The Charter School Authorisation Board

 

 

The independent Authorisation Board approves sponsors who can open charter schools. It also oversees how charter schools are performing. If schools aren’t meeting their performance targets, the Board decides what interventions are necessary.  

Authorisation Board Members

Justine Mahon (Chairperson)

Justine Mahon is a leading New Zealand educator, with considerable experience as a teacher and principal in the tertiary, secondary, and primary education sectors, and in teacher training and development. She has expert knowledge and experience in the strategic development of curriculum and pastoral programmes in the primary and secondary sectors, across all socio-demographic profiles.

In recent years, Justine has played a leading role in the Knowledge Rich School research project which she implemented at St Cuthbert’s College for girls, where she was the principal from 2018 to 2024. She has also, along with three other Auckland principals, established a robust, alternative, in-school initial teacher education model, in conjunction with the University of Waikato. 

 

Neil Paviour-Smith (Deputy Chairperson)

Neil Paviour-Smith has over 30 years’ experience in various roles in New Zealand capital markets. He has been Managing Director of Forsyth Barr since 2001. Neil has had an active involvement in education through school and university governance, reflecting a strong personal interest. He was on the Board of Trustees of Wadestown School for 14 years, including 10 years as the Board Chair. He was a Council member of Victoria University of Wellington for 9 years and held the posts of Pro-Chancellor for 2 years and Chancellor for 4 years.

Neil is a Director of Wellington Free Ambulance, NZX, and the NZ Initiative. He is a former Director of NZX and Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ) and former Chair of the NZ Regulatory Board of CAANZ. He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant, Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors, and a Fellow of the Institute of Finance Professionals NZ, having chaired its predecessor the NZ Society of Investment Analysts. Neil was an inaugural recipient of a Sir Peter Blake Trust Leadership Award in 2005. 

Catherine Isaac

Catherine Isaac is a public affairs professional with extensive experience in governance and management in corporate, public policy, and not-for-profit roles. Her involvement in education, includes serving on the Board of Wellington College for six years and previously Clifton Terrace Model School. She was a consultant to the Education Forum and the Ministry of Education. In 2012 she was appointed Chair of the New Zealand Model of Charter Schools Working Group, and subsequently as Chair of the Partnership Schools | Kura Hourua Authorisation Board.

Among other governance roles, Catherine was a Director of St Lukes Group, and Chair of the Karori Sanctuary Trust. Her public policy experience includes as communications adviser to the Minister of Finance, the Treasury, and the NZ Debt Management Office; GM Communications for National Provident Fund; and as a member of the Government’s Welfare Working Group (2011). She is an honorary member of the NZ Initiative thinktank.

Professor Elizabeth Rata

Elizabeth Rata is a professor in the School of Critical Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Auckland. She has been an English teacher and English department head at Hilary and Tangaroa Colleges in Otara, followed by teaching at St Paul’s College for Boys and (now closed) Queen Victoria School for Māori Girls. Professor Rata was a founding member of the group which established kura kaupapa Māori and as secretary of Te Komiti o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tāmaki Makaurau played a significant role in the Runanga's successful campaign for legislative recognition, and policy and operational development.

She is recognised internationally as a curriculum expert. Her work includes the design of the Curriculum Design Coherence Model, and she edits the Research Handbook in Curriculum and Education, a major publication containing 40 chapters by curriculum experts from around the world. Elizabeth was appointed by the Minister of Education to the Ministerial Advisory Group which reviewed the primary school English, maths, and statistics curricula in early 2024. 

Rōpata Taylor

Rōpata Taylor has governance and executive management skills with over 20 years of private and public sector commercial and business development experience. He has held an Executive Leadership role at Wakatū (an Incorporation managing the family assets of the Nelson Tenths) since 2002. He is a graduate of the University of Otago and has previously worked in the education sector in senior roles at secondary and tertiary levels. He has held Trustee and Director roles and is currently Chair of Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi Trust.

Rōpata provides expert evidence on customary matters in judicial proceedings. He is a specialist adviser to community groups, local and central government, and NGOs. Rōpata was the Māori advisor on new applications for the Partnership Schools I Kura Hourua pilot in 2013. He sat on the Māori advisory panel alongside Sir Toby Curtis and Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi. 

Dee-Ann Wolferstan

Dee-Ann has over 20 years of leadership experience and currently operates as the Kaihautū – Chief Executive for three Iwi/Māori organisations: Te Iwi o Ngati Kahu (Social Services for Ngati Kahu Runanga), Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri Trust (Te Pihopatanga o Te Tai Tokerau Social Service), and Te Kahui Mana Ririki Trust. She has extensive governance experience, having served as the Chairperson of Social Services Providers Aotearoa, a national body representing around 200 community organisations working with at-risk children and young people and with families, whānau, and communities.

Dee-Ann is the current chairperson of Te Whanau Rangimarie Trust Board and an independent board member for Cure Kids New Zealand. Dee-Ann also has experience in financial auditing. She is currently an independent advisor to the Audit Risk and Finance Committee of the Northland Regional Council and the Chairperson of the Risk and Audit Committee of Tātau Tātau o te Wairoa.

Doran Wyatt

Doran Wyatt is a partner at Russell McVeagh and leads their Real Estate and Construction practice. He specialises in commercial and Crown property matters, including acquisitions and disposals, developments, construction and leasing, seismic building issues, corporate real estate, and social infrastructure. He works with a diverse range of government, domestic and international private sector clients.

Before joining Russell McVeagh, Doran was at another New Zealand law firm for 13 years, five of these as a partner, and has previously practised in the UK with leading City and US firms, where he specialised in property development, joint ventures, and real estate funds.

He has previously advised the Ministry of Education on private investment projects for education infrastructure on Crown land and school site acquisition. 

 

 

 

Board queries:  info@charterschools.govt.nz