Senior Leadership Team

Patrick Gale

Principal

Qualifications
BA (Hons), MEdL

Experience

I trained as a teacher at the Institute of Education in London, following the completion of a Geography Degree at University College London.  I am originally from North Devon in the South West of England and took up my first teaching position at Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, in Canterbury, Kent.  I was fortunate to be awarded a scholarship to undertake a year long education exchange to New Zealand, swapping roles with the current Principal of Rosmini College, Mr Nixon Cooper.  I was offered a permanent position following the exchange and returned to New Zealand in 2003.  I was Associate Headmaster at Rosmini College, with a range of responsibilities, including strategic planning and teaching and learning. I left in 2015 to take up the position of Principal at Kaipara College and have enjoyed my time working in this community.
In 2016, I completed a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership at AUT and have been able to apply this knowledge in my leadership roles.

Personal Experience

High quality education is critical if we are to produce well-rounded students who are skilled in a range of disciplines, socially responsible, and confident to contribute in complex and demanding workplace environments.  I believe that this can be achieved through effective engagement of students through a varied and flexible curriculum, both within and beyond the classroom.

High expectations are the heart of my educational philosophy.  I challenge teachers and students to progress to the highest personal level possible, working alongside them to provide frameworks and positive attitudes that enable big ideas and dreams to become realistic goals, with excellent rates of academic achievement a central part of this.  By recognising and celebrating success it is possible to develop a shared culture within, and beyond school.

Don Hastie

Associate Principal

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science from Auckland University

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.

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

Diploma of Teaching from Dunedin College of Education

Currently enrolled in a Masters of Educational Leadership at AUT

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 mathematics curriculum leader, teacher in charge of student leaders and pastoral care dean.  In 2010, I was appointed as the Head of Mathematics at Rangitoto College where I was honoured to lead a motivated and dedicated team of teachers.  I was delighted in 2016 to be promoted to Deputy Principal.

Personal Experience

I believe that teaching is about developing relationships and motivating students through inspiration and enjoyment.  Education is about more than just what is taught in the classroom; it is about ensuring students have the personal and professional skills required to be successful in the world.

Peter Morton

Associate 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 in the UK for two years in a coeducational school before returning to Auckland Grammar. I have since held positions as a Dean, Director of Boarding and more recently Deputy Headmaster for the past 5 years. I am delighted to be joining Rangitoto College where my responsibilities include student well-being and pastoral systems.

Personal Experience

Every student should have the opportunity to learn and grow as an individual in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment. It is our responsibility as educators to provide opportunities and encourage engagement for learning.

Grahame Cope

Deputy Principal

Qualifications 

Bachelor of Science with a Geography Major from University of Auckland

Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching

Post Graduate Diploma of Educational Leadership (with Distinction) from 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. 2019 has seen me become one of the Assistant Principals, with my main responsibilities being around student achievement.

Personal Experience

I have a really clear personal philosophy when it comes to education and this is what really drives me. It is to enjoy the challenge of leading others and inspiring the professional will and personal humility in staff, to ensure that the students we teach are successful as global citizens. On a more informal level, I enjoy playing golf, running marathons, a wide range of music and pretty much any sport, especially football, rugby and cricket. I have a young daughter called Harper and my partner is also a Teacher.

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.

Julie Strang

Deputy Principal

Qualifications 

Bachelor of Commerce

Diploma of Teaching

Experience

I have been at the College for 24 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 Economics.

I was a Dean for eight years and then was promoted to Deputy Principal with a large responsibility for student welfare.

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. Following a Year group allows you to see wonderful growth in student’s confidence and see them blossom into fine young men and women by the end of Year 13.

Kirsty Dowding

Deputy Principal

Qualifications

University of Auckland: School of Education. 2005 Graduate Diploma in Teaching – Secondary Programme

University of Auckland: School of Geography and Environmental Science. 2002-03. Master of Arts Degree with Second Class Honours, in Geography.

MA Thesis (2003/04): Geographies of Export Schooling in New Zealand: The Production of new school spaces. International Students.

Experience

I have a wealth of experience and knowledge from my years working across the education sector.  I began my teaching career, teaching Geography at Massey High School in 2006, where I worked for eight years before moving on to Kaipara College. By 2018, I had taken on a number of different leadership positions as Leading Positive Behaviour for Learning, Head of Faculty, Assistant Principal, and Deputy Principal. From there, I left the classroom to work as a Lead Advisor in the Ministry of Education. 

I will take on the development of student welfare initiatives, including the promotion of effective hauora (physical, mental, social, spiritual, and place)  and support programmes. I will also be working with the Senior Leadership Team, and wider school, to continue to grow our Knowledge Rich Curriculum through authentic integration of mātauranga Māori and growing cultural connection with our community.

Personal Experience

Bringing a fresh perspective, I am excited to continue to build a sustainable welfare curriculum for the school. “I saw this as an amazing opportunity to work at a college that is currently leading educational outcomes for young people in New Zealand.” I am looking forward to working with the dynamic leadership team to continue to grow educational excellence for all of our students.

Michael Randal

Assistant 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 Assistant 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 of our students 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.