Our Across School Leaders

Claire Robinson is a Year 2 Learning Leader at Forrest Hill School. Claire brings over 24 years of international teaching experience to the Across School Lead role, having taught in South Africa, England and Hong Kong, before moving to New Zealand in 2018.  Her experience has enabled her to gain much international insight and culturally diverse pedagogy practices. She has taught in International Baccalaureate PYP schools for more than 15 years and has held various leadership positions such as head of year, PYP Coordinator and is an IB workshop leader.  She has led curriculum areas at a Primary School level, in English, Art and Design and Personal, Social and Emotional Education (PSE). 

Wellbeing is her main area of focus and training. She became an accredited Mindfulness trainer in 2015, and has extensive experience working with children aged 5 to 19 years, as well as running workshops for teachers and parents. She runs MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) and MBCT (Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy) courses for adults across the Pupuke Kahui Ako. She has worked extensively in implementing Wellbeing practices and curriculum into Forrest Hill School and leads the Resilience Project.

Her other passion is Play-based learning. As an IB workshop leader she has trained educators across the Asia Pacific region in Play-based learning and inquiry. In her role as Year 2 Learning Leader she continues to develop this passion through the school’s Learning Through Play programme.

Link to Portfolios: Achievement Challenge 2: Literacy, English Language Learners and ECEs

As an Across School Leader, Monica enjoys collaborating with other ASLs and WSLs within our Kāhui Ako, working together to share best practices and build collective capacity in literacy, ELL, and Mātauranga Māori initiatives. Monica is the Year 5/6 team leader at Sunnynook Primary School, where she also holds leadership roles in literacy and well-being. She is the ESOL coordinator and provides SENCO support, working to ensure all learners are supported to succeed. Monica has taught across both primary and intermediate levels.

Throughout her professional journey, Monica has held a variety of leadership roles, including academic support coordinator, where she worked closely with students and their families to foster an inclusive school culture. She has also served as a Within School Leader, Literacy Curriculum Leader, Hauora Curriculum Leader, and Teacher in Charge of PE/Sport.

Monica has a strong interest in future-focused learning, particularly in equipping students with the skills, mindset, and adaptability needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world. She is a passionate advocate of strength-based education, with a focus on enhancing students' engagement, interpersonal relationships, achievement, and overall well-being.

She recently completed her Master of Education in Educational Leadership. Her research explored teacher confidence in teaching writing to English Language Learners (ELLs) and examined how this confidence influences both teaching approaches and student outcomes.

Outside of the classroom, Monica enjoys spending time with her family, exploring new places, and going on long walks.

Link to Portfolios:

• Achievement Challenge 2: Literacy, English Language Learners, Process Challenge: Mātauranga Māori

James has been an English, Music and Classical Studies teacher at Westlake Boys High School since 2018. During his time at Westlake Boys, he has led the Year 10 and Year 11 English Programmes, redesigning the latter into Elevate English following the move away from NCEA Level One. In addition to this he co-founded and continues to run the highly successful Dungeons and Dragons Club as well as training new teachers through the TTI initiative. During James’ first stint at the University of Auckland he received a BA with a double major in in Anthropological Archaeology and Ancient History. Following a career in the travel industry, James returned to tertiary study in 2015 and gained a 1 st Class BA(Hons) in English and his Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. Since then, he has pursued his passion for literature and aims to impart his own love of reading in the students that he teaches. James’ involvement in Te Kahui Ako o Pupuke began in 2024 as an ASL with a focus on Literacy. As part of his ASL role James aims to strengthen the bonds between the schools within the Community of Learning and create a cohesive experience for readers and writers who advance through the member schools. He has a particular interest in how library spaces function at primary, intermediate and secondary levels and how these can be used to foster a greater love of reading in students. Outside of school James is an enthusiastic if shoddy golfer, enjoys playing guitar and singing and (of course) playing Dungeons and Dragons. 

Link to Portfolios: Achievement Challenge 1: School Leavers, Achievement Challenge 2: Literacy

Alex has been a Chemistry and Science teacher in Aotearoa since 2020 following a career in the wine industry. During her time at Westlake Girls High School she has held several roles including Head of Year 12 Chemistry, Head of Year 13 Chemistry, Within School Lead, ākonga Māori mentor, lead kaiako of the Mātauranga Māori committee, member of the Curriculum Executive committee and now an Across School Lead. 

In October 2022, Alex was accepted as a Research Fellow for the International Coalition of Girl's Schools' Global Action Research Collaborative on Girls' Education. This is a research program that engages girls’ school educators from around the world in informed, collaborative, and disciplined action research. The research focus is Engaging the Power of Many Voices: Leveraging girls’ collaborative spirit toward courageous and joyful learning and Alex's findings will add to a library of valuable and relevant global research on girls’ education, as well as her presentation of her research methods and findings at the ICGS annual conference in Baltimore in June 2024. Alex's research question is “How does using a collaborative systems thinking approach in Science develop Year 10 girls as environmental guardians?” This research project will involve facilitating the growth of the girls in her Year 10 Science class as kaitiaki of the creek that runs behind their school and will incorporate mātauranga Māori as the focal complex systems thinking strategy. She is beyond excited to bring this project to a global forum.

In 2025, Alex will begin her Master of Education in Māori Education at Massey University to explore policy and outcomes for ākonga Māori more deeply.

Alex lives in Oteha Valley with her husband of 9 years Tom, and her two tamariki Louis (7) and Elliott (3).

Link to Portfolios: Process Challenge: Mātauranga Māori, Achievement Challenge 1: Student Leavers

Kia ora, ko Aaron Joyes tōku ingoa. Kei uri au o Ngāti Pukeko raua Tainui. No Te Awamutu ahau. Heklo, My name is Aaron Joyes. I have been teaching for 12 years and was involved in the marine industry for many years before that. I currently teach Māori full time at Forrest Hill School, delivering the Mihirau programme to all our students as well as support staff and whānau in better understanding te ao Māori. 

Link to Portfolios: Process Challenge: Mātauranga Māori, Achievemebt Challenge: English Language Learners

Devanshi has been a Science, Biology and STEAM teacher at Westlake Girls High School since 2020. During her time at Westlake Girls, she has been in roles leading the STEAM department, leading Junior Science curriculum, mentoring PCT, and has been engaged with the Kāhui Ako as a Within School Lead and now as an Across School Lead. 

Devanshi received a BSc(Hons) in Psychology, where she began to specialise in the perception and detection of braille within the brains of both sighted and visually-impaired readers. She discovered her passion to teach Science to young women shortly after, and has been an enthusiastic model for the pursuit of scientific excellence for the young women at Westlake Girls. 

Devanshi's involvement with the Kāhui Ako began in 2023, with a Within School Lead role that was centered around teacher pedagogy that allows for the effective development of soft skills in junior high school students (years 9-10). As part of her ASL role, she will continue working towards identifying and promoting effective teacher pedagogy to build skills needed by ākonga in the 21st century, including digital literacy, critical thinking and resilience.  

Outside of school, Devanshi enjoys a quiet life with her husband and two cats, filled with lots of videogames, books, cooking and walking. 

Link to Portfolios: Achievement Challenge 1: School Leavers, Achievement Challenge 2: Literacy

Kia Ora. Ko Ally tōku ingoa. I am a kaiako at Milford Kindergarten and have taught here for 3 years now. I previously taught at the same Kindergarten in the early 2000’s and have over 20 years teaching experience mainly in Te Raki Pae Whenua (Auckland’s North Shore) and in a variety of roles including as a relieving kaiako, kaiako Reo Māori, kapa haka tutor, Playcentre parent educator and education facilitator. I am passionate about supporting transitions to school for our tamariki and firmly believe that the basis for great transitions lies in strong connections between our ECE/Kindergarten’s and our schools. It is my pleasure to serve as the Early Childhood Education representative for the Pupuke Kāhui ako.

Link to Portfolios: ECE Kāhui Ako Lead, Coherent Pathways, Community Connections