9 December, 2025

Principal off for months after trips, amid grievance cases

Mickey Mouse fan… Stanley Bay principal Emma Tolmie was pictured in the Flagstaff taking part in the schools mud run in costume in 2023

A local primary school principal who raised eyebrows among colleagues and parents when she took a two-week Disney cruise during term time and has been cited in personal grievance cases taken by current and former staff is on stress leave.
The Flagstaff understands Stanley Bay principal Emma Tolmie has not been on the school grounds since June.
The school board is dealing with complicated legal issues surrounding her employment.
Tolmie joined the school as principal in April 2023. She went on the Disney cruise in December 2023. The Flagstaff has been told the keen Disney fan’s office is decorated with Mickey Mouse paraphernalia.
In April 2025, the school paid for her attendance at a principals conference in Finland, after which it is understood she “tacked on” a private two-week trip including visits to Madrid, Rome and Paris.
Helen Pelham, a long-time Stanley Bay teacher, has been acting principal at the school in Tolmie’s absence, but has recently been unwell.
Former Belmont Primary School principal Bruce Cunningham, who retired in April, is currently relieving principal.

The Flagstaff understands Pelham will resume as acting principal until a way forward is resolved.
Before joining Stanley Bay, Tolmie was deputy principal of Richmond Road School in Ponsonby for almost nine years.
The school board has been discussing her situation in confidential sessions of board meetings. Given the sensitive nature of the employment discussions, communications to parents about what was happening regarding the principal have been limited.
The Flagstaff asked the board a series of questions, including what it had paid towards Tolmie attending the conference in Finland; whether it had taken legal advice over employment issues and what this had cost; and how the school roll today compared to 2024.
On Monday this week the board responded by email: “ We cannot comment on any matter relating to Emma Tolmie, Principal of Stanley Bay School, because we do not discuss individual staff or students publicly.”

The Flagstaff also sent a series of questions to Tolmie but did not get a response by deadline.
Tolmie mentioned the principals conference in a May 13, 2025, message to parents:
“Sixteen Principals from around New Zealand and four Australian principals visited the Finland education system for a week. They visited schools, talked with principals, teachers, learning assistants, and had lectures from experts in various education fields.”