Leadership Profiles – Jayne Wheeler

What inspired you to become a leader?

I am not someone who set out to be a leader but I am. On reflection I have been a leader of learning since qualifying to teach in 2005 and before that too. I became a leader partially through choices and drive to succeed, partially through luck, hard work, an inability to say no and most pertinent, a drive to want to improve outcomes for others. A teacher once said to my class at school ‘if you work hard and get good grades you will have more choices in life and that is what I am here for. What you do with those choices is then up to you’. I remember this quite clearly and his passion for wanting the best for us - something that has always been part of my own teaching and leadership mantra.

 

 

 

 

What inspired you to become a teacher?
During my time at University I was instructing air cadets and quickly realised that teaching young people was both a strength and something I enjoyed. I decided to change from a Engineering degree to a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics with Education to begin my career in teaching. I qualified as a mathematics teacher in the UK in 2005 and my leadership journey progressed quite quickly from there; after 1 year of teaching I gained responsibility for key stage 5 (Year 12 & 13 NZ) and gifted and talented students in maths. After 3 years I was lead maths teacher and the following year became Head of Department which I did at two different schools before becoming an Assistant Principal. When I immigrated to New Zealand I returned to being a maths teacher without any leadership responsibilities but opportunities arose and I became Head of Maths within my first year and Deputy Principal after a further 2 years.

Leadership style evolved over time?
I would definitely say that I have learned to listen more and talk less. When you’re new in your leadership career you feel a big expectation to be a certain way and that’s not necessarily good leadership. Early in my career it was more about me and having the solution. I have learned that good leadership empowers others and if you always give a solution then you are not getting the best out of your team.

Learnt or self reflected?
I have learned leadership development happens both within and outside of my school role so doing leadership roles outside of education adds to your leadership toolkit and can bring a different perspective and approach to tasks. Moving to New Zealand has definitely had an impact on my leadership (and teaching) approach and style where there is definitely a greater
emphasis on community, professional trust and relationships.

Leading Change
I am passionate about professional learning and development. I believe that this is the key to ensuring that the quality of our teaching and provision for students is the best it can be. As Deputy Principal at Greymouth High School I have been responsible for PLD and have been fortunate to work with a team of highly skilled teachers and leaders on our PLD committee  In 2024 I completed an Aspiring Principals programme and as part of this I led a group of 8 teachers to develop our Akoranga Plan (a living document of what teaching and learning at Greymouth High School involves). This was implemented from the start of 2025 with our new teachers and also as a tool for improvement for all our teachers.

Wellbeing & Resilience
How do you manage the pressures of leadership while maintaining your own wellbeing? I think that you have to be quite strict with yourself (because no one else will be)! For example,
I do not look at my work emails after 9pm, I do not do any social media and I really try to protect my holidays and time with my husband. For me, the balance of working extremely long hours in the week is offset with looking forward to great holidays. I am an ‘active relaxer’ and there is a lot of activity to be found on the West Coast or nearby. Since moving to New Zealand I have learned to sail, fish and became a skipper in Coastguard. As a leader I am also a strong advocate for leading by example and therefore try not to send emails out of hours. At the start of the year I began a staff running / walking group two mornings a week. 

It really helps that the three deputy principals have a shared office. Whilst this makes for quite a busy location, the collegial support and understanding of each others’ roles and high stress times really helps.