About our Board of Trustees

'Take care of our children. Take care of what they hear, take care of what they see, take care of what they feel. For how the children grow, so will be the shape of Aotearoa.’ - Dame Whina Cooper

The Peninsula Primary Board of Trustees includes parents, one staff representative and the Principal. Elections for the board take place every three years.

The dates and times of our board meetings are published in our newsletter. Meetings are open for anyone to attend, but they are not public meetings. This means members of the public may attend, but will be asked to leave when the board goes into committee, and do not automatically have speaking or voting rights.

Our Board of Trustees Members

Katy Perry

Presiding Member

My name is Katy Perry, and I am mum to 2 Peninsula Primary boys (Years 1 & 4). I am also mum to a daughter, who has just gone to Te Atatū Intermediate, where I also work as a Food Technology teacher. I have been on the board since 2018 and know the ropes well. I love being a part of the board as I believe that we can help to make PPS the best it can be, encouraging all our students to fulfill their potential and embrace their talents.

As an ex-secondary school teacher and Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland, as well as currently studying myself - I know all levels of education fairly well, and am super passionate about every step. In the weekends you will find me cheering on my kids at rugby, t-ball, basketball and dancing.

Chris Mundell

Parent Representative

My name is Chris Mundell and I am a father of 3, living on the Peninsula. With a career in sports coaching and administration, I am passionate about seeing people and places grow. I have joined the BOT to bring my skills and expertise to the local community and to ensure our kids and families in the area have an excellent and well-connected school who ensures that all those who come through the gates have the ability to be the best they can be.

Jaime Melville

Parent Representative

Kia ora e te whānau. Ko Jaime Melville tōku ingoa, ko Ngāti Whātua tōku iwi, ko Te Uri o Hau tōku hapū. I am a passionate Te Reo Māori advocate, second language learner and life long ākonga. I grew up in Tāmaki and have worked for Whakaata Māori for 15 years, currently as a programme buyer. I enjoy learning new waiata with m tamariki and growing our reo as a whānau. One of my favourite kīwaha is "tūwhitia te hopo, mairangatia te angitū!" Feel the fear and do it anyway. Tēnā rā tātou katoa.

Sara Tuitupou

Parent Representative

Tolofa lava & Mālō e Lelei, my name is Sara Tuitupou and I am privileged to be a parent rep for the BOT at Peninsula Primary. I am a NZ born Samoan, married to a proud Te Atatu North Tongan family. We have five children and many nieces and nephews who had or are currently attending Peninsula. I hope to serve our school to the best of my ability with whatever skills, knowledge and resources I can offer so our children and families can have opportunities to thrive.

Keryn Smale

Parent Representative

Kia ora! I have been privileged to serve on the school board since 2019. I grew up in South Auckland and moved to Te Atatū Peninsula in 2014 after living overseas for around ten years. I love being part of such a diverse and supportive community. My eldest child recently graduated from Peninsula Primary. With two children still at Peninsula Primary, I have a strong and ongoing interest in the future of the kura and want to help ensure it delivers the best possible education and growth environment for all tamariki. My professional background is in human resource management

Dion Sadler

Parent Representative

My name is Dion Sadler and I am the father of two boys at PPS. I’ve lived on the Peninsula for about 6 years, after having grown up on the North Shore. I love the community feel of this area and being surrounded by water is pretty good too. My career background is in commercial banking and finance. I’m keen to help support the school to continue to grow as an anchor point for the wider community in Te Atatu Peninsula. The greatest gift that any parent and any community can give their children, is the gift of self-confidence.

Alecia McCulloch

Parent Representative

My name is Alecia McCulloch and I am a Mama of two children at Peninsula Primary, currently in Year 1 and Year 4. I own and run a business specialising in accounting for the creative industries, and I am passionate about supporting the growth of others by providing them with the tools for success.

I believe that access to quality education is one of the biggest gifts we can give our tamariki. I joined the board at PPS to help ensure that as a school we serve our local community to the best of our ability, so that every one of our students is able to achieve their potential and move on to higher education equipped with the tools to excel.

Sarah Mackay

Staff Representative

Kia Ora, my name is Sarah Mackay and I am the Peninsula Primary Staff representative on the Peninsula Primary BOT. I am currently the Deputy Principal of Year 3-6. I feel really proud to work at PPS and really enjoy working with the staff and the students that come here.

Dave Robertson

Parent Representative

Kia ora koutou, Ko Dave Robertson tōku ingoa.

I am the proud father of three boys who are currently all at Peninsula Primary School. My background is in High Performance sport (Olympic class sailing) and Non-Profit leadership focussed on youth mentoring and more recently marine and environmental education. My hope is that Peninsula Primary provides a wide range of experiences and opportunities to foster the diverse talents that all our tamariki have, and that we deliver the best outcomes for our wider school community.

Brenda Cronin

Principal

Our Charter

Our Charter is the agreement between our board and the government on how we will continue to improve the school. It is an undertaking by the Board and outlines how the school is best managed and organised, the expected conduct of the school, and how our administration works.

The Board’s responsibilities towards the school curriculum are outlined in the National Education Guidelines, the National Administration Guidelines and National Curriculum Statements. These are considered part of our Charter. The Board is authorised to include goals that reflect the particular values and needs of our community and are agreed on through our community consultation.

View Our Charter Here

Understanding the governance of the school

The Board is entrusted to work on behalf of the school’s community, and is accountable for the school’s performance. It sets the standards and vision for the school, and ensures compliance with all legal and policy requirements. Policies are made at a governance level and outline clear responsibilities to the Principal.

Along with the Principal, the board serves as part of the leadership team. The Principal reports to the board as a whole. In serving the school the board is proactive rather than reactive, and does not involve itself in the daily operational matters of the school. The board places student achievement as its focus, and aims to ask the right questions to best advance the success of the pupils.

If you are interested in reading more about the governance of schools in New Zealand, the New Zealand School Trustee Association website is a good place to start.

The Board ensures the goals laid out in the school’s Charter are achieved through good practises. The Board serves a number of practical purposes, including setting strategic goals, board policy, delegating powers to the appropriate groups of individuals, and reviewing how well all of those parts are working to improve the school.

The Principal manages the school within the planning and policies of the Board. The Board and Principal work in partnership to provide and maintain overviews of school activities, develop and review board policy, provide strategic direction and keep track of progress on all these fronts.