Cambridge Middle School deputy principal Bridget Watkins will become Te Awamutu Intermediate’s new principal at the beginning of 2026.
Cambridge Middle School deputy principal Bridget Watkins with principal Daryl Gibbs.
For the dedicated educator, it’s a move full of both excitement and sadness.
“I love the staff, I love the students; I think we do a really great job with the kids. But it’s always been a dream of mine to continue to progress in my career, and this was the natural next step for me.”
Cambridge Middle School principal Daryl Gibbs said Watkins’ professional knowledge and personal skills would be “exceptionally hard to replace”.
“I think Te Awamutu should be rapt they’re getting an absolute star,” he said.
Watkins grew up on a farm in Putāruru and trained in Palmerston North at Massey University’s College of Education.
She took her first job at Putāruru West School, now Putāruru Primary School, where she “quickly realised” her passion was working with older children.
Bridget Watkins.
Next stop was Maungatautari School, just outside Cambridge, where she worked as a classroom teacher, Enviroschools coordinator and, later, acting principal. When the school closed, she moved to Tīrau Primary School and worked there for six years, eventually becoming deputy principal.
In 2016, keen to teach year 7 and 8 students, she moved to Cambridge Middle School, starting as a classroom and mentor teacher and becoming a team leader and assistant principal within a year. She was appointed a deputy principal in 2017.
Watkins said she had always wanted to be a principal and would relish new challenges.
“I’m looking forward to listening and talking to all members of the Te Awamutu Intermediate community and finding out about what they love about the school, and hearing about what the school does well, and what they value about their staff and their students and the environment and looking for ways to continue to help that evolve into the future,” she said.
Watkins has two daughters, Willow (15) and Ashleigh (12), whose sports and interests keep her busy.
Cambridge Middle School deputy principal Bridget Watkins, who will become Te Awamutu Intermediate’s new principal next year, talks design tech with students (from left) Evie Ball, Mia van der Wall, Atreyan Ragul and Madison Keenan.
