Mountainview High School has found its next tumuaki (principal) in the form of Wellington East Girls’ College deputy principal Rebecca Rhodes.
She succeeds Kenny Diamond, who was recently appointed principal of Nayland College in Nelson.
Mrs Rhodes returns to the Canterbury region with a distinguished 25-year career in strategic educational leadership spanning both New Zealand and the United Kingdom as well as having taught and lived in Japan and the Netherlands respectively.
In a statement, Mountainview board of trustees presiding member, Jenny Carter-Bolitho, said Mrs Rhodes would bring a blend of strategic leadership, strong relationship-building skills and a commitment to inclusive, student-centred education.
“Rebecca is a seasoned strategic leader with an exceptional track record for driving both academic excellence and institutional consistency.
“Her extensive background in managing large, complex educational environments, combined with her commitment to evidence-based pedagogy, makes her the ideal fit for Mountainview’s vision.”
Prior to her role in Wellington, Mrs Rhodes spent over a decade in senior leadership at Farnborough, a high-performing sixth form college in the UK, with 4000 students and 250 teaching staff.
During her tenure as deputy principal at Wellington East Girls’ College, she successfully applied this macro-level strategic discipline within a Te Tiriti-grounded framework.
Her work there focused on implementing the science of learning, raising literacy and numeracy outcomes, and establishing school-wide routines (kawa).
These initiatives were commended in a recent Education Review Office report for promoting a highquality culture of teaching and robust strategic evaluation.
Mrs Rhodes expressed immense pride and excitement about joining the Timaru community and building on the legacy of those came before her.
“Mountainview High School is a liberal, inclusive school that is proud of its roots but courageous enough to challenge the status quo,’’ she said.
“My purpose as tumuaki is to combine a relentless focus on quality assurance with high relational trust.
“By securing foundational success in literacy and numeracy and reducing classroom cognitive load through consistent routines, we will ensure that a Mountainview education opens doors for our students anywhere in the world with a balance between well-being, and high expectations and outcomes.”
The school board, staff and students will formally welcome Mrs Rhodes with a pōwhiri at the start of term three. — Allied Media
