The principal of the new ACG school being built on Pyes Pa Road has been appointed.

Christine Cottell-Mayhew has been appointed the Foundation Principal for the new school catering for kindergarten to Year 13 students.

Christine Cottell-Mayhew has been named the new principal of the school being built on Pyes Pa Road.

The current acting principal of Albany Junior High School is starting at the beginning of July, in time for the ACG roadshow visiting Tauranga on July 8.

ACG Parnell Principal and a key member of the ACG Tauranga development team Larne Edmeades says Chris is an educationalist and a leader.

'Chris brings with her an in-depth understanding of the complexities and challenges in setting up a new school.”

Chris started teaching in 1982 and has worked at a diverse range of schools, including Tauranga Intermediate, Tauranga Boys' College, Ohope Beach School, Tahuna Normal Intermediate, St Hilda's Collegiate and most recently Albany Junior High School. She has taught both primary and secondary classes.

Chris started at Albany Junior High School as Foundation Deputy Principal. She then moved into the role of Associate Principal and this year has been the Acting Principal.

Chris is delighted with the appointment.

'I grew up in Whakatane and I have lived in Tauranga for many years teaching in both primary and secondary schools.

'I couldn't be more excited to return to the region after several years away as the Foundation Deputy Principal and Associate Principal at Albany Junior High School.”

Construction on the new school on the 14ha site on the intersection of Pyes Pa and Kennan Road is coming along despite setbacks of challenging weather.Heavy rain has meant contractors could test the storm water system, which proved to work efficiently.

Development manager Barbara Burns says the foundation is being laid for the new school with construction of the classroom block beginning on the foundation's completion.

'With the building running to schedule, work will begin on the preschool and the gymnasium following the classroom block build.

'We'd always planned to have a preschool, but are moving the building of this a little sooner as there is a demand for it and we have found this model successful in our other ACG schools.”

The ACG Tauranga public meeting will be held on 8 July at the Trinity Wharf Hotel, from 4pm to 6pm.

'We are looking forward to meeting prospective students and parents in Tauranga and listening to what they would like from a school.

'We are also looking forward to sharing our vision of Tauranga's first independent school offering the Cambridge International Exam programme,” says Chris.