment and leadership capability over and above specific tumuaki experience. Within this context, the board is absolutely delighted to have attracted a candidate of Vasati’s’ calibre.

 Kallie Ngakuru-Syder: Executive Principal 

 “Vasati impressed me all the way through with her humility and quiet strength and confidence.  She will add value to the principal group and fit in well with her strong sense of whanaungatanga. I feel Vasati is a person and leader perfectly aligned to our school and community values. Her patience and understanding manner will assist her to navigate this new phase in our collective journey.  

 Dr Vaaiga AutagavaiaBoard Chair

 “Being new to the principal role, we’re confident that with our community’s support Vasati will be a huge success in the role and we look forward to seeing the school flourish under her stewardship. She demonstrates a wealth of diverse experience as an enabler with accountability to students, their families and the community and to add to this, Vasati is a proud product of education here in Otara as a previous Hillary College student – we could not ask for a better role model of what we stand for. ”We look forward to welcoming Vasati to the Collegiate formally in the New Year and will share more details of her arrival over the coming weeks. 

Dr Va’aiga Autagavaia

SEHC Board Chair