Principal Report

As I enter my fourth year as principal at Woodmans Hill Secondary College (no, I can’t believe it either), I feel and see so much that has changed over the course of that time. Our school has always been strong on community and possesses a uniqueness partly based on our size: we pride ourselves on knowing each individual student.  However, something feels different this year- there seems to be a buzz of anticipation and a readiness to get started on the next stage of our journey and it can be felt all around the school. 

This might partly be to do with all that we have been through over the course of the last two years: that feeling is our hope that this year will be interruption-free, so that we can get on with our core business of supporting the emotional, social and educational growth of our students. And this may partly be true. Certainly, from speaking to each year group in assembly and visiting classrooms to see how they are settling into the new year, it is crystal clear that our students are happy to be back (however much they occasionally moan) and are more than ready to face any challenge that 2022 may provide. One of the best parts of my role as principal is to speak with our students about what the future may hold for them. Our students are always encouraged to dream big and believe that they can achieve those dreams through hard work, determination and the willingness to seek out and accept the support that’s on offer. Success is a very individual thing and can change as we grow and develop. Our aim has to be to produce young adults who have the integrity, drive and ambition so that they can seize every opportunity that life might present to them, confident that they have got what it takes to give every challenge their best shot. 

On reflection, I also think that part of the buzz around the school is the evidence we now have regarding the progress we have made over the course of the last three years. Our students’ achievements, in the face of 2021’s adversity, are a testament to what happens when families, students and staff work together with the needs of our students placed at the center of all decision-making. Our values of ‘Respect, Determination & Excellence’ are the foundations for building optimistic futures for our students and it is very much a two-way street: what we expect from our students, we expect of ourselves. When teachers sign up to work at Woodmans Hill Secondary College, they are doing so because they want to grow and improve. As a result of the continued growth in student numbers, we have been able to recruit some quality teachers who I believe will add value to the already high standard of teaching and care at Woodmans Hill. Our new leadership structure has brought in Heather McClure (Head of Junior School) and Kait Every (Head of Senior School) who arrive with a wealth of leadership experience and they are already making a big impact within our school. Leadership across the college continues to be enhanced and I’m really excited to welcome our College Captains to the improvement team. I’m really excited to see how they help shape the next twelve months and beyond. It was so encouraging, in their College Captain interviews, to hear how positive they were about our schools and the changes that they wanted to affect.  They are so heavily invested in school improvement that I know they will make a massive difference. 

When making the important decision to send your child to Woodmans Hill Secondary College, you are doing so, knowing what we stand for and what we expect. Whether your child is beginning their journey in Year 7 or entering into their final year with us, the expectations remain the same and our high standards with regards to respectful relationships, uniform and the willingness to give everything your best go are equally important. The 6 years your child attends high school will fly by so quickly… this year was the first year in longer than I can remember when the usual ‘first-day-of-school photo’ of my kids only included two out of my three. It really brought home to me how quickly your kids grow up and how important it is to take the time to value the time and make it count. 

As I have said to our students, time and time again, there will be highs and lows; good days and bad days; set-backs and successes, but the important thing is to learn from experience and come back stronger and more determined… I think that might be the energy that I’ve felt at school this week: the strength and determination of our staff and students to use all that we have been through over the course of the last two years so that all the time we might have lost actually makes a difference to the future that we are working together to achieve.