Our People
Stefan Knap
Principal
Kia ora koutou,
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
Part Time Teacher
Nau te rourou, naku te rourou, ka ora te manuhiri
Scott Hammer
Room Ruru 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 Kereru 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.
Carol Brieseman
Room Kea Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)
Syndicate Leader (Yr5-6)
I have been involved with the school for quite a number of years, with our two daughters and son having all gone through the school. As well as teaching my class, I am in charge of Science and was fortunate to spend 6 months at NIWA on a Primary Science Fellowship in 2012.This was an awesome experience and I came away from that with a new passion for Science and for kids to develop a curiosity about the world around them.
I am also involved in our Enviro Schools programme, PE and School Hockey. My interests include walking – the longer the better; music- I lead church singing, play the viola and bass guitar; gardening; and my own gorgeous family (that is growing up way too fast!)
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!
Cherie Palmer
Room Takahē Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)
Kia Ora Koutou,
I became part of the Hampton Hill team in 2020. I was born Tauranga and raised on Matakana Island, a beautiful island in the harbour of Tauranga Moana, Bay of Plenty. Prior to moving to Wellington I spent 10 years in Perth, Western Australia where I studied my undergraduate degree online via Massey University. Returning to New Zealand in 2017, I studied a graduate diploma of teaching (primary) and graduated in 2018. In 2019, Wellington became home for our family of four and I gained my first teaching position at Wainuiomata Intermediate.
Becoming a mother and parent of two amazing children inspired me to become a teacher. Therefore, I understand the importance of establishing a caring inclusive environment where positive relationships are established, learning is celebrated and more importantly, the desire for every student to become passionate about their learning.
I enjoy netball and volleyball and am always willing to try new sports. I also have an interest in literacy and Te Reo Maori.
Cherie is currently on parental leave until May 2023.
Seini Ma’ake
Room Kārearea Teacher
(Yr 5 & 6)
Mālō e Lelei! My name is Seini Ma’ake and I am excited to be a part of Hampton Hill School’s whanau for the 2019 academic year. I was born and in raised in the little island Kingdom of Tonga.
I’ve always had a passion for working with children and hope to make a difference in their lives. The values here at Hampton Hill align with my belief that school is a safe environment where students are nurtured to excel in all facets of life.
The coolest little capital is now home for myself, my husband and our two boys. Outside school, I love hanging out with my family, reading a good mystery story and creating my own Tongan dance choreography.
Maria Osborne
Part Time Teacher
Hello, I’m Maria and I work as a part time and relief teacher at Hampton Hill School.
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
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.
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.