He’ll be a hard act to follow.

Steve Hall, whose 10-year stint as Wakatipu High’s principal wound up last Thursday, has overseen not only a doubling of student numbers, and near-doubling of teaching numbers, but also a once-in-a-lifetime campus move, followed by a Phase 2 expansion that’s just finished.

More importantly, the 58-year-old’s played a major role in significantly lifting the school’s reputation and the academic and non-academic achievements of its students.

Hall says one of his highlights is the way the resort’s sole high school’s now viewed.

‘‘We’ve got to a place where it feels like it’s well supported and trusted and well thought of by the community, that’s really important to me.’’

It hasn’t all been easy, though — for the past eight years he’s been dealing with the building programme, which he says has been distracting, disrupting, difficult and frustrating.

Ongoing student growth has pre sented its fair share of challenges, too.

‘When I arrived, it felt like I knew all of the students, but that is much more difficult now.’’

Then Covid ‘‘felt a bit like the icing on the cake’’.

‘‘But it was also a real privilege to play an important part in the community of continuing education for the kids, continuing to keep things normal.’’

Having given WHS his all for the past decade, he felt like the time was right to leave, particularly with the school’s senior leadership team, including new principal Oded Nathan, and board in good heart.

Hall’s having a gap year to tick off some of his bucket list, including cycling from Cape Reinga to Bluff and watching the Tour de France.

‘‘But mainly I’m just going to try and really clear my head and have a good think about what my next move’s going to be.’’

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