New Terrace End School principal Warrick Price focuses on 21st century skills

Learning at Terrace End School is exciting as the teachers are always finding new ways to teach their students, new principal Warrick Price says. Photo / Judith Lacy

Three weeks after Warrick Price started his first principal job in July, New Zealand went into lockdown.

But instead of hiding under his (home) desk, the Terrace End School tumuaki saw it as a chance to lead, to show he can be an effective leader during change. He drew on the response adopted by his previous school that had worked well and focused on keeping calm and communicating effectively.

Staff created learning packs and dropped them off. Price says he was blown away by the effort and attitude of staff to just muck in.

Terrace End in Palmerston North has 27 staff including seven classroom teachers for 180 students.

"I'm so lucky to have been given a group that work too hard to be honest, they're great."

Delivering the lockdown packs was a chance for Price to see where the students live. The Year 1-6 school draws from the Rangiora Ave, Clyde Cres, and Karina Tce area, lower Vogel St, and down to where Russell Street School's enrolment scheme starts.

Price wants children to be able to enjoy the school's extensive grounds and facilities as a community, eg. after-school football and netball competitions.

"Sport's a wonderful vehicle for teaching so many skills that you need to be successful in life," he says.

Players have to turn up, give their best and get over disappointment such as when they lose or are not selected for a team.

Before Terrace End, he was at Linton Camp School as a classroom teacher and deputy principal for six years. His first job straight out of Massey University was at Ross Intermediate from 2007-2014.

Price grew up in Tauranga and decided to go to Massey on the recommendation of his high school teachers who had studied there.

"Good enough for you, good enough for me," he thought.

He had planned to return home but stayed. He is married to Tamzin Price, who is head of dance at Palmerston North Girls' High School. They have two sons, aged 7 and 5.

Price says he had been chasing a principal role and feels incredibly lucky to get the job. "It was a huge win. I was blown away to be able to get the job, really happy."

He is treating being a new principal as like being a beginning teacher. Plus there's the altered perspective necessitated by the buck stopping with him. He has to dot the i's and cross the t's more as another person is not checking his work.

Price wants students to have the skills needed in the 21st century, such as collaboration, critical thinking, and sticking to a task, skills they can apply to more complex contexts as adults. He wants students to realise they don't have to be on a production line, but can create their own line as an innovator and engineer.

He is working on introducing Creokit resources for the teaching of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (steam) and developing the curriculum to solve real-world problems and foster tinkering and creativity.

Price is keen on teachable moments, such as when a wind turbine caught on fire students were asked to create their own turbine.

"Normal school's boring, you've got to make it awesome."

He's spent $10,000 on iPads and Chromebooks, which he says is important for reducing the barriers a bring your own device policy can create.

Price has replaced Sue Allomes who had been the principal since 2008. He says his predecessor left the Ruahine St school in a really good state and is grateful for her steady leadership and work to set the school up for the future.

The school is positioned to leap forward into the future rather than drag its way through, he says.