ACG Senior College announces new Principal

ACG Senior College announces new Principal

After an extensive national and international search, ACG Senior College is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracey Dykstra as Principal from 1 November.

Mrs Dykstra joins the school from Saint Kentigern College, one of New Zealand’s top private schools, where she has held the position of Head of Teaching and Learning on the school’s Senior Management team since 2010. Prior to that, she was Deputy Principal of Baradene College, a Catholic girls’ school in Auckland.

A prominent figure in New Zealand’s education sector, Mrs Dykstra has proven leadership skills and a wealth of experience with an international career in education spanning three decades, including nine years at senior management level.

A highly respected practitioner, she is currently completing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at The University of Auckland, and has recently been on secondment to the University of Auckland’s Centre for Educational Leadership, working with middle and senior school leaders in Auckland to improve leadership practices.

Mrs Dykstra said she was attracted to the unique pre-university environment at ACG Senior College, which offers two international curriculums for students in Years 11-13 and places a strong emphasis on academic achievement. “There are no other co-educational private schools like it in New Zealand. I’m a strong believer in the International Baccalaureate. Offering it alongside the Cambridge curriculum is an ideal proposition to suit the different learning styles of students.”

The school’s city-centre campus was also a drawcard, offering unique opportunities for connections with culture, business and tertiary institutions in the city she added.

Mrs Dykstra said it was an exciting proposition to be a leader in education in New Zealand today:

“The transformation of the digital environment has implications for curriculum, pedagogy and learning; we can do things in different ways, but we need to prepare students for a future that may be very different. I’m excited by how this ties in with ACG Senior College’s vision to empower students to be independent and make their own choices and decisions. We are preparing them for life, not just a specific career.”

“We are thrilled to have appointed someone of Tracey’s calibre,” said Clarence van der Wel, Director of ACG schools. “ACG Senior College is the founding school of our group with a vision and focus to provide the country’s best pre-university education. Our students achieve excellent results internationally and are well-prepared for whatever ambitions they may have when they leave our classrooms. We are delighted to have Tracey on board to build on this strong base and lead ACG Senior College into the future.”

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