Huge Change for West Auckland School

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HUGE CHANGE FOR WEST AUCKLAND SCHOOL

For the first time in 28 years, students of Te Atatu Peninsula’s Matipo Primary School will be greeted by a new Principal next term.

Wayne Bainbridge, Matipo’s Principal since 1989, heads into retirement after a highly successful and much decorated educational career where (amongst other things) he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and was selected as part of the New Zealand Principals delegation to China.

Wayne Bainbridge's time at Matipo has seen the school climb from the brink of closure, to being identified by the Ministry of Education in 2014 as the top performing school in Te Atatu, and receiving a glowing ERO report in 2016.

Mr Bainbridge requested not to hold a formal farewell event with the wider community. Instead Wayne held a special farewell event with the part of Matipo School that has always mattered most to him, the children and staff, at a ‘Bright and Beautiful’ day. Students wore their most colourful costumes in a parade, performed musical and dance items in the school hall and enjoyed a disco with their Principal. Mr Bainbridge's outstanding contributions to Matipo have been honoured with the school Board of Trustees renaming the main school hall ‘Wayne Bainbridge Hall’ this week.

The stewardship of Matipo Primary School will be continued by Mr Paul Wright of Titirangi. A self-proclaimed Westie, Paul is a highly regarded principal who will begin at Matipo in Term 4, after 13 successful years as Principal of Clayton Park Primary School in Manurewa.

ENDS

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