Julie Debreceny has recently been promoted to Associate Principal at Western Springs College - Ngā Puna o Waiōrea.
How is the Associate Principal role different from the Deputy Principal position? Like most schools, we have a team of Deputy Principals, making up the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The Associate Principal role is a second-in-charge role. I will be working more closely with our Principal, Ivan Davis, to support him.
Is this a new role?
Ivan Davis was Associate Principal to the previous Principal, Ken Havill, but that position wasn’t continued when Ivan became Principal. The SLT and the Board have recognised that we are getting significant roll growth and need to ensure that our school leadership is appropriately resourced to prepare for continuing growth.
What are you looking forward to in your new role?
I’m a strong believer in equity and excellence and in mentoring.I love helping others to maximise their practice and take on leadership opportunities. That will be something that will be a strong focus for me as an Associate Principal. I believe in adaptive practice that is evidence-based and reflective.
When the school moved into the new buildings, you had a bag with your laptop and some files, that you called your mobile office. How did that work?
The new spaces are fantastic and enable us to work more collaboratively. I had a wonderful experience in 2020 co-teaching with a second-year teacher. The space enabled us to share our teaching roles, playing to each other’s strengths. I got to know another group of students from another house that I would not normally get to work with.
How do those spaces affect school management?
The Senior Leadership Team is able to work in the flexible spaces alongside all the classes, observing teaching in practice and being on hand to support teachers and students. It enables greater collaboration and sharing of effective practice. I would find it very hard to go back to a single-cell environment.
Were you always going to be a teacher?
Not at all. At my year 13 exit interview, I was told “you’ll be a teacher”. I thought they were very wrong, but after my degree, I gravitated to teaching and here I am.
Tell me about some of your previous teaching positions
My first teaching job was in Feilding, followed by 3 years teaching in Nelson. Most of my teaching has been in South Auckland: at Southern Cross in Mangere and Tangaroa College in Otara.
Why did you move to Western Springs?
I live in-zone and am part of the local community so this was a great opportunity to deepen my community connections. The staff here are amazing - they are warm, effective, and genuinely invested in the students and I first met Ivan Davis when we worked together at Takapuna Grammar, so I knew this would be a good fit.
Are you from Auckland?
No, I grew up in Tauranga. I was very sporty so I spent a lot of my youth at the beach. I was a surf lifesaver and l loved sailing too, and spent a lot of time on Ruapehu.
What is your life like when you aren’t teaching?
My daughter plays tennis so we spend a lot of time at the tennis club. I also love reading when I get time. I’m a foodie so I’m often found around the Morningside precinct sampling all the wonderful culinary delights there, and we have a five-month-old puppy, so that forces me to get walking - Fowlds Park is one of Auckland’s hidden gems.
https://westernsprings.school.nz/