The man had driven off when staff went outside to look for him. Police arrived straight away and interviewed the girl.
"Because she was so on to it and so confident she quickly came off and came and told us," Pepper said.
"She's a very brave girl. Outstanding. She's fine. She did the right thing."
Pepper said the school had an assembly on Monday to talk about Easter and also spoke to the students about what happened and reiterated what they should do if they were approached by a stranger.
Parents and caregivers were also sent an email informing them of the incident.
Today police have been patrolling the area and the community officer told the school he would also drive past the school more frequently.
The school has teachers outside the school before and after school, but the girl had been dropped off by her parents before the rostered teacher was due to be on duty.
"Kids need to know exactly what to do and parents sitting down with their kids and saying this sort of thing unfortunately does happen and here are somethings we can do in our family. It's got to be talked about, unfortunately it's out there so we have to make sure our kids are educated," Pepper said.
He had also alerted principals of nearby schools about the incident.
Police responded to the incident immediately and officers will return to the area tomorrow to source CCTV footage and look for vehicles matching the description.
Detective sergeant Richard Sami said while police investigated there would be an increased police presence in the area before and after school.
"It is important to stress that what has happened today is not an attempted abduction but rather a suspicious approach and we are taking this matter very seriously," he said.
Anyone with information about the approach can contact the Avondale Police Station on 09 820 5784.
Children approached by strangers in Auckland:
November 17: 11-year-old boy abducted by a man in a grey van and sexually assaulted in four-hour ordeal in Ranui, west Auckland
November 23: 11-year-old girl ran home after a man in a dark red or maroon 4X4 approached her while she waited for her school bus on Wairere Rd in Waitakere
November 24: 12-year-old boy approached by a man who tried to coax him inside his dark-coloured ute on Swanson Rd, Ranui
November 30: 17-year-old girl followed by a dark coloured ute on nearby Lake Panorama Drive in Henderson
November 30: Intermediate-aged girl asked to get in a man's car on Summerland Dr, Henderson
February 15: 11-year-old boy approached by man in white van near Northcote Intermediate School and asked if he wanted a ride
February 28: Man tried to grab an 11-year-old girl on her way to St Heliers School, in East Auckland
March 7: Man in white van approached 11-year-old female student near Northcote Intermediate School on the North Shore
March 9: "Suspicious " white van driven by a man parked on Salisbury Rd, Birkdale, near Birkdale Primary School on the North Shore
March 29: Man with a tattoo of a dragon on his face tried to grab 14-year-old boy in Beach Haven on the North Shore and put him in his car
April 6: Female student from the North Shore's Birkdale Intermediate School offered a lift by man in white van
April 10: 9-year-old girl offered $100 to by a man in his 30s if she hopped in his black SUV outside St Dominic's School in Blockhouse Bay.
