Principal's Welcome

Ko Wai Au?

Nō Ingarangi ōku tīpuna 
Ko Tokomaru tōku kāinga 
Ko Jenny taku wahine 
Ko Charlie, ko Leo, ko Fern āku tamariki 
Ko au te tumuaki o Te Kura o Kairanga 
Ko Richard Lawton tōku ingoa 
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. 

My name is Richard Lawton, and I became the proud principal of Kairanga School in September 2024. 
Before coming to Kairanga, I worked in a wide range of schools, most recently at Ōpiki School and as an 
Across School Leader for Te Oro Karaka Kāhui Ako. Before that, I spent six years working at a school in 
London. 

I believe children do their best learning when they feel known, valued and safe, and when the adults around 
them have high expectations for what they can achieve. Building strong relationships with tamariki, whānau 
and staff is at the heart of my leadership, which fits perfectly with our school value of Whanaungatanga. 

I also strongly believe in our vision, “For Life We Are Learning”. We want every child to leave Kairanga with 
the knowledge, confidence, resilience and character they need to thrive in education and in life. 

Please feel welcome to pop in for a chat, whether you’re new to Kairanga or have been part of our school 
community for years. I’m usually easy to find around school. If I’m not in my office, I’ll probably be at the 
gate, visiting classrooms, joining in with a lunchtime game or chatting with children in the playground. 

Away from school, I enjoy playing football, supporting the Wellington Phoenix and Aston Villa, playing chess 
and keeping active.

Richard Lawton

Proud Principal of Kairanga School