| The Education Group provides a
strong academic and professional network, and access to the latest
research and literature.
Kay, Jan, Kerry, Nicky and Roween combine this with their skills, knowledge
and experience in educational leadership and research in pre-school
centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools.

Kay Hawk
Doctor of Education
M Ed Admin (Hons)
BA, Cert ECD, Dip Ed
Kay Hawk
Kay is a founding director of The Education Group.
Prior to that she worked for many years as a consultant, adviser
and researcher to the large corporate businesses while completing
post graduate qualifications in education. Kay was a founding director
of the Heylen Research Centre. For the last 18 years she has worked
in primary, intermediate and secondary schools throughout New Zealand
in a wide range of capacities. Twelve of these years were as a lecturer
and consultant with Massey University, based on the Albany Campus.
She has chaired intermediate and secondary school boards of trustees.
Most activities involve knowledge of current research and the ability
to translate this into practical strategies for trustees, school
leaders and teachers, as well as ensuring students’ learning
needs take priority and that the school is a well functioning learning
community. She has directed and facilitated Ministry of Education
research and development contracts over many years. Current areas
of expertise and interest include research and evaluation, leadership
training, strategic planning, effective classroom teaching and learning
partnerships, school assessment (especially secondary and including
NCEA), school and department review, professional development, coaching,
encouraging student voice and engagement, preventing and resolving
conflict and working in schools having difficulties. Her doctoral
research is on school decline and failure and how to prevent these.

Jan Hill
M Ed Admin (Hons)
Adv DipTchg
Jan Hill
Jan has an extensive background in teaching and school leadership
and is a founding director of The Education Group. Prior to that
she worked for twelve years at Massey University, Albany, as a facilitator
and researcher. She has directed and facilitated Ministry of Education
contracts and is contracted by schools and other education organisations
to work on both development and research contracts. She has worked
in a wide range of state and integrated primary, intermediate and
secondary schools in the Auckland region and nationally, across
all the deciles. She has worked extensively with principals, senior
management teams, HODs, deans and teachers in the areas of leadership,
building a school-wide and classroom learning culture, school organisation,
teacher professional development and effective communication and
facilitation. Jan has extensive experience in facilitating strategic
planning, conducting school reviews and principal appraisals, coaching
and assessment. She has been the Chairperson of both a primary and
intermediate school and is currently chair of a secondary school
board. She has a very deep understanding of schools, the needs of
teachers and, most importantly, of students’ needs.

Kerry Mitchell
M Ed Admin (Hons)
Adv DipTchg
Kerry Mitchell
Kerry is a founding director of The Education Group.
Prior to that she was employed by Massey University as a consultant
and researcher. She has worked in a wide range of state and integrated
schools, across all the deciles. She has worked with boards of trustees,
principals, senior leaders, team leaders and teachers. She has extensive
experience in strategic planning, setting up and reviewing performance
management systems, training appraisers, conducting principal appraisals,
and facilitating professional development groups for principals
and deputy principals. Kerry has been involved in major research
projects such as the evaluation of the development of the national
curriculum exemplars and the evaluation of the national Assess to
Learn (AToL) project. Her curriculum expertise is in literacy, numeracy
and assessment, especially formative assessment. Prior to becoming
an education consultant, Kerry was the Principal at a large full
primary school in West Auckland. She is currently undertaking doctoral research into the impact of national standards on parent and student understanding of achievement.

Nicky Knight
Doctor of Education
M Ed Admin (Hons)
BA, DipTchg
Cert Training and Human Resource Development
Nicky Knight
Nicky is a founding director of The Education Group.
Prior to that she worked as a consultant and researcher for Massey
University’s Institute for Professional Development and Educational
Research and on contract to MultiServe Education Trust. Nicky has
extensive teaching experience at the primary and intermediate level
and has also worked as a facilitator, lecturer and advisor with
Teacher Support Services in Auckland. Nicky coordinated schooling development work in Otara and currently works in the areas of assessment, numeracy, school review, leadership training and
appraisal. Nicky is also the senior trainer for the Lions Quest
organisation, facilitating Skills for Growing and Skills for Adolescence
workshops throughout New Zealand. She has completed a
Doctorate of Education with The University of Auckland. Her research
examined the complex issue of sustaining improved student outcomes and teaching practice in mathematics..

Roween Higgie
M Ed Mgmt (Hons)
PG Dip Ed
Dip Tchg
Roween Higgie
Roween joined The Education Group as a partner in 2010. Roween has worked in leadership positions in schools for the past 15 years. For the past 8 years she has been the Principal of Remuera Primary School and prior to that was Principal of Bayfield Primary School.
She has a keen interest and expertise in professional learning and development of teachers and leaders, with the aim of improving student learning outcomes. This focus builds on the research she completed during her MEdMgt degree and was the basis for her ASB/APPA Travelling Fellowship during 2007. She has an understanding of recent NZ research including the Best Evidence Syntheses and has presented sessions alongside Auckland University academic staff and has implemented the ideas into practice in several schools. in 2008 she attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education Summer Institute which was a multidisciplinary leadership programme.
As a recent leader she has experience and expertise in all areas of school governance, leadership and school management. She has a thorough understanding of the New Zealand Curriculum and how it can be fully implemented into strategic planning and curriculum design alongside the new national testing initiatives. During 2009, she has been facilitating Principal Professional Development Groups, carrying out school reviews and conducting Principal and senior leader appraisals in conjunction with The Education Group.
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