In 2014, \u014ct\u016bmoetai Intermediate School became the first school in New Zealand to win the Supreme Award at the Prime Minister\u2019s Education Excellence Awards. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n
The recognition highlighted an exceptional teaching and learning environment \u2013 one Popping worked deliberately to cultivate. By fostering strong relationships between staff and students, he helped grow a school known for academic achievement and student wellbeing.<\/p>\n
Two guiding ideas<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a strong culture of relationships, belonging, and a real focus on achievement and the whole child \u2013 alongside a broad, engaging curriculum.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two guiding ideas have underpinned his leadership. \u201cOne is relationships before results \u2013 achievement grows from belonging and trust. The second is high expectations alongside genuine care.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across his more than two decades as principal, thousands of students have passed through the school. Popping speaks proudly of former students who return to share their journeys, and about the school\u2019s house system, now named after past pupils including Olympians and international athletes.<\/p>\n
Evolved <\/p>\n
He believed the principal\u2019s role had evolved significantly. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s no longer just about administration. It\u2019s about understanding increasingly complex learning needs for this age group, particularly around wellbeing and neurological development.\u201d<\/p>\n
His approach was strongly influenced by research, including the work of John Hattie. Central to his philosophy was the belief that achievement flourishes where students feel valued, safe and respected.<\/p>\n
\u014ct\u016bmoetai Intermediate School principal Henk Popping is retiring from his role after more than two decades. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n
Alongside academic achievement, Popping had championed a broad and engaging curriculum. He believed students discover their strengths by stepping beyond their comfort zones.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t know what skills and talents you have until you try something new,\u201d he often told students.<\/p>\n
Aima Games co-founder <\/p>\n
Beyond the school gates, Popping is widely known for co-founding the Aims Games alongside then Tauranga Intermediate principal Brian Diver. What began in 2004 with 760 athletes from 17 schools has grown into one of the country\u2019s largest sporting events for intermediate-aged students, now attracting thousands from across New Zealand and beyond each year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought, \u2018let\u2019s promote intermediate schools and create a national tournament where our students can compete against the best in the country\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
As chairman of the Aims Games Trust, Popping oversaw the games\u2019 expansion while remaining committed to the event\u2019s original purpose: showcasing intermediate schools and giving young people the opportunity to shine. The event\u2019s growth \u2013 with it now requiring two opening ceremonies \u2013 stands as a testament to his vision for community engagement and student wellbeing.<\/p>\n
Local partnership <\/p>\n
Another significant collaboration during his tenure was Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana, a locally developed curriculum created in partnership with Ng\u0101ti Ranginui, Ng\u0101i Te Rangi and Ng\u0101ti P\u016bkenga. The multi-year project produced an online te reo M\u0101ori curriculum resource for schools across the wider Tauranga Moana area, with Popping chairing the kaitiaki leadership group that oversaw its development.<\/p>\n
When asked what advice he would offer other principals, he cautioned against chasing educational trends. \u201cBe careful not to jump on every bandwagon that comes along. Look at what the research is telling us.<\/p>\n
\u201cMake sure whatever you choose to do is for the greater good of the students and will genuinely make a difference to their learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u014ct\u016bmoetai Intermediate School principal Henk Popping is one of the founders of the Aims Games for intermediate-aged students, which is now one of NZ’s largest sporting events. Photo \/ Kelly O\u2019Hara<\/p>\n
As he prepared to leave \u014ct\u016bmoetai Intermediate, Popping hoped his legacy would be one of positive influence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just hope I\u2019ve been able to touch the lives of students in a way that helps them become fantastic citizens \u2013 confident, capable and compassionate.\u201d<\/p>\n
A special time <\/p>\n
For him, intermediate school is a formative chapter: \u201cIt\u2019s a special time to discover who you are, what you love, and the kind of person you want to become.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on his tenure, he expressed deep gratitude for the support of staff, the board of trustees and the wider \u014ct\u016bmoetai community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always felt supported,\u201d he said. \u201cTogether, we\u2019ve taken an entrepreneurial approach to leadership, viewing every challenge as an opportunity to improve and adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n
While yet to decide his next professional step, Popping looked forward to time for reflection and new adventures. He will leave behind a school strengthened by enduring values, a commitment to excellence, and a culture built on belonging and trust.<\/p>\n
After more than a quarter of a century, Popping\u2019s leadership has shaped not only \u014ct\u016bmoetai Intermediate, but also the wider education community in Tauranga.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2014, \u014ct\u016bmoetai Intermediate School became the first school in New Zealand to win the Supreme Award at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":309396,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[74,6097,41464,168702,154910,111,43,139,69,84123,29192,4062,21694,1335,1961,168701,61,1533,379,1530],"class_list":{"0":"post-309395","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-after","9":"tag-down","10":"tag-helm","11":"tag-henk","12":"tag-intermediate","13":"tag-new-zealand","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-newzealand","16":"tag-nz","17":"tag-popping","18":"tag-principal","19":"tag-school","20":"tag-step","21":"tag-term","22":"tag-this","23":"tag-tmoetai","24":"tag-to","25":"tag-will","26":"tag-year","27":"tag-years"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}