New WBHS principal starts

Whangarei Boys' High School's new principal Karen Smith. Photo / John Stone

The new principal of Whangarei Boys' High School wants to create the first Community of Schools in Northland, with the hope fewer students will fall through the cracks.

Principal Karen Smith officially took the reins on Monday, though had been slowly going through the handover process since her appointment in March. She comes from Epsom Girls' Grammar in Auckland where she was the deputy principal.

Her former school signed on to be part of the first wave of Community of Schools in December, something she hopes will happen in Whangarei. Although 222 schools across the country had already become part of communities, none was in Northland.

"[It's] the opportunity to sit down and say what are you doing in your schools," she said. "That doesn't mean schools won't have their individual flavour."

The Communities of Schools were part of the government's flagship $359 million education policy Investing in Educational Success, announced last year.

They involve around 10 primary, intermediate and secondary schools forming a group to identify challenges to overcome together.

Extra money was given to some principals and teachers to assist in other schools in their community.

Ms Smith said the communities were an opportunity to improve communication between schools, something which was traditionally problematic.

Ms Smith said overall she had felt incredibly welcomed, although surprised a small group connected to Boys' High were upset a woman principal had been appointed for the first time in its 134-year history.

One of Ms Smith's top priorities would be addressing what ERO described in a recent report as the growing gap between Maori and non-Maori achievement.

"It is an area of concern for me," she said. She was unsure why this was happening as it was not a trend nationally.

"I think it's really important to say that I know there is a mandate for change at the school but there's also some good things that have happened over the years."