Mr Kentwell will sit in his Gunnedah office for the last time on Thursday, then join his family in Muswellbrook where he will take up the position of principal at Pacific Brook Christian School in 2022.

When Mr Kentwell became Carinya's first local principal in 2015, the school was offering kindergarten to Year 6, and there were 68 students. As of 2022, there will be 276 students and kindergarten to Year 10.

Over the last few years, the school has undergone a massive expansion, introducing middle and senior schools after receiving capital grants funding of $650,000 in 2017 and $900,000 in 2019. More construction will start in mid-2022 to extend the library and administration and staff areas.

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Mr Kentwell said it was "so special" to see the school flourish, and was glad that new principal and former head of middle school, Alex Wharton, would share in the experience next year.

It's not the last Mr Kentwell will see of construction, though - Pacific Brook Christian School will be built from the ground up in a new location in 2022.

Mr Kentwell was principal of the school before he moved to Gunnedah and is looking forward to not only going back, but also being part of its growth.

"It's an opportunity to put into place what I've learnt here," he said.

"I feel confident that's where God has placed us."

Muswellbrook also has a special place in Mr Kentwell's heart because it is where he spent his teen years and met and married his wife Kylie, who grew up in Aberdeen. It's also where he became a Christian, and the family will likely return to their old church.

"Muswellbrook feels as much like home for me as anywhere I've ever lived ... it's been such an important part of my life," he said.

The Kentwells have many family members in and around Muswellbrook and this was "the main draw" in moving back.

"It's really nice being around family, being able to pop around and see a family member and they pop in," Mr Kentwell said.

The principal will miss Gunnedah, though, and especially the Carinya community because "you're walking away from something you feel is a part of you".

"If there's ever a good time for a principal to move on, it's when a school is going as well as Carinya is at the moment," Mr Kentwell said.

"I think the school's got a very positive future ... in terms of leadership, the school is in very good hands."

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