The New England Girls School and the St John’s Junior School are under new leadership in 2012 with the appointment of Peter Hodge as Principal. The appointment follows the retirement last year of Principal Ian Downs.
A native of the United Kingdom Peter Hodge completed a Bachelor of Education specialising in Technology and a Diploma of Higher Education before immigrating to Australia with his wife and young son in 1990 working for a number of years for the Queensland Department of Education.
After the birth of their second son they moved to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea where he worked for the International Education Agency as a teacher and Head of Department and finally as the Computer Manager under the ACT curriculum and the International Baccalaureate. He returned to Australia to work at Somerville House in Brisbane before excepting a Senior Lecturing position in the United Arab Emirates. Whilst in the UAE he achieved a Masters in Information Technology and a Masters in Business Administration from Charles Sturt University, later joining the Australian College of Educators. He became Principal of the Al Ain English Speaking School improving academic results and enrolments and was asked to be a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK). He was also the Director of Al Ain American School where his experience was required to bring the school back from near collapse.
Taking up the reigns in December of last year Peter has described his new role as a “happy step’ and he is hoping to bring an international flavour along with a wealth of experience in the technology and business management of education.
“I am looking to develop further the technology already in the school up to 21st century standards,” Mr Hodge said.
“We have a laptop program and we hope to develop that program further.
“We need to step into E-learning and expand our electronic white board program.
Fostering links with UNE is a work in progress for the new Principal and currently investigations are underway to develop an E-Learning package.
“In our maths program for example, some of our students finish their HSC maths in year 10,” he said.
“These students in year 11 and 12 can then go on to complete units with UNE.”
Continued strong growth of enrollments at NEGS is important, however Mr Hosdge was keen keep class sizes small and foster the already strong feeling of community within the school.
“There is an upper limit that you would look at for further enrollments You don’t want to lose that small class benefit and you don’t want to lose that feeling of community.
“It would be an easy thing to open the doors and go for 1200 students, which is the school size that I came from.
“You want to maintain the feeling that this school has, the special nature that attracts people to want to come to NEGS.
“You notice when you first come into the school that there is more of a focus on the holistic style, which is the whole child.
“Not just concerned about getting the grades, the pastoral care structure produces the academic results.
“We get those results. Every one of the girls that has left in year 12 last year has a university place.”
NEGS is currently undergoing renovations of the Science block with modern state of the art facilities, St John’s Junior School has moved into the Horbury Hunt building giving the junior school its own identity on campus as well as their own dedicated playing field and the Olympic standard Equestrian Centre will be officially opened later this year.
In the short time that Mr Hodge has been in Armidale he has found the city to be extremely impressive and friendly.
“I really like the feel, the atmosphere within Armidale, it is a nice place to live,” he said.
“Just in our first few weeks of being here, walking around, you stop and you look around a bit puzzled or something and within 20 seconds someone comes up to you and says “can I help you?’, it’s just really nice.”
Story: Jo Harrison
