Our People

Our Teaching Structure

You can download our 2022 teaching structure here

Stefan Knap

Principal

Kia ora koutou,

I am very proud to be the principal of Hampton Hill School in Tawa. This is my first principalship after being a teacher and Deputy Principal at other schools in the Wellington region. I really value the fact that we provide an inclusive education for all our students and live our RIMU values on a daily basis.
Outside of school I really enjoy playing tennis, going to the gym, visiting cafes with great coffee and spending time with my family.
Education for me is about providing our learners with real and authentic contexts for learning that are relevant to them. Learners should know what they are learning, why they are learning it and be able to identify their next steps.

Abbey Corich

Deputy Principal

Kia ora koutou,

I joined the teaching team at Hampton Hill in 2016. Prior to this I have spent time teaching at various other schools mainly in the Wellington area. I started my first teaching job in 2003 and feel very blessed to have a job where I love getting up to go to work every morning. I enjoy working with whānau to help children develop the skills and characteristics to be lifelong learners. I strive to make learning an engaging and rewarding experience where children feel confident taking risks and trying new things. When I am not at school I enjoy exploring the walkways of Wellington, visiting cafes and spending time with my friends and family

Sue Kelly

Office Manager

Hi everyone, I joined Hampton Hill School in 2017 and enjoy being part of the school community working with the staff, the children and their families.  My main roles as office manager are managing the school finances, staff payroll and student enrolments. Originally from England, I have lived in Tawa for over 25 years where I help my husband Michael run his plumbing business.  We have two amazing children and two adorable cats! I enjoy gardening, walking, pilates and travel – especially holidays around New Zealand exploring our beautiful country!

Rebecca Quirke

Room Kiwi Teacher
(New Entrant & Yr 1)

Hello, I’m Rebecca Quirke and I am the new entrant teacher at Hampton Hill School.  I have taught at Hampton Hill for about seven years in a range of different roles.  I love teaching and inspiring children to learn by making the experience of learning as fun and enjoyable as possible. When I’m not at school I love to spend time with my amazing family.  I enjoy being creative – to paint, mosaic, scrapbook and like learning new crafts.  I am also a bit of a back yard farmer and enjoy growing my own vegetables and raising chickens.

Catherine Commins

Room Pīwakawaka Teacher
(Yr 1 & 2)

I am a friendly person who gets on well with others. I have a natural rapport with children and have always enjoyed working with children of all ages. It is important to me to help children achieve their goals, and I will always go that bit further to find ways to help them develop their understanding and learning. I have the skills and enthusiasm to ensure a fun learning experience and enjoy seeing the excitement in children’s eyes when they master a new activity.

Melanie Zimmerman

Room Tūī Teacher
(Yr 1&2)
Syndicate Leader (Yr0-2)

I joined the Hampton Hill School team in 2019. Twelve years ago, Hampton Hill played a key role in my final year of training to become a teacher and I am looking forward to giving back to the students, staff and community.

I have eleven years teaching experience, including six years as a deputy principal. I am passionate about creating an engaging, fun, learning environment that promotes learner agency and enables my learners to be active participants in their learning. Every member of our class is a teacher and a learner; we all have things we can teach to and learn from each other and this is something we will draw on within our class.

I live in Tawa with my husband, Brad, and my two girls –Amy and Poppy. When I am not at school or running around after my girls, I enjoy spending time with family, baking, cake decorating and crafting.

You are welcome to visit our classroom at any time and I encourage you to pop in and share in our learning journey.

Keriana Mulligan

Room Kea Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)

Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora te manuhiri

My food basket and your food basket we will have plenty.
 
Tena Koutou Katoa,
Ko Taupiri te maunga
Ko Waikato te awa
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Tauwhare te marae
Ko Ngati Haua te iwi
Ko Atanatiu King toku tipuna
Ko Te Rama King (nee Dixon) toku kuia
Ko Alice Pani toku Whaea
 
Te taha o toku Papa
Ko Hikurangite maunga
Ko Waiapu te awa
Ko Horouta te waka
Ko Te Poho o Rawiri te marae
Ko Ngati Porou te iwi
Ko Allies Anzac Mulligan toku tipuna
Ko Nora Taewa raua ko Heni Mulligan (nee Houia) oku kuia
Ko Keriana Mulligan-Galola toku ingoa. (Aka Whaea Keriana. )
Ko Joe toku whaiapo. Tokotoru oku tamariki. 
Ko Josue raua ko Jaixana oku tuakana.
Ko Jabyn te potiki o te whanau.
No reira, 
Tena koutou,tena koutou, tena tatou katoa
 
I am so priviledged to work in a community of amazing people with experiences and a wealth of knowledge to gleen from. I joined this wonderful school in the beginning of 2020 and worked with Carol Brieseman for two years.  I love languages and cultures, Te Reo Maori, the Arts, Waiata.  I enjoy people and being with my whanau.  I guess my role at Hampton Hill School is to encourage. Encourage students to be the best version of themselves. Teaching them the basics Respect. Respect for themselves and their parents/whanau, and respect for their teachers and others.  I look forward to building positive connections with the tamariki and staff and the community this year.  Nga mihi nunui ki a koutou.  

Scott Hammer

Room Rurū Teacher (Yr 3 & 4)
Syndicate Leader (Yr3-4)

Since starting my career in teaching, I have been involved with Hampton Hill School. As a teacher  I really enjoy helping students grow as they understand what they are learning.  

In 2014 I had the opportunity to grow my own knowledge by being involved with the Primary Science Teacher Fellowship. I focussed my studies on understanding the nature of science and looking at how to be more curious about the world around us. I find Science is a great way to help our kids grow as they understand the world around them 

Outside of school I have taught myself to play  guitar. (I play in my church band.)

Rosie Frances

Room Kererū Teacher
(Yr 3 & 4)

My name is Rosie and I am excited to be joining Hampton Hill School to teach Year 3 and 4 in 2022. At school you can call me Miss Frances.

My teaching philosophy revolves around creating an inviting and inclusive learning area for all students to feel confident in themselves.  I believe that students’ ability to learn is greatly enhanced in this situation.  I recognize that all students learn differently and should be taught in a way that values their individuality.  Therefore I am determined to provide an education that caters to diverse needs.

You are welcome to visit our classroom at any time and I encourage you to pop in and share in our learning journey.

Ashley Rance

Room Kākāpō Teacher
(Yr 3 & 4)

My name is Ashley Rance and I am extremely excited to join the Hampton Hill School teaching team in 2022. Although new to Hampton Hill School, I have been part of the Tawa community since late 2017 after moving back to Wellington following my studies at Massey University in Palmerston North. I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Physical Geography and a Masters of Teaching and Learning with distinction.

Teaching is a hugely rewarding profession and I feel privileged to be joining the Hampton Hill School community. I pride myself on building strong relationships with my students, fostering a learning environment built for success. I believe in developing student agency (voice, choice, and ownership) and raising self-efficacy beliefs to allow students to thrive in any area of learning. I bring a sense of fun and genuine enthusiasm for what I do.

Jenny Wright

Room Kea Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)

Kia ora koutou,

I am thrilled to be joining the Hampton Hill School community in Term 3, 2022.

I am committed to promoting hauora and the well-being of all ākonga in my class and believe this to be the most important factor for the basis of all learning. I pride myself on building strong relationships, being available and approachable and at creating a safe and effective learning environment for my students.

With a love of travel, I deeply appreciate languages and cultures. I taught ESOL for a number of years before qualifying as a primary school teacher. This led me to live in Bahrain, South Korea, Thailand and New Zealand, before returning back home to Scotland to further my studies in education.

When not at school, I enjoy walks in the great outdoors, swimming and yoga, and spending time with my wee boy, Stanley.

Meghan Allan

Room Takahē Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)

Kia Ora Koutou,

My name is Meghan Allan and I am excited to be joining the Hampton Hill community for the remainder of 2022. I grew up in Tawa and completed my Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Diploma of Teaching at Victoria University. I believe the classroom is a place where students should feel safe and confident to explore who they are and what they enjoy. I love building relationships and supporting each and every student in developing their agency. My passions include swimming, snowboarding and hiking. I am cat obsessed and have two cheeky cats at home. Feel free to pop in for a chat any time!

Belinda Neho

Room Kārearea Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)

Kia Ora,  I am very pleased to be working at Hampton Hill School again. I love the staff/ students and the natural environment the school is situated in. I have been teaching since early 2000 where I began my teaching career in London. I have two young boys and have taught in many schools in the Wellington/Porirua region.  I am also very pleased to be stepping into room 10 in term 4. I have worked with year 5/6 before and enjoy the exciting adventures we will be experiencing like camp, intermediate visits and on-going learning. I am a friendly calm approachable teacher who loves working alongside tamariki to help their individual learning needs. I will continue to support and scaffold room 10 in their learning . I look forward to term 4 and am grateful for the opportunity to get to work with your tamariki. In my spare time I love the beach and spending time with whanau and friends. Education to me is all about supporting and respecting ourselves and students’ individual needs and learning abilities. Thank you for welcoming me into your school. I am looking forward to having an exciting and happy time teaching at Hampton Hill School. Ngā mihi, Belinda.

Maria Osborne

Part Time Teacher

Hello, I’m Maria and I work as a part time and relief teacher at Hampton Hill School.

I am very lucky to have the opportunity to work with all the year groups and children within the school. I could be teaching a new entrant class one day and a year 5/6 class the next. I love the challenge and variety this role brings.
I endeavour to make learning fun and enjoyable for all age groups. My mission is to help make every child believe that learning is cool and hopefully carry on this philosophy into the big wide world.   I care about each and every child, about their learning and wellbeing. I believe that building strong positive relationships with children is the way to go.
When I’m not teaching, I’m enjoying time with my family.  I love going for road trips to different parts of New Zealand I haven’t explored yet.

Ruthanne Kennedy

ESOL teacher

I am the ESOL coordinator at Hampton Hill School. I help teachers determine students’ level of English using the English Language Learning Progressions and ensure that the ESOL funding applications are completed at the beginning and middle of each year. I am also available as a resource person to help adapt classroom activities and programmes for ESOL students.

Irene McDonald

Teacher Aide

I value lifelong learning and am so happy to be in a job where I learn something new every day. I have been associated with the school for quite a few years – firstly as a parent of three awesome children who have all gone on to become very successful and happy young adults; secondly as supervisor of the After School Care when it first started; and thirdly as a Teacher Aide.

I appreciate the fact that I am part of a dynamic, caring environment and I love all aspects of my job –  the people, the children and the community. The work I am involved in at Hampton Hill School is challenging, interesting, professional and very rewarding and I am grateful for the opportunity to help and assist wherever and whenever I can.

Staying in touch with family and friends is very important to me and in my spare time I also enjoy walking the dog, exploring our beaches, reading, drawing and writing poetry.

Rachael De Meij

Teacher Aide

Hi I’m Rachael.
I have been part of the Hampton Hill School community for a good part of 18 years as all four of my children have either been through, or are still attending this school.
Over the years I have coached both hockey and netball teams.
When my youngest started at school, I started helping in the classroom.  Being able to support the children with their learning is very rewarding.
Outside of school I enjoy being at home with my family and our pets.

Jill Fahey

Teacher Aide

I started working here in 2013, I work with the junior children. I have three children who have all been to this school. I also work and support my husband Steve in his own business. I really enjoy my time here with the children and feel we have a great supportive community.

It’s great to see the children progress as they learn and grow up. My interests are my children’s sports, going to the beach, reading and catching up with friends.

Lisa Murdoch

Teacher Aide/Admin Support

Hi I’m Lisa and I’m a mum to three boys.

I have been part of Hampton Hill since 2009, when my eldest child started school. I started volunteering in my children’s classes, then decided to train as a Teacher Aide, as I loved being able to help the children.

I am passionate about helping children to become the best learners that they can be. I especially love reading and I love being able to help the children to learn to read also.

My interests are spending time with my family and friends; reading; baking; and walking.

Haley Miners

Teacher Aide

Barbara Scott-Hill

Teacher Aide and Volunteer Librarian

Barbara is our Volunteer Librarian who helps the Teacher in Charge of the Library.

I’ve been a parent of Hampton Hill School since 2007 and have been increasingly involved with the school over the years with fundraising.  More recently since 2011 I’ve got more involved with the library and have become the volunteer librarian.  My three boys are past-students of Hampton Hill School.

I enjoy giving my time to the school as a volunteer, and get satisfaction that any help I give helps the school; and the teachers spend more quality time teaching.  Its great to be part of Hampton Hill being part of the community with the teachers, parents, and of course the children!

Kenny Benfell

Caretaker

I joined the Hampton Hill School team in January 2020 – I have 20 years experience in the building industry as a plasterer, so it’s great to utilise my skills and experience to support the school community. I’m passionate about assisting the teaching team to create a safe and functional environment for everyone to enjoy.

I live locally and am a dad of two, my daughter is a student at Hampton hill and my son will start next year. I grew up in Rotorua and have been in Wellington for the last 14 years. In my spare time, I enjoy family holidays and am also working on renovating our home.

Guy McDouall

Part-time teacher

Kia ora Koutou. By providing cover for classroom teachers, I’m lucky enough to interact with learners in every year group at Hampton Hill School. Though my timetable can be a bit random, I’m in Room 9 every second Friday. My previous teaching work experience involves working with juniors, year 3 students as well as with preschoolers in the early childhood education sector. As someone who works as a writer on the side, I love teaching literacy, especially creative writing. I also genuinely enjoy having the opportunity to read and share some amazing stories and picture books with students.