The school was told of Tolmie’s resignation at 5.30pm yesterday, the board said in its statement.
“The board thanks our staff and whānau for their patience and support.
“Stanley Bay school remains a strong and connected community, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in February for the start of the new school year.”
The board acknowledged the now-resigned principal’s contributions to the school, including bringing Communication Breakdown, a production she wrote, to their school hall.
“We also recognised Emma’s work introducing specialist teachers, updating the school’s future property plan, and bringing vibrancy to the school office with Disney characters.”
The board said they wished Tolmie all the best and did not wish to make any further comment.
The school finishes for the year today.
Stanley Bay principal Emma Tolmie has resigned after an article was published in the Herald yesterday.
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of backlash, said community members he had spoken to were losing faith in the school and its board, citing a lack of transparency over Tolmie’s absence.
Through a New Zealand Educational Institute industrial officer, Tolmie said that she “will not be making any comment on internal school correspondence or matters that are the subject of an ongoing process. She does not accept any allegations that have been circulated.”
The letter was understood to be supported by all 14 staff.
The letter was also understood to have used the phrase “breaking point” to describe their wellbeing, and raised concerns about the way Tolmie interacted with some teachers, students and parents.
Minutes from the school board’s June meeting showed Helen Pelham was appointed as acting principal on July 23, with support from John Robertson from the Ministry of Education.
In August, the school board’s minutes said they had received at least two emails from parents concerned about the lack of communication about leadership at the school.
The minutes also stipulated the need for a non-disclosure agreement to be in place before the meeting.
Tolmie was appointed principal of the school in 2023. She was previously deputy principal and special-education needs coordinator at Richmond Rd School in Grey Lynn and had held roles at Murrays Bay Intermediate and Mairangi Bay School.
According to the school’s 2024 Education Review Office (ERO) report, there are 223 children on the roll.
Ministry of Education leader for the north Isabel Evans told the Herald that the school board were responsible for all the employment decisions and confirmed the ministry did not fund the appointments.