Principal
Invercargill
- Inspire Excellence, Honour Tradition, and Drive Innovation
- Lead with Vision and Heart to Empower Girls for a Changing World
- Based in Invercargill
About our School:
Southland Girls’ High School was established in 1879 in Invercargill and is one of New Zealand’s longest-established girls’ schools and the third oldest girls’ school in the country. The school is a “modern school with history” and has a school roll of 1,070 day, boarding and international students from Years 7-13.
At Southland Girls’ High School students learn in an environment that empowers the cultural integrity of every single student so they feel valued and are able to achieve to the best of their ability. The iconic ‘red shoe’ is entwined with the school’s history and over the years, the shoe has become a symbol of identity with the school and signals pride, distinctiveness and a sense of belonging to the students.
Offering a flexible curriculum with multi-level learning, the school prides itself on offering tailored learning with broad exposure to a range of subjects for students, encouraging them to discover and pursue their interests. Both NCEA and the Cambridge curriculum is offered with the Cambridge curriculum being offered for Years 9-10 only. A vocational pathway offers options beyond the traditional and in partnership with the Southern Institute of Technology allows early exposure and hands-on learning. Students are also encouraged to participate in sports, cultural activities, music, and clubs, developing a wide range of skills and interests beyond the classroom.
About The Role:
The Board are seeking an experienced educational leader, who thinks strategically and has a proven track record of driving school improvement and innovation.
Our new Principal will be:
- A people-centred and collegial leader, skilled in inspiring staff, unlocking their potential, and bringing positive energy to the role
- A valuer of tradition whilst embracing innovation, honouring the school's history, traditions and values whilst being forward-thinking, adaptable, open to new ideas and technology, and willing to implement necessary change at a respectful pace
- Skilled in stakeholder engagement, with capability in developing meaningful connections across the school community and with external partners
- Student-centred, with proven experience putting students at the heart of all decisions
- A strong advocate for girls' and women's education, where girls can achieve anything
- An exceptional relationship builder and communicator, who listens genuinely, communicates clearly and honestly, handles difficult conversations with dignity, and creates strong partnerships with students, staff, whānau and the wider community.
Our new Principal will have:
- Wellbeing and pastoral care expertise with demonstrated success in leading student wellbeing and pastoral programmes
- An approachable, visible and accessible leadership style; a leader who is warm, easy to talk to, maintains an open-door policy, is present around the school and community, and actively engages with students and staff
- Resilience, with strong integrity and EQ - a demonstrated ability to stay calm under pressure, and able to model school values of integrity, responsibility and respect
- Experience delivering on Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles with genuine action, leading culturally responsive practice, capability in Te Reo Māori, and creating truly inclusive environments for Māori, Pasifika and all diverse learners
- A firm but fair approach, with courageous decision-making, standing up for what's right for the school community
- Experience with reporting structures and communication with a Board of Trustees.
Specialist knowledge and understanding of girls' education and their contexts is an advantage, as is experience with boarding, overseeing a hostel and international students.