About Us

Like face-to-face schools, we have a Board of Trustees responsible for ensuring the school is governed and managed according to the relevant legislation and the National Education Guidelines. However, unlike other schools our Board is appointed by the Minister of Education.

Our Board members are:

Hinerangi Edwards (Acting Chair)
Professor Alister Jones
Dr Gabrielle Wall
Will Flavell
Andrée Atkinson
Danny Tuato’o

Hinerangi Edwards

Of Taranaki whānui, Tauranga Moana, Te Arawa, and Samoan descent, Hinerangi Edwards joined the board in 2022 and was appointed Acting Chair in 2025. She and her husband, Kiwa Hammond, lead AATEA Solutions, a kaupapa Māori consultancy.

A former vocational guidance advisor, Hinerangi has spent more than 20 years as a professional facilitator and governor. She currently chairs Ringa Hora Workforce Development Council and holds a number of other governance roles. Based in Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, she is the mother of five rangatahi.

In 2022, Hinerangi was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to education, governance, and Māori.

Professor Alister Jones

Professor Jones is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Waikato, where he provides strategic leadership and oversees major capital projects totalling $250 million. His portfolio includes initiatives such as the implementation of the Student Learning Management System, the development of the Tauranga Campus, and expanding international engagement and offshore delivery.

He previously served as Dean of Education and was Director of the Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research at Waikato. In recognition of his significant contributions to technology education both in Aotearoa and internationally, he was awarded the New Zealand Science and Technology Medal by the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2000.

Professor Jones began his career as a secondary school science teacher in Auckland and went on to lecture in science and technology education for student teachers.

Dr Gabrielle Wall

Dr Wall, based in Canterbury, is an experienced education consultant who established her consultancy in 2012 in response to the Canterbury earthquakes and the distinct challenges they posed to the education sector. She is a statutory appointee supporting schools across Aotearoa and leads the Greater Christchurch Schools Network – a charitable trust dedicated to addressing the digital divide for learners in the region.

Her expertise includes developing strategic plans for complex educational services such as the National Health Schools and Ko Taku Reo | Deaf Education New Zealand, with a particular focus on non-mainstream education.

Dr Wall was appointed by the Minister of Education to the Tai Poutini Polytechnic Council (2015–2017) and currently serves as chair of the Board of Kaiaka Wool Industry Training Ltd. This organisation supports the development of essential skills – including shearing, financial capability, and life skills – to help people thrive and advance within the wool industry. She has also held governance roles with Ako Aotearoa, Te Ako Wools (a part of the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association), and Westland Holdings.

Will Flavell

Will (Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Maniapoto), who joined the board in 2022, is currently the Māori Manager of COMET – a non-profit education trust in Auckland. He is a former secondary teacher, teaching Te Reo Māori and Japanese. He is a member of the Auckland Council Henderson-Massey Local Board and in 2022 received a Fulbright Scholarship.

Andrée Atkinson

Andrée is experienced in using a financial and business lens to help owners achieve their goals and objectives. As a former associate principal in an accounting firm, and now running her own accountancy business, she brings in-depth experience in business advisory, audit and information systems, along with extensive experience in training and teaching accounting. As well as her strong financial skills she has seasoned governance skills with over 20 years of experience as a member on clients’ boards, often chairing the risk and audit committees. She is an NZQA Board member and Deputy Chair of its Risk and Audit Committee.

Danny Tuato’o

Danny is Deputy Chair of Fire and Emergency New Zealand and is a Board member for Maritime New Zealand. He has also been on the Airways New Zealand Board where he chaired the Risk and Audit Committee. He was also a panel member on the Air Navigation System Review commissioned by the Ministry of Transport which concluded in May 2023. He is involved in a number of community endeavours including Kiwi recovery. He chaired Water Safety New Zealand and has been on the Boards of the New Zealand Coastguard and a local secondary school.