Jan Hill

Adv DipTchg
M Ed Admin (Hons)

Kay Hawk

BA, Cert ECD, Dip Ed
M Ed Admin (Hons)

Kerry Taylor

Adv DipTchg
M Ed Admin (Hons)

Nicky Knight

BA, DipTchg
M Ed Admin (Hons)

The Education Group provides a strong academic and professional network, and access to the latest research and literature.

Kay, Jan, Kerry and Nicky combine this with their skills, knowledge and experience in educational leadership and research in pre-school centres, primary, intermediate and secondary schools.

Kerry Taylor

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.

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 currently coordinates schooling development work in Otara as well as working 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 is currently completing a doctorate in education with The University of Auckland. Her research examines the complex issue of sustaining changed teacher practice in numeracy.

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.

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.