A commitment to inclusivity, community and the whole student experience is driving Kenny Diamond as he takes the reins as Nayland College’s new principal.
Kenny officially began the role on 20 April, replacing Daniel Wilson, who led the college for 11 years before moving into a leadership advisory role with the Ministry of Education.
For Kenny, the move north comes after 16 years at Mountainview High School in Timaru, including six as principal.
“Loved Timaru,” he says. “Loved the community there, met my wife, had three kids – but it felt like we were ready for a next step.”
He had been thinking about a move for a while, but only to the right kind of school, and a visit to Nayland College on his way home from a sabbatical last year left a strong impression.
“There’s something about the school that really appealed to me,” he says.
“I think it was the fact that it like a bigger version of Mountainview High School. The kids were friendly – they stopped, they talked to you, they were interested in you.
“The staff were engaged and professional, and it seemed the whole place was geared towards making sure that every kid had the best possible chance of success.”
It was, he says, the kind of “whānau school” with a “heavy sense of inclusivity” he had been looking for, and when the opportunity came up, he knew it was worth going for.
Now living in Richmond, Kenny says his family is settling in quickly, although they are still learning the local distinctions.
“I’m told [Richmond] is not Nelson, but we’re learning these sorts of things,” he quips.
“We are loving the climate. I keep asking people, ‘is it always like this?’”
Originally from the United Kingdom, Kenny moved to Christchurch as a teenager and later worked in youth justice before heading into teaching. A short stint at Aranui High School was followed by the big move to Timaru after the September 2010 earthquake.
Kenny says he is already impressed by what students and staff are achieving at Nayland College.
“I’ve been blown away by the quality of the teaching and learning in the classrooms. The teachers here, they are really hard workers. The students are benefiting from that, because what you see in the classroom is really impressive.
“The scholarship results are outstanding… some of the kids who have gained those scholarships aren’t even Year 13. That’s not something you find in lots of schools, and it’s a real strength of this place.
But Kenny believes success at school is about more than academic performance.
“The key thing to helping students succeed, academic and personally, is about making sure that we take care of the student as a whole, not just seeing the student as a data point on a graph,” he explains.
Getting the balance right between achievement and well-being is critical, he adds.
“It’s making sure that students are always worth more than their academic results.”
Building strong relationships beyond the school gates is also high on his list.
“I think listening is probably a skill we don’t teach enough of, and it’s a skill we often don’t use ourselves enough of. You’ve got to understand where somebody’s coming from and understand their perspective before you can understand their actions.”
That includes working closely with families to understand their aspirations for their children and making sure the school reflects them.
Outside of work, Kenny is a musician who has played guitar in several bands, and a keen sportsman who enjoys golf and mountainbiking. He is also a devoted Warriors fan, watching them “religiously”.
For now, though, his focus is firmly on the job ahead.
“I am really excited about being here and I’m here for the long haul. The school has a history of long-standing principles, and my intention is to add to that legacy.”
