Principal's View
Principal: David Graham
What makes Goodwood School Stand Out?
Goodwood School stands out for many reasons. We have a wonderful team who come together to achieve great things. Our students are fantastic explorers who make the most of every opportunity and who really support each other. We have such a talented team of teachers and support staff who really care and who strive to make a difference every day and very supportive parents, board and community!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself, who are you?
I have been involved in education for well over 20 years. I have worked at six amazing schools, in Auckland and the Waikato, and this is my third principal’s role. I think that I have the best job in the world - working with amazing people and helping them achieve success every day. I am happily married with three wonderful children and a one year old chocolate labrador called Harry. I love music and play guitar and cycle most days either on the road or on the trails.
What are you most proud of and what are you hoping to achieve. What messages do you have for our learners?
I really enjoy sharing in the success of our Goodwood explorers. After quite a few years in education it is always exciting to see students that I have worked with achieve in so many areas. I am hoping to continue to build on Goodwood’s excellent reputation for developing successful lifelong learners. My message for our learners to be in charge of your learning, to make the most of every day and every opportunity.
What makes Goodwood ecofriendly and what are you hoping to improve about the environment?
Goodwood does a wonderful job caring for the environment and this is shown by winning a Green Gold Enviro School award. Initiatives such as the worm farm, school garden and recycling scheme all help students to learn about how to care for our world. I am looking forward to helping our Goodwood Explorers decide on what improvements best meet their needs. Having our learners fully involved in the new sports turf project is a great example of this
What different styles of learning are you intending to use to help your students have success and fun at school?
It is really important that our school fully supports the learning styles of all of our students. I also firmly believe that learning should be fun. We are working hard to ensure that learning at our school is a positive experience for every child at our school. I am particularly interested in increasing the amount of choice our learners have about their learning and making sure that our school is flexible enough to meet the needs of all of our students.