theteam@theeducationhub.org.nz
Postal Address
The Education Hub
110 Carlton Gore Road,
Newmarket,
Auckland 1023
Leading improvement in a time of change
October 21, 2025
2025 has been a year of wide-reaching change in education in Aotearoa New Zealand. This webinar offers school leaders at all system levels, from middle and team leaders to principals and senior leaders, a framework and a process for conceptualising change with a focus on improving outcomes for learners.
Karen Spencer and Dr Jacqui Patuawa from Evaluation Associates explore what it meant to lead your people in your context through the implementation of a new curriculum for your students. They also discuss practical tools and strategies that leaders can use within that process. They share some of the positive learnings from 2025, and look ahead to another year of change for improvement in 2026.
Dr Jacqui Patuawa is the National Manager of Leadership Development Services at Evaluation Associates | Te Huinga Kākākura Mātauranga (EA) in New Zealand. She is the global programme lead for Leading by Learning, responsible alongside Distinguished Professor Emeritus Viviane Robinson, for accrediting facilitators worldwide and ensuring program quality. Prior to joining EA, she was the Associate Director of the Centre for Educational Leadership based at the University of Auckland. Jacqui graduated with a PhD from the University of Auckland in 2023, which focused on an intervention with middle leaders to improve their leadership of collaborative complex problem solving. Jacqui has over 16 years in school leadership positions including as principal in 3 different schools (11+ years). She is passionate about supporting school leaders to help their schools achieve the best possible outcomes for all students. She firmly believes that school improvement in the absence of quality leadership is impossible.
Karen Spencer is a consultant in the Leadership Development Service team in Evaluation Associates, focusing on school improvement in New Zealand, including leading the inaugural Leading Edge programme for aspiring leaders, and the delivery of international Leading by Learning and collaborative complex problem-solving (CCPS) work. Karen has over 30 years of experience in education and school leadership, including deep knowledge of leadership, curriculum, professional learning, and the education system in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This includes an understanding of how to approach strategic improvement leadership in schools. Most recently, Karen held the role of Chief Advisor with Te Poutāhū Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education (New Zealand) and has held roles in secondary schools, Kāhui Ako leadership, educational consultancy, qualifications development, and national and international leadership of digitally-mediated education networks and services.
