Principal's Biography

Richard Vanderpyl

After graduating from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Commerce, I moved to Christchurch and attended Christchurch College of Education.

I taught Commerce (Accounting, Economics) at Hornby High School and Hamilton Boys’ High before securing a position at Cambridge High School as Assistant Principal.  After 3 years, my wife convinced me to move back to Christchurch as Assistant Principal for one year at Cashmere High School.

I then was fortunate to gain a position at Hillmorton High School for the next 5 years as Deputy Principal.  During this time I completed a Master of Educational Administration with first class honours and won an exciting scholarship called the Winston Churchill Fellowship.  This allowed me to visit high academic performing schools in low socio-economic areas of the East Coast of America.  This was an amazing experience to see pupils with disadvantaged backgrounds being given excellent academic opportunities.

In 2001 I moved to Middleton Grange School, initially as an Assistant Director of the International College before becoming Associate Principal in 2002 and Principal in 2010.

I married the beautiful lady I first met when I moved to Christchurch and have four wonderful children.  I enjoy road biking and have competed (with pain but no glory) in a number of cycle races.  My latest hobby is gold prospecting which is not going as well as I hoped.

Middleton Grange is a wonderful school with talented staff and pupils.  It is a school that offers great opportunities for academic excellence, character development and spiritual formation. It is a school that exists to give glory to God!