Deputy Principal - Future School

Crimson Academies; Devonport-Takapuna; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Future School in Takapuna, Auckland, is seeking a Deputy Principal to lead day-to-day across staff, curriculum, wellbeing and operations. This is a genuine second‑in‑charge role in a young, ambitious school built from scratch in 2025.

As the Principal’s key partner, you will deputise fully when required, shape systems, and support staff and students across Years 1–13 in a future-focused learning community.

Qualifications

• Current NZ teacher registration (or eligibility) and a valid Practising Certificate.
• Proven senior leadership experience in a school setting.
• Track record of leading and developing teaching staff.
• Strong understanding of NZ curriculum, assessment and student wellbeing.
• Excellent relational skills with students, staff, whanau and the board.
• Comfort with ambiguity and building new systems, not just maintaining existing.
• Satisfactory referee checks.

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Principal, including representing the school externally when required.
• Lead, coach and performance‑manage teaching staff alongside the Principal.
• Champion curriculum quality and consistency across our Years 1–13 pathways.
• Lead student wellbeing, behaviour and restorative practice systems.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operational decisions and staffing logistics.
• Model and uphold Future School’s culture, mission and values.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Curriculum knowledge

Staff development

Relationship building

Adaptability

Education

New Zealand teacher registration

Practising Certificate

Job description

A Welcome from the Principal

Kia ora,

Thank you for your interest in leading alongside me at Future School. We’re a young, ambitious school - built from scratch in 2025 - and we’re now looking for a Deputy Principal who wants to help shape what a school can be, not just run one that already exists.

This is a genuine second-in-charge role. You’ll carry real weight across staff leadership, curriculum, wellbeing and day-to-day operations, and you’ll deputise for me fully when I’m away. It suits someone who is a strong, experienced educational leader, and who is energised rather than unsettled by the pace and ambiguity of building something new.

If that sounds like you, I’d love to hear from you.

Ngā mihi,

Lisa Squire

Principal, Future School

About Future School

Future School is a school reinvented for what’s next. Located in Takapuna, Auckland, we teach Years 1–13 (ages 5–18) as part of the Crimson Academies network — giving our students and staff access to a global network of specialist teachers and mentors.

Our mission: through relationships and belonging, we ignite lifelong wonder and grow learners with the agency to shape their own future, and the compassion to contribute to a better, more interconnected world.

We offer full-time face-to-face, hybrid and online schooling models, and work in close partnership with other Crimson Academies schools — opening up unique opportunities for our learning community and our teaching team alike. At the heart of it all is a personalised model of education, built around each student’s unique strengths and focused on helping them fulfil their own ambitions.

What makes us different

• Small classes — an average of 12 students — with ability-based tutorials and 1:1 literacy support
• Personalised learning at each student’s own pace
• Real-world, project-based learning with industry mentors and authentic outcomes
• Multiple curriculum pathways enabling flexible progression
• A deliberate focus on future-ready skills: AI, interpersonal skills, coding, entrepreneurship and design thinking

About the Role

Purpose

The Deputy Principal is the Principal’s key partner in leading Future School day to day, and deputises fully for the Principal in their absence. This is a generalist, whole‑school leadership role — not limited to a single portfolio — reflecting the size and stage of the school.

Reports to

Principal

Key responsibilities

• Deputise for the Principal, including representing the school externally when required
• Lead, coach and performance‑manage teaching staff alongside the Principal
• Champion curriculum quality and consistency across our Years 1–13 pathways
• Lead student wellbeing, behaviour and restorative practice systems
• Oversee day‑to‑day operational decisions and staffing logistics
• Model and uphold Future School’s culture, mission and values

Person Specification

Essential

• Current New Zealand teacher registration (or eligibility for registration) and a valid Practising Certificate
• Proven senior leadership experience in a school setting (e.g. Deputy/Assistant Principal, Team Leader, Head of Department, or equivalent)
• A track record of leading and developing teaching staff
• Strong understanding of NZ curriculum, assessment and student wellbeing practice
• Excellent relational skills — with students, staff, whanau and the board
• Comfort with ambiguity and a genuine appetite for building new systems, not just maintaining existing ones
• Satisfactory referee checks

Desirable

• Experience across more than one curriculum pathway
• Experience with project‑based or personalised learning models
• Experience leading schoolwide change, implementation of projects

You’ll thrive here if you’re someone who’s

• Positive, with a good sense of humour
• A confident, natural communicator with students, staff and whanau
• Warm and professional
• Future-focused, and genuinely curious about how AI and technology can change learning
• Comfortable being highly visible and hands‑on in a small, close‑knitted school

We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of children. Appointment is conditional on current, verified NZ teacher registration and a Practising Certificate (which includes Police vetting carried out by the Teaching Council), a risk assessment consistent with our Children’s Act 2014 obligations, and satisfactory referee checks.