Napier Girls High School's new principal has "come home"

RETURN: Napier Girls High School's new principal Dawn Ackroyd is ready for school to start. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

It's a new role, but taking up the mantle of principal at Napier Girls High School feels like "coming home", for Dawn Ackroyd.

She will be joining the school after spending the past 12 years as principal of St Oran's College in Wellington. For five years before this, she was deputy principal of Napier Girls.

When term one begins next month the school's 13th principal will be officially welcomed to the school alongside new and returning students.

"I've come home," Mrs Ackroyd said.

"Napier Girls to me is my turangawaewae, a place where you can stand and feel empowered. That's what I want for the students and staff."

Having only arrived in Hawke's Bay a week ago, Mrs Ackroyd said she and her husband - a former teacher at Hastings Boys High School - were very excited to be back in Napier.

"We're very happy, the climate's just been fantastic, and it's just great to be back in the Bay.

"I'm excited to be part of such a vibrant learning community, and to be leading that it's a real privilege."

Although Mrs Ackroyd will not officially start as principal until next month, she has been at Napier Girls settling in, preparing for the new year, and reaquainting herself with the school.

When she left it was the early 2000s, and Napier City councillor Claire Hague had been principal, and her mentor.

While the school had progressed immensely in some areas, such as technology, Mrs Ackroyd said other parts were "very much how I remember it".

"The school has just gone from strength to strength."

Already Mrs Ackroyd was planning her first tasks as principal - from getting to know the school community and their whanau, and working with the school board on the recently reviewed strategic plan.

She was looking forward to getting to know the school staff, and how they could deliver the best education.

As principal she hoped to help students achieve, build on the legacy of her predecessors, and "be the best role model I can be".

"One of the aspects I just adore about Napier Girls High School is it's a very traditional school so it has very high standards. It's fantastic in that it creates a sense of belonging which is very important for students," she said.

"I want the school to be their home, their turangawaewae where they feel empowered, where they can go out and be the best they can be and contribute to society."