Senior Leadership Team

Pinehurst School’s new Executive Principal, Mr Michael Waller, joined us in February 2023 from JESS, one of Dubai’s leading British international schools. Mike has been the Head of Secondary at JESS since 2019 and has spent twelve years as an educational leader in Hong Kong and Australia. For nearly all that time, Mike has been immersed in the international British curriculum, and joins us with extensive, hands-on experience of Cambridge.

Born and educated in New Zealand, Mike attended Saint Kentigern College in Pakuranga, and completed a Business and Commerce Degree at the University of Auckland. He then furthered his study, gaining his teaching qualification to begin his career as a Commerce teacher. He remains passionate about Business Studies and Economics and is pleased to see that these subjects are such a popular part of our college curriculum.

“Pinehurst is a special community. When I walk around the school, I know that this was a place where teachers and parents worked together to support their children. Community matters to me, and I’m excited to be given the chance to lead the whole school community in the next stage of the school’s development.”

Mike has moved to Auckland with his wife, Anna and two young boys, Bodhi and Axel. His ambition for Pinehurst is to ensure that the school is a place where every individual can flourish. “I want our school to unlock every child’s potential,” he says, “both as an individual and as a part of the whole community.”

A passionate educator, Sian has had extensive experience of implementing and delivering excellence through the Cambridge Primary and Lower Secondary programmes. She is the Cambridge Primary programme lead teacher in New Zealand.

Before joining Pinehurst in 2000, she has worked in New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom, in both teaching and leadership positions, giving her a wide variety of education systems and cultures to draw upon in creating and sustaining a vibrant and stimulating learning environment, where students are encouraged to become independent, enquiring learners. Sian reads widely and continues her quest for life-long learning. She has a son in College.

Having begun her teaching career in New Zealand, including teaching the Gifted and Talented Science programme at Sunnynook Primary, Catherine taught in England before returning home to join the pioneering group of teachers and parents who created Pinehurst.

As foundation teacher, Ms Jones-Hill has had the opportunity to see Pinehurst develop from the original 3 classes into the world class, full school that it is today.

Catherine has extensive experience working with the Cambridge (CIE) Curriculum including introducing the Cambridge Science Curriculum to Years 4 - 6 and the English and Maths Curriculum to Year 3.

An experienced teacher at all levels of Primary from New Entrants through to Year 6, Catherine has taught and been involved with a number of specialist areas including Primary Science specialist, Special Needs Department (Junior College) Head of Junior Primary, Assistant Principal of Primary, PE and Music teacher Year 1 and 2.

Passionate about children's participation in team sports and physical fitness, she is passionate about netball and has coached netball, basketball and hockey teams including mentoring at Kidzplay netball on a Saturday.

Catherine also runs coaching seminars for netball coaches and has helped developed Year 1 netball teams with the development of their skills and fitness in addition to mentoring beginner netball umpires through running training courses and providing on court support.

Married to Wayne together they have two gorgeous sport crazy daughters.

Having left Pinehurst in 2007, Dawn rejoined us in 2022. A visionary school leader with a broad range of experience in different UK and New Zealand school environments, Dawn’s key focus is positive relationships which demonstrate interpersonal respect. Previously, Dawn led the Science Faculty at Kristin School and most recently she took the role of Deputy Principal at Whangaparāoa College where her portfolios included Curriculum Development and Pastoral Care.

Dawn believes that the provision of individualised, engaging learning is imperative to enable students to be ready for life outside of school. She advocates for our students to connect with and understand their tūrangawaewae and promotes the importance of a local curriculum.

Joe has considerable experience in the education sector, both here in New Zealand and in the United Kingdom. Previously Joe has been the Senior Dean of Year 7 – 8 at Saint Kentigern Boys’ School and the Head of Sport and English at Denmead Preparatory School for Boys in England, as well as a Senior teacher at an Intermediate School in Wellington.

Joe is a passionate New Zealander who loves the outdoors, adventure, sport and travel. As an Educator, his vision is to offer future focused learning to prepare our students to become responsible, ethical, global citizens ready to take their place in a rapidly changing world. 

Tony brings extensive educational experience to his role at Pinehurst. Throughout his career, he has held a variety of teaching and leadership positions in both primary and secondary settings, spending over twenty years in private education. In 2020, Tony returned to New Zealand after sixteen years at Bangkok Patana School—a leading British international school in Asia—where he served on the Secondary Senior Leadership Team, spearheading initiatives in curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, and raising academic achievement.

As an educational leader, Tony is passionate about supporting students to reach their full potential and paving pathways to success both in school and beyond. He is equally committed to advancing the professional development of teachers and middle leaders, drawing on his various experiences leading teacher leadership programmes including the NPQ qualifications offered by the University College of London, for example.

Tony envisions Pinehurst as a thriving community where every member feels welcomed and valued, and where teachers and students alike are empowered, purposeful, and inspired to achieve their aspirations.

Jon brings to Pinehurst a sound commercial and business acumen gained from more than 20 years in executive finance and general management roles, and experience from both the commercial and the NGO sectors. Pinehurst is Jon's first taste of the school environment after 8 years as General Manager and Finance Director of TEAR fund. He is skilled in assembling and leading talented teams as he continues to build the level of creativity, initiatives and focus required to increase and enhance business success. Jon is also a Mentor with Business Mentors NZ (North Shore) and an ISO Capability Mentor for the Ministry of Social Development.

Jon lives in Glenfield with his wife Trish and three daughters. A keen fisherman if not always a successful one "but that's what fish'n chip shops were invented for".