Kaiarahi – Senior Leadership Team

Peter Morton

Acting Principal

Qualifications 

BPhED

Experience

I commenced my teaching career at Auckland Grammar School in 1998 where I taught Physical Education and Health. I then taught Science and Physical Education in the UK for two years in a coeducational school before returning to NZ to hold a variety of positions including a Dean, Director of Boarding and then Deputy Headmaster at Auckland Grammar for five years. Since 2021 I have been the Associate Principal of Pastoral at Rangitoto College where my responsibilities include student well-being and pastoral systems.

Personal Experience

A school environment should focus on building meaningful relationships—between students, staff, and the community. Our purpose is to nurture independent young people who possess the skills, resilience, and confidence to make the most of opportunities presented and to successfully navigate and thrive in a complex, ever-changing world beyond our school gates.

Don Hastie

Associate Principal

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science

Diploma of Teaching

Experience

I began my teaching career at Northcote College where I spent four years, prior to working in the United Kingdom as a Systems Analyst.  After three years, in 1990, I returned to New Zealand and began teaching Mathematics at Rangitoto College.  Over the years I have had a variety of roles including eight years as the Head of Computing and seven years as a Dean.  In 2003 I joined Senior Management where I have had the opportunity to develop my leadership and gain experience across all areas of the College. I am now focused on ensuring the College infrastructure supports the demands placed on it.

Personal Experience 

It is important for every student to understand how they learn and to develop a love of learning.  Teaching must be student-centred and future focused.  A safe, secure, and inclusive environment is a prerequisite for this.

Fay Meiklejohn

Associate Principal

Qualifications

Bachelor of Physical Education with Honours from Otago University – distinction 

Diploma of Teaching from Dunedin College of Education

Masters of Educational Leadership at AUT – distinction 

Certificate in School Management and Leadership (CSML) from  Harvard Business School

Experience

I started my teaching career as a Physical Education teacher at Macleans College before moving to the North Shore and starting mathematics teaching at Rangitoto College in 1996.  At the College I have had numerous positions of responsibility, including pastoral care dean, and in 2010, I was appointed as the Head of Mathematics. I was delighted in 2016 to be promoted to Deputy Principal and in 2019 to Associate Principal, Curriculum.

Personal Experience

Teaching is fundamentally about building mana-enhancing relationships and fostering motivation through inspiration and enjoyment. My approach recognises that education extends beyond curriculum delivery; it is dedicated to ensuring students graduate with the essential personal and professional skills required to achieve success and navigate the complexities of the world.

Julie Strang

Acting Associate Principal (Term 1, 2026)

Qualifications 

Bachelor of Commerce

Diploma of Teaching

Experience

I have been at the College for 30 years. Over these years, I have taught senior and junior Accounting, Business Studies and Economics. In the last few years I have mainly taught junior Business and Economics.

I was a Dean for eight years and then was promoted to Deputy Principal with a large responsibility for student welfare. Given my wealth of experience in Student Management I have been strategically placed at Year 10 for the last five years.

Personal Experience

I really enjoy working with students. It is immensely rewarding to be able to help students overcome problems or adversity and to get their learning back on track.  I work closely with their families, so together we can develop a plan to help the student reach their full potential and flourish in society.

Grahame Cope

Deputy Principal

Qualifications 

Bachelor of Science from the University of Auckland

Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching

Post Graduate Diploma of Educational Leadership (with Distinction) from the University of Auckland

Experience

I started my teaching career at Rangitoto College in 2003. Between 2005 and 2009, I was a Dean and worked across all year levels before becoming the HOD of Social Sciences in 2013. I moved into senior leadership in 2019. My main areas of responsibility are student achievement and assessment.

Personal Experience

I enjoy the challenge of leading others, so that we can provide the best possible outcomes for our students. High quality teaching lays the foundation for our students to develop their knowledge and understanding so that they can thrive in their educational journeys. In my spare time I enjoy running, playing golf and travelling with my family.

James Searle

Deputy Principal

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts with a History and Psychology major from Auckland University

Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching

Experience

I began my teaching career at Rangitoto College in 2009 and became a Dean in 2011. I then taught in the UK for four years whilst I traveled on my OE, and finally returned to Rangitoto College in 2016 to take up the role of Curriculum leader of History. From there, I became HOD of Social Science in 2019. In my current role as Deputy Principal I will lead on Student Engagement and Leadership.

Personal Experience

All students should feel a genuine sense of belonging at school, and through that belonging, grow their leadership abilities. I am passionate about empowering and encouraging young people to achieve their best and to serve their community.

Michael Randal

Deputy Principal

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Linguistics)

Graduate Diploma of Arts (Literature)

Graduate Diploma of Teaching – Secondary

Experience

Having begun my teaching career at Rangitoto College, I have been fortunate to have held a number of positions with responsibilities for curriculum and improving teaching. These include having held various curriculum leadership positions and the role of Assistant Head of Department within the English department, having been a Specialist Classroom Teacher which had an emphasis on working with early-career teachers, and having been a member of the school-wide Professional Development Lead Group.

Part of my current role as Deputy Principal carries the long term responsibility of improving student learning via a focus on pedagogy. In this, I place a particular emphasis on helping our teachers to understand and apply what the very best educational research and learnings from cognitive science indicate about memory and knowledge. We are at an exciting time in education where we have an increasing amount of methodologically-sound research available to us and I enjoy helping teachers to make sense of what these findings mean for teachers in their own classrooms, with their own students.

Personal Experience

My approach to education is shaped by the axiom that the more you know the more you can learn, and I’m passionate about our students developing powerful and empowering knowledge. I am deeply interested in the process of learning and the acquisition of knowledge, and am enthusiastic about the way that the robust and deep learning our students do will help them to live engaged, considered, and productive lives that contribute positively to their whānau, communities, and wider society. I’m proud to be part of a school that has such unashamedly ambitious hopes and high expectations for its teachers and students.

Olivia Newman

Deputy Principal

Qualifications

Bachelor of Laws from the University of Otago

Bachelor of Arts (History) from the University of Otago

Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) from Massey University

Experience

I began my teaching career at Rangitoto College in the Social Sciences Department as a History Teacher. Prior to teaching, I worked as a solicitor at Bell Gully, and in property at Rawa Strategic Property Specialists. In my time at the college, I have held a number of positions of responsibility including Publicity Manager, In-School Leader in our Kāhui Ako, Lead Mentor for our Waikato Teacher Trainees, and Across-School Leader for our Kāhui Ako. These roles have given me a deep understanding of our college and our community, as well as developing my leadership ability.   I am enjoying the opportunity to serve our kura and our wonderful young people in this capacity.

Personal Experience

Every young person has the right to a rigorous, enriching education. Our job as educators is to open students’ eyes to the world around them, and to give them the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in the world beyond school. I am passionate about ensuring students’ wellbeing is supported so that they can take advantage of the many wonderful opportunities available to them.

Josh Bullen

Acting Assistant Deputy Principal (Term 1, 2026)

Qualifications

Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Management Diploma in Teaching.

Experience

I began my teaching career at Rangitoto College in 2011 as a Health and Physical Education teacher. During my time at the College, I have held several leadership roles, including serving as a Year Level Dean where I guided a cohort from Year 9 through to their graduation in Year 13. I subsequently joined the Mid Bays Kāhui Ako, first as an In-School Leader (ISL) and later as an Across-School Leader (ASL), where I specialised in managing the transition of students from our local feeder intermediates into the College. For the past two years, I have served as a Student Engagement Dean, implementing various mentoring programmes and workshops to improve student outcomes and success across all year levels.

Personal Experience

I am passionate about working with young adults to help them fulfill their potential and reach their academic and personal goals. I believe effective leadership involves building strong relationships with key stakeholders, including whānau, teachers, and support agencies with a student centered focus. My goal is to ensure we collaborate effectively to achieve the very best outcomes for every student as they navigate their future pathways.