ABOUT US

Welcome to the website for the New Zealand Association of Psychology Teachers (NZAPT). This subject association supports the work of teachers of Psychology in New Zealand schools.

Strategic Goals

Lead teachers to develop their knowledge and skills in the Psychology curriculum: Lead the delivery of the subject-specific resources and provide professional learning and development (PLD).
Embed Te Tiriti & Tē Ao Māori: Integrate Te Tiriti principles and Mātauranga Māori into psychology to support equitable outcomes for all ākonga.
Strengthen Teacher Connections and Capabilities: Enhance the "for kaiako by kaiako" network through online platforms and regional support to reduce isolation.

The NZAPT has a Ministry of Education contract under the 'Networks of Expertise' initiative. Networks of Expertise are designed to provide subject-specific professional development support for teachers

Services

Moderation and Task Critique

This year, we are pleased to continue offering a free moderation service. There will be a limit of 6 samples of student work per standard and we will need to apply per school limits if demand exceeds our capacity. Please allow two weeks for moderation to be completed. Therefore, we encourage you to connect with the psychology teachers in your local region to moderate for each other. The NZAPT can also provide Task Critiques to ensure your assessment task is meeting the standard requirements.

If you wish to have your students’ work moderated or your task critiqued, please email it to nzapt@hotmail.com.

Mentoring will be done in a group setting by committee members providing support to identified members twice termly via an online Q&A. This will be reviewed after Term 1, where smaller groups and more flexible Q&A sessions could be delivered after specific need is determined. This format allows broader participation and ensures more teachers can benefit from these opportunities.

In 2026, all mentees will be asked to use the moderation service for new tasks to be critiqued and for samples to be moderated.

Mentoring

Regional Hubs

Responding to the growth of schools offering psychology, the NZAPT organises local hubs to connect psychology teachers from the same areas to support and foster collaboration. Regional co-ordinators host regional hubs terms 1-3. These hubs can differ depending on the needs of the schools in the region; they can include course design for a specific standard, scholarship prep, classroom activities, as well as marking and moderation support.

Here are the contact details of the regional co-ordinators for 2026.

Northland hui co-ordinator - kerry.pachal@wghs.school.nz
Auckland hui co-ordinator - wheater@lbc.school.nz
Waikato Hui co-ordinator - s.douglas@stpauls.school.nz
Bay of plenty hui co-ordinator - sallyj@mmc.school.nz
Gisborne and Hawkes Bay hui co-ordinator - barbara.hepburn@gghs.school.nz
Manawatu-Wanganui and Taranaki hui co-ordinator - grant.collie@kotuiako.school.nz
Wellington hui co-ordinator - mgn@aotea.school.nz
Nelson hui co-ordinator - adam.crichton@nayland.school.nz
Marlborough hui co-ordinator - eliot.attridge@mbc.school.nz
Christchurch Hui co-ordinator - BND@avonside.school.nz
Otago and Southland hui co-ordinator - jennah@csc.school.nz

Meet the Team

The NZAPT is fortunate to have two teams supporting Psychology teachers in Aotearoa. We have our NZAPT board members who look after the day-to-day running of the association and our Network of Expertise (NEX) committee members who support the professional development of our members.

Dedication. Expertise. Passion.

NZAPT Board Members

Chairperson

Duncan Bond

Duncan graduated University of Canterbury with BA honours in Political Science and History and completed a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching in 2007. After moving to Marlborough Girls' College in 2020 where he transitioned into teaching of Psychology. Currently based at Avonside Girls' High School in Christchurch. Their favourite aspect of teaching Psychology lies in exploring Fields and Theories. A highlight is arranging guest speakers who provide real world scenarios and valuable insights into how Psychology is applied in practical, everyday life. Favourite documentary is 'Three Identical Strangers' and the book and podcast 'You are not so Smart'

Events Manager

Sally Jackson

Sally graduated from the University of Auckland in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science (double majoring in Psychology and Sport and Exercise Science). In 2011 she did her Post graduate diploma in secondary teaching - specialising in Physical Education and Health. In 2012 she secured her first Psychology teaching job at Avondale College where she taught for four years before moving to England to teach Psychology. She taught at Tawa college 2018-2022. She currently teaches at Mount Maunganui College. Her favourite movie is ‘Mindhunter’which looks at the development of the top down offender profiling method which is good for Forensic Psychology and her favourite book is ‘Elephants on acid and other bizarre experiments’ by Alex Boese.

Co-Treasurer

Melissa Flower

Melissa completed her Bachelor of Social Sciences majoring in Psychology & Social Policy at University of Waikato before later returning to complete her Master of Teaching and Learning. She has taught Psychology at Rototuna Senior High School since 2020. A highlight of teaching Psychology is seeing students understand themselves and others better. She has also enjoyed teaching Psychology in cross-curricular modules where the integration of Psychology in every aspect of human life is brought to life. Her current favourite book is Ten things I wish you knew about your child's mental health which shows practical applications of developmental theories and research.

Co-Treasurer & Communication

Bailley West

Bailley has a conjoint degree from the University of Waikato, holding a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Bachelor of Secondary School Teaching. Currently serving as the Second in Charge (2iC) of Social Sciences at Rototuna Senior High School, Bailley started teaching Psychology in 2018.

Bailey draws on previous experience in tertiary recruitment and academic coordination. This unique perspective informs her work today, where she collaborates with a large team of kaiako within Level 2 and 3 specialist programs and innovative cross-curricular modules. Bailley has found immense value in the support provided by NZAPT. She enjoys ‘fields’ the most and finding ways to bridge the gap between psychological theory and its application in the "real world."

NEX Committee Members

The New Zealand Association of Psychology Teachers has a Ministry of Education contract under the 'Networks of Expertise' initiative. Networks of Expertise are designed to provide subject-specific professional development support for teachers. The focus of the Network set up by NZAPT includes strengthening existing support such as our annual professional development workshop as well as developing new initiatives to provide resources, peer support and networks for new and experienced teachers of psychology in New Zealand.