Mrs Goddard has spent the past year heading up the all-girls Jeddah Knowledge School in Saudi Arabia.

The 1500-strong Jeddah school uses English as its teaching language to cater for ambitious students who want to study in the United States or England.

Mrs Goddard declined to say if she had been head-hunted by Mowbray, a three-campus International Baccalaureate school, or had responded to a job advertisement.

"One's career takes interesting paths," she offered.

Mrs Goddard holds a masters degree in education, a bachelor of arts, and is a member of the Australian College of Educators and an associate fellow of the Institute of Company Directors.

Mowbray's newsletter announcing her appointment said she would "provide a critical level of leadership" to the school.

Mowbray College was last year embroiled in controversy when more than 100 teachers and staff walked off the job for four hours.

Staff and the school had failed to negotiate a new enterprise bargaining agreement, and allegations of bullying and intimidation surfaced.

WorkSafe issued an improvement notice over alleged breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Acting principal Peter Forbes left the school at the end of term 3 last year and was replaced by David Scott in October while the board began searching for a new principal.

A school newsletter at the time said Mr Forbes stepped down "due to personal reasons".

Mrs Goddard held a staff meeting last Wednesday and said she had found staff to be positive and welcoming.

"I'm excited about what will unfold this year."