NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Education

Former Warrior named as new principal of Pāpāmoa College

Emma Houpt
By Emma Houpt
Multimedia journalist·Bay of Plenty Times·
10 May, 2022 06:14 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Comments
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Iva Ropati will move to Pāpāmoa College after a 12-year stint leading Howick College in Auckland. Photo / Supplied

Iva Ropati will move to Pāpāmoa College after a 12-year stint leading Howick College in Auckland. Photo / Supplied

A former Warriors league player passionate about "building a culture of togetherness" in schools has been named the new principal of Pāpāmoa College.

The school's board of trustees told the community on Monday that Iva Ropati will step into the leadership role, describing him as an "experienced and successful" principal.

His first day will be on October 17 in line with the start of Term 4.

Ropati told the Bay of Plenty Times the new role would be a "big change" and his first time working as a principal outside of Auckland.

He has led Howick College since 2010 and before that was principal of One Tree Hill College for seven years. He was deputy principal at Onehunga High School from 2000 until 2002.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He moved to the United Kingdom in the early 1990s to play rugby league professionally. It was there he picked up his first-ever teaching job.

Touring with the New Zealand rugby league team in 1993, he returned to New Zealand a couple of years later and went on to represent the Warriors in 1996 and 1997.

Ropati said playing rugby league professionally had "significantly influenced" his career in education, with former coaches and managers being his biggest inspirations.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It all revolves around the single team philosophy of everyone shoulder to shoulder with the common goal of doing their best to make the community proud."

And his passion for "building a culture of togetherness" stemmed from his sporting career. It also helped him understand the importance of persevering when the job got tough.

"This is why I understand the value of teams, because of being mentored and nurtured by coaches and managers. All the other things can flow once you get a significant person who can take you under their wing and nurture you," he said.

"Sometimes you get knocked down, but you have to get up and finish the game. It's the same thing leading schools - it's continuing to believe in why you are there and getting young people through education."

He is moving to the Bay with his wife Kerrie Ropati and two adult daughters Georgia and Olivia.

Asked why he wanted to lead Pāpāmoa College, Ropati said it was a "pretty progressive school" and he loved its curriculum design.

He was eager to work at a relatively new school, with the college only opening in 2011. It would also be his first time working at a secondary school that had Year 7 and 8 cohorts.

Pāpāmoa College. Photo / John Borren
Pāpāmoa College. Photo / John Borren

"I am attracted to a school that is relatively new and progressive in their curriculum.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"To have four years working with Years 7,8,9,10 before they hit the high stakes of NCEA is something I am really looking forward to."

The region seemed a "pretty glorious part of the world to work in" and he was excited to take a break from life in the city.

Ropati was most passionate about strengthening organisational culture and instilling a sense of purpose and belonging in students.

"A big part of my leadership is building a culture of unity and bringing people together to create ways in which we can provide success for young people."

He described his journey at Howick College as "incredible", saying his resignation "became very real" on Monday when he told staff and students.

A highlight of his nearly 12-year journey at Howick College was the huge improvements in students' academic results.

"When I started we had a level one achievement of 65 per cent. As of the end of last year, our level one achievement was 93 per cent."

The level two pass rate had risen from 70 to 90 per cent, and level three from 75 to 90 per cent.

But most of all he was proud of the work done to help develop values and a sense of belonging in students.

"It's the most heartwarming part of the job knowing that young people are going to enter their own communities and be good people."

His last day at Howick College will be September 20.

On behalf of the Pāpāmoa College schools board, presiding member Jethro Le Roy said the community was excited for the "experienced and successful" principal to join the team.

Le Roy praised the work of acting principal Pere Durie who had "handled the job admirably" and would stay in the role until Ropati arrived.

Durie stepped in at the start of this year replacing foundation principal Steve Lindsey, who resigned at the end of 2021. Lindsey had worked at Pāpāmoa College since it opened 11 years ago.

"We are looking forward to working beside them both to create successful achievements for all our students."

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Comments

Latest from Education

New Zealand|education

The stark reality of NZ's rising school absence crisis

06 Jul 05:00 PM
New Zealand|education

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Business|companies

Silicon Valley to NZ: Kiwi Facebook Marketplace inventor is back home to give back

05 Jul 12:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Education

The stark reality of NZ's rising school absence crisis

The stark reality of NZ's rising school absence crisis

06 Jul 05:00 PM

Almost two thirds are students aged between 12 and 14.

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Silicon Valley to NZ: Kiwi Facebook Marketplace inventor is back home to give back

Silicon Valley to NZ: Kiwi Facebook Marketplace inventor is back home to give back

05 Jul 12:00 AM
A look at the Term 3 school lunches with 73% positive feedback

A look at the Term 3 school lunches with 73% positive feedback

01 Jul 11:13 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search