DRAFT Support partners
Support partner details
If you're a sponsor for a new or converting school and have received authorisation from the Charter School Agency to select a support partner, then this is where you will find details of each partner's experience and expertise. Once you've chosen your support partner, you can contact them directly.
| Support partner | Bio | Areas of expertise |
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Carl Becker
Location: Auckland (can provide on-line or in person support) Email: carl@axis-strategies.co.nz Website: Carl Becker Axis Strategies |
Carl Becker is an experienced educator and consultant with more than 15 years of leadership across New Zealand’s schooling sector. He has worked as a teacher, principal, and board chair, and now leads Axis Strategies, a boutique consultancy that partners with charter school sponsors, proprietors, and boards to strengthen governance, curriculum design, and school culture. Carl’s background includes service in state-integrated and private schools, and he is an accredited Ministry of Education PLD facilitator endorsed by the NZ School Trustees Association and the Association of Integrated Schools. His consultancy work includes strategic planning, principal appraisal, property and governance frameworks, and special character development for faith-based and values-driven schools nationwide. Passionate about innovation and educational equity, Carl helps emerging charter-school sponsors establish high-trust, high-impact learning communities grounded in clear purpose, sound governance, and authentic connection with their local context. |
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Cherie Hunt
Location: Wellington (can provide on-line or in person support) |
Cherie has 20 years across several areas within the Ministry of Education and Charter School Agency. Cherie is an experienced education professional with deep knowledge in schooling operations and expertise in school network change and operational leadership across New Zealand’s education system, including but not limited to finance, payroll, resourcing, property, education workforce. Cherie held senior roles within the Ministry of Education and Charter School Agency, leading the opening, closure, merger, and restructuring of state and state-integrated schools. She provided advice to unions, statutory interventionists, and education stakeholders, while mentoring Change Managers nationwide. She successfully implemented three of the first seven charter schools within nine weeks. Has the skills and knowledge to support sponsors in developing charter school applications. As a Principal Advisor, worked with the sponsors in establishing Partnership Schools, and then transitioning them into the state system. Recognised for delivering practical, high-impact solutions in complex environments and building trusted relationships across the sector. |
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Mike King (Evaluation Associates)
Location: Support partners across New Zealand (can provide on-line or in person support) Email: m.king@evaluate.co.nz Website: Evaluation Associates |
Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga provides experienced practical, knowledgeable support to charter schools sponsors through the application and establishment phases. Its support partners bring deep expertise in schools’ improvement and new school development, with a strong track record across Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. Evaluation Associates offer strategic advice, critical friendship and hands-on help with planning, governance, curriculum, property, and community engagement. Support partners walk alongside sponsors to ensure proposals are coherent, sustainable, and aligned with the aspirations of students, whānau, and communities. Evaluation Associates tailors support where you are at – and where you want to go. Its mahi includes strengthening charter school applications, governance and strategic planning, curriculum design and implementation, using data and evidence for improvement, property and operational planning, building sustainable systems and leadership capability, community and whānau engagement. |
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Wayne MacGillivray
Location: Hawkes Bay (can provide on-line or in person support) Email: wayne@tearatikagroup.co.nz |
Wayne is an educational leader with significant experience across the compulsory education sector. Over the last 15 years, Wayne has governance experience across the compulsory and non-compulsory sectors. He currently sits on the national board for Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (NZSBA). He has held principal roles in large primary schools in South Auckland, and senior leadership roles in specialist education and deaf education. Wayne has also worked for the Ministry of Education managing learning support with the Hawkes Bay region and is currently the General manager of a Māori tertiary provider. |
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Tom Scollard Location: Christchurch (can provide on-line or in person support) Email: tom@tomscollard.co.nz |
Tom has served on a school board and/or been involved in school governance since 1987 (pre-tomorrow's schools) has been extensively used by New Zealand School Board Association, Ministry of Education and as an independent provider since 2003, working with school governance providing change management, professional development mentoring and other support as required. Along with this, he has been governance facilitator for a significant number of school boards in establishing new schools (including charter schools), navigating through school re-organisations (includes integrated and state schools). He has also been a Change Manager for many school closures around New Zealand. He brings this extensive experience and knowledge to the charter schools' context. |
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Jackie Talbot
Location: Hamilton (can provide on-line or in person support) |
Jackie Talbot is an experienced education leader with extensive knowledge of the charter school sector and system-level reform. From 2004 to 2022 she held senior roles in the Ministry of Education, including General Manager, Secondary Tertiary (2017–2022). As part of that role, she was the Director for Partnership/Charter Schools (2017–2019), responsible for establishing and managing charter school contracts, then leading the government’s mandate to terminate all contracts ending the model. This work provided expertise in policy design, contractual frameworks, and school transitions. Jackie also led the Review of NCEA (2018–2022) as Programme Executive for the NCEA Change Programme, overseeing one of New Zealand’s largest education reforms. She was seconded to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet as Manager, Strategy, Governance and Performance, contributing to cross-agency priorities. A former primary teacher with a Master’s in Educational Leadership, Jackie now works independently supporting schools and boards nationwide. |
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Ray Webb Location: Auckland/Northland (can provide on-line or in person support) Email: ray@raywebb.co.nz |
Ray has 15 years' experience as a secondary school teacher, teaching History, Social Studies and English. He has filled a range of riles in the Ministry of Education including a number of senior management roles. One of the roles included establishing new schools in Queenstown, Wanaka and Auckland. Ray has previously worked as a Governance facilitator to new state schools, is a member of an Establishment Board and a chair of a state integrated secondary school board. One of Ray's current role is working with an iwi to establish a Year 8 - 13 kura-a-iwi. Most recently, he has worked with four charter schools as they have entered the establishment phase. Is currently working with a potential converting school and a new charter school due to open February 2026. His aim is that charter schools should be ready to open on time and feel fully supported through the establishment process. |
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