Why rural schools matter more than ever
For Andrew King, rural schools have never been just a place to work. They’re the heart of a community, where children grow up connected to the outdoors, to each other, and to the people around them.
As the principal of Ōropi School in Tauranga, a full primary with around 300 learners, Andrew has a strong passion for rural education.
“A rural school is very much the centre of the community,” he says. “It’s where people come together. ”
That sense of connection is what first drew him in. His teaching career started in Dannevirke in 1998, before he moved to Papamoa. He’s also spent time overseas, teaching in South Korea and then in England, before returning home to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Through all of that, one goal stayed the same.
“I always wanted to be a principal,” he says.
He stepped into principalship in the late 2000s and quickly realised rural schools suited both his values and how he likes to lead.
“Being an effective principal is about ending up in the right context,” he says. “Rural schools are the right context for me.”
At Ōropi School, that comes through in the way learning happens every day. Tamariki spend time outdoors and learn from the environment around them. Forest learning is part of the school, and a garden-to-table programme helps students understand where food comes from and how to prepare it.
“We grow food. They learn how to cook,” Andrew says. “It’s real learning.”
Technology is there when it’s needed, but it’s not the focus.
“We have devices, but we really try to minimise screen time,” he says. “Rural schools naturally give kids what a lot of families are looking for.”
Relationships are a big part of that. Mixed-age learning and tuakana-teina connections are just part of everyday life.
“Kids have a sense of community that you don’t always get,” Andrew says. “It helps reduce peer pressure, and kids can just be who they are.”
That same sense of connection runs through the wider environment too. Like many rural schools, Ōropi doesn’t have a uniform, and even though it’s close to the city, the school feels calm and grounded, surrounded by natural beauty. Learning is grounded in that sense of place too, starting with the environment, experiences and community that tamariki know.
Alongside his work as a teacher, Andrew has played a big role in connecting rural leaders across the country. In 2020, he became president of the NZ Rural Schools Leadership Association, which started as a network of around 30 schools and now connects around 500.
“It’s grown really quickly,” he says. “We work with the Ministry, but we’re also there for our members.”
The association focuses on professional learning, advocacy, and giving rural principals a way to stay connected. Through webinars, forums, professional learning groups and regional networks, leaders can access support that would otherwise be hard to find.
For Andrew, that connection matters just as much as the learning itself.
“They feel more connected than they ever have,” he says. “They’ve got someone they can reach out to who understands what’s going on and is living it too.”
That practical, grounded approach has also shaped his work with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, especially during the shift to the Professional Growth Cycle.
“One of the biggest pieces of work we did was forming professional learning groups,” he says. “We worked on how those could support endorsements in a way that made sense for rural schools.”
Andrew’s clear that rural schooling isn’t without its challenges. Staffing can be limited, admin support is often part time, and principals are usually balancing leadership alongside teaching.
“You’re juggling a lot,” he says. “It’s hard to find the time to be a leader and be a good teacher.”
For many, there’s also a real sense of isolation. With ongoing changes across curriculum, assessment and reporting, the pressure can build quickly.
“They don’t always have the support network to help,” Andrew says. “That’s why we exist, to support those schools.”
For Andrew, that means looking beyond individual schools too — bringing leaders together and connecting with the wider education sector to find ways to better support rural schools and their learners.
Even with all of that, Andrew’s still grounded in why he chose this path. He believes rural schools offer something that feels increasingly important.
“Rural schools offer a solution to lots of modern needs,” he says. “People care deeply about their school,” he says. “They want to support it.”
And for Andrew, that’s what matters most.
“It’s not just about teaching kids,” he says. “It’s about building a community.”
Written by Jenni Guzman.