researchED New Zealand

May 2026

Hosted by Long Bay College

In partnership with the New Zealand Initiative

Speaker Profile

Professor Brigid McNeill

Brigid McNeill is a Professor of Education and Dean of Postgraduate Research at the University of Canterbury. She is an internationally recognised researcher in literacy education, with a focus on designing and evaluating evidence-based approaches that can be successfully implemented at scale. Professor McNeill works at the intersection of research, policy, and classroom practice, supporting schools and education systems to deliver literacy teaching that is effective, scalable, and sustainable. She is also the co-lead developer of the Better Start Literacy Approach.

Professor Brigid McNeill

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Penny Braid and Adelle Holmes

Penny Braid Penny is Head of English at Ballarat Clarendon College. She has led teams and taught English in the earliest years of schooling through to VCE. Penny champions explicit

Dr Greg Ashman

Dr Greg Ashman is originally from the UK where he taught in government schools for thirteen years before moving to Ballarat, Australia with his young family. After securing a job

Rozanne Donald

Rozanne Donald is Associate Principal at Rutherford College. She has 25 years’ experience as an educator and senior leader in the tertiary and secondary sectors. In 2019 she was awarded