About The Education Hub

Since 2017, The Education Hub has the sole mission of bridging the gap between research and classroom practice in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We are committed to empowering educators with evidence-informed tools, insights, and strategies that make a genuine difference in teaching and learning.

Over time, The Education Hub has earned the trust of teachers — especially in the early childhood and primary sectors — by curating high-quality resources and fostering professional growth and support through webinars, workshops, and digital content.

What we offer

Curated resources

Practical, research-informed tools and strategies tailored for early childhood and primary educators.

Models from practice

Real-world examples that show effective practice in action, helping to build teacher confidence and capability.

Professional learning

Accessible webinars, online programmes, and digital content designed to connect educators and strengthen everyday practice.

Research translation

Clear, actionable insights drawn from high-impact research in areas of greatest need — including literacy, self-regulation, and neurodiversity.

Rigour and evidence

Reliable and rigorous evidence, derived from both research and practice, is the starting point of all our work. We draw on local and international research and practice, and from various paradigms, provided they meet our standards of rigour.

A focus on educators

Teachers and leaders are our primary audience: we aim to be responsive to their needs and to ensure that our resources are accessible to them.

Independence

We are non-partisan, and while we have a commitment to collaborate with organisations and individuals, we determine our own agenda and work plan.

A commitment to pluralism

We believe there are high-level principles that should guide teaching and learning, and that these may be implemented in various ways to achieve common, aspirational educational outcomes for all.

Our Team

Dr Sarah Mayo

Chief Executive Officer

Sarah has been with The Education Hub since 2018. In addition to the day-to-day running of the organisation, she also oversees The Education Hub's knowledge translation and course development work. This involves working with researchers from New Zealand and around the world. Sarah has a PhD in English from the University of Canterbury. Her doctorate explored the use of Shakespeare on film as a pedagogical tool that brings theoretical and socio-cultural perspectives to the study of Shakespeare in secondary schools.

Dr Vicki Hargraves

Early Childhood Education Expert

Dr Vicki Hargraves runs our early childhood education webinar series and also is responsible for the creation of many of our early childhood courses and research reviews. Vicki is a teacher-educator and researcher living in Wellington. Her PhD drew on posthumanist philosophy to understand early childhood education as a deeply materialist practice, and her research and writing interests demonstrate her commitment to creative child- and community-centred approaches to education focused on social justice and participation, as well as attention to multiple ways of knowing and being in early childhood education.

Madeleine Matanawa

Learning Designer

Madeleine works as a Learning Designer at The Education Hub. She has a real interest in how people learn and in how online platforms can be used to best effect. This was formed over many years teaching adult learners, predominantly tertiary students, improving their English language. Before that she studied English literature and creative writing in the UK; reading books and occasionally writing them remain her favourite activities.

Our Trustees

Paula Gillon

Chair

Paula brings over a decade of board-level leadership in local government and education. A former secondary English teacher, she has served as Presiding Member of a primary school board, President of a Licensing Trust, and Chair of a kindergarten parent-whānau group. Paula holds an MPhil in Public Policy (First Class Honours) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching. She is passionate about bridging the gap between research and practice in education and brings a strong governance lens to The Education Hub’s mission.

Maury Leyland

Maury has a long held passion for working with organisations that can bring change that benefits New Zealand. She is co-founder of Leaft Foods, an innovative ingredient company that produces high-quality plant-based protein products. Maury has previously been a director of Genesis Energy, Spark New Zealand and Transpower New Zealand and was on the Lincoln University Transformation Board. Maury was a senior executive at Fonterra from 2005, most recently stepping down as managing director people, culture and strategy in 2016.

Professor Graeme Aitken

Graeme has a long history in education, firstly as a geography teacher and then in Secondary Teacher Education, as the Director of The University of Auckland Principals Centre, and most recently as the Dean of the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland. Graeme co-developed the Teaching as Inquiry model that underpins the pedagogical approach of the New Zealand Curriculum and is the co-author of the Best Evidence Synthesis for Social Sciences.

Andrew Grant

Andrew Grant is the Chief Executive of the NEXT Foundation and a Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey & Company. He was a member of McKinsey’s Global Board for 15 years and a Senior Partner since 2002. Andrew led McKinsey’s Global Public Sector Practice from 2011-2018, based in Singapore, and led McKinsey in Greater China from 2004-2010, based in Shanghai. Prior to this he led McKinsey and Company in New Zealand from 1997-2004. He was a member of the New Zealand Prime Minister's Business Advisory Council and sits on several advisory boards including Auckland Engineering School, Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, and Onehunga High Business School. He is also a member of the Rhodes Trust.

Andrew Poole

Andrew has spent most of his career in large law firm leadership, alongside his passion for education and conservation. He is the Executive Chair of the Rotoroa Island Trust and holds a range of governance roles in the not for profit and commercial sectors. Andrew sees both education and environmental stewardship as key opportunities for transformational change in Aotearoa. His governance work reflects a deep commitment to collaborative leadership.

Our Founder

Dr Nina Hood (MNZM)

Founder

Nina founded The Education Hub in 2017 to connect research with practice in education. She served as chief executive officer of The Education Hub from its inception in 2017 until April 2024. A trained secondary school teacher, she taught in Auckland before completing an MSc (with distinction) in Learning and Technology and a DPhil in Education at the University of Oxford. From 2015 to 2023, she was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland.

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Email

theteam@theeducationhub.org.nz

Postal Address

The Education Hub
Suite 4, Palm Space
PO Box 69-234
Glendene
Auckland 0645

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The Education Hub is a registered charity, making you eligible for a tax refund of up to a third of your donation.
New Zealand registered charity number: CC54471

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