Expert panel to review secondary school qualifications changes

The final changes are expected to be announced by the Government soon.

“These are once-in-a-lifetime changes that have significant implications for the futures of our young people and for Aotearoa New Zealand, so it’s imperative that they are educationally valid, robust and meet the needs of all learners,” says Chris Abercrombie, PPTA Te Wehengarua president.

The panel includes experienced educators, academics, sector leaders, people with a sound understanding of Māori education and the equity index. It represents diverse opinions on senior secondary school assessment.

Kate Gainsford, former chair of the Secondary Principals’ Council and former principal of Aotea College, and Melissa Denzler, Kaitohu Mātauranga/Education Advisor for the NZ Council of Educational Research, will co-chair the panel.

Kate Gainsford says she looks forward to working with panel members to help ensure that these far-reaching changes to secondary school assessment and qualifications are being developed  and implemented thoughtfully and comprehensively.

“Proposals that are thin on detail and tight in timeframe, work against good policy and risk short-changing the important sense of public ownership that characterises a strong education system.”

The panel’s findings will be contained in a report, Tirotiro Anō (“with fresh eyes, wide open, we are taking a fresh look”).

“This initiative demonstrates the vital role that secondary teachers and principals play, via PPTA Te Wehengarua, at the forefront and leading the best aspects of educational change and improvement.

“The panel and the report enable the secondary teaching profession to reflect thoughtfully, and in a timely way, on the significant changes to secondary school assessment and qualifications – our bread and butter.”

It is planned that the panel’s report will be presented to PPTA Te Wehengarua annual conference in October.

*The name, Tirotiro Anō, provides a link to a report initiated by PPTA almost 30 years ago that reviewed major changes to the secondary school qualifications which resulted in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement.

Tirotiro Anō panel members

Claire Amos –Principal of Albany Senior High School
As a principal, Claire has overseen innovative assessment approaches that ensure validity, rigour, and relevance. She is an experienced educator with extensive experience in curriculum and assessment design and delivery at system and school levels, including direct involvement with the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) on the realignment of NCEA standards and future state advisory work.
Claire has held governance roles with Netsafe, the Education Council of Aotearoa, the NZQA Future State Brainstorming Group, and advisory roles to government and the tech sector.

Andrew Basher – Principal of Buller High School
Andrew will contribute a sound understanding of rural NZ secondary schooling as well as experience in working within the NCEA environment as a teacher, marker, panel leader and moderator over many years. Andrew was a member of the Equity Index Sector Reference Group (2020 – 2022) and has been an NZQA Panel Leader – Level 1 Mathematics (2005 – 2023).

Gavin Brown - Professor (Educational Assessment), Auckland University
Gavin is Director of the Quantitative Data Analysis and Research Unit and Hub leader of the Learning Sciences and Psychological Studies. He is a member of the Technical Overview Group Assessment (TOGA) at NZQA and was a member of the Technical Advisory Panel, Ministry of Education Equity Index Model (2018).

Melissa Denzler (co-chair) – Kaitohu Mātauranga/Education Advisor for the NZ Council of Educational Research (NZCER)
Melissa is wāhine Māori, and an educator who is committed to uplifting the mana of our people, our mātauranga, and the diverse worldviews that shape Aotearoa. At NZCER, she contributes to kaupapa Māori and equity-focused projects that centre the voices of those most affected by systems change. She works extensively within the sector to support equitable use of assessment and data practices.

Karen Dobric – Deputy Principal, Papatoetoe High School
Karen brings deep knowledge and experience in secondary, tertiary and vocational pathways. She has served as Co-Chair for the MOE Pathways Advisory Group and was the only representative from secondary on the NZQA Review Panel for the Level 1-4 Foundation and Bridging Qualifications. She also served on the Scholarship Processes Advisory Group and helped found the Aotearoa Foundation Skills and Pathways Association. Karen is an academic researcher and secondary educator.

Natalie Faitala – Head of English at Wesley College and PPTA national executive member
Natalie has made significant contributions to NCEA, curriculum reform, and sector consultation, including service on NZQA’s Taupulega Pacific Advisory Group, the NCEA Professional Advisory Group, Review of Achievement Standards, Subject Expert Group for English, and the Te Mātaiaho English Curriculum Writing Group.

Kate Gainsford (co-chair) - Recently retired Principal of Aotea College and former Secondary Principals’ Council chairperson
Kate brings a wealth of educational experience and sector leadership. The system and operation of assessment for qualifications in the senior secondary school is of particular interest to Kate. She first served as PPTA’s representative on the Scholarship Review Group in 2005 and has been a representative of many national reference groups convened by the Ministry of Education, NZQA and ERO to provide advice and feedback from the sector and communication back to the sector.

Pip Osborne - Kaiārahi for Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ) and a Professional Teaching Fellow at the University of Auckland
Pip has a strong background in national curriculum and assessment development, NCEA changes with MOE, and moderation support. She has been an NCEA regional lead and NCEA implementation facilitator. Pip’s work spans secondary, vocational, and tertiary pathways.

Katy Thorne – Leader of Mathematics at Aquinas College
Katy has been directly involved in the Numeracy and NCEA Level 1 pilot programmes. These have given her both insight into the intent behind recent changes and a clear understanding of their practical implications in schools.
Katy’s wider involvement as PPTA Branch Co-Chair, PPTA Regional Women’s Representative, and President of the Bay of Plenty Maths Association has enabled her to build strong relationships across the sector and engage deeply with teacher voice, assessment issues, and curriculum priorities.