From Our Principal
Maraetai Beach School is a full primary (Years 1 to 8).
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa. My name is Mr. Lou Reddy and I am the new principal of Maraetai Beach School.
Growing up in the small seaside village of Namata in Fiji, I see many parallels with the Maraetai community. This term, I began my role as principal of Maraetai Beach School, bringing four years of experience from Te Kura Tuatahi o Wēteri/Wesley Primary School. The school’s positive learning environment and the opportunity to work closer to home motivated me to apply, allowing me more time with my family.
At Wesley, I built on the strong foundation left by my predecessor and achieved significant milestones, including school development, leadership growth, and enhanced community engagement. I’m excited to connect with the Maraetai community and build on the legacy left by Mark Keenan.
Throughout my career, I’ve held various leadership roles, including acting principal at Tāmaki Primary School and senior leadership at Wesley Intermediate. My experience also spans environmental initiatives, business management, marketing at World Vision, and the building industry. Although I may not fit the typical mould of a Maraetai Beach School principal, I believe my strengths in community building and cultural connections make me a good fit for the school.
Maraetai Beach School, with a growing roll of over 480 students, stands on the whenua of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki and has been educating children since 1879. Surrounded by the natural beauty of beaches and parks, we are committed to environmental stewardship as outlined in our strategic plan. Our vision is to "grow a community of successful lifelong learners" through People, Potential, and Planet, guided by our values of resilience (manawaroa), excellence (rawe), integrity (ngākau tapatahi), and respect (whakaute).
Our 2023 Education Review Office (ERO) Report highlighted our school’s strengths, including a positive and culturally responsive learning environment, equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners, sustainable professional capability, and strong governance. We value the strong parent and community partnerships that contribute to our success.
As I take on this role as principal, I am committed to building on these strengths and connecting with the Maraetai community. My leadership will focus on collaboration, and I plan to sustain and leverage what’s already working well at the school. My goal is to ensure that we give our tamariki the best educational experience because that’s what they deserve.