Our Staff

"Teachers are some of our most important leaders.
We can’t always ask our students to take off the armor at home, or even on their way to school,
because their emotional and physical safety may require self-protection.
But what we can do, and what we are ethically called to do, 
is create a space in our schools and classrooms where all students can walk in and, for that day or hour,
take off the crushing weight of their armor, hang it on a rack, and open their heart to truly being seen.
We must be guardians of spaces that allow students to breathe, be curious, and to explore the world
and be who they are without suffocation.
They deserve one place where they can rumble with vulnerability and their hearts can exhale.
And what I know from the research is that we should never underestimate the benefit to a child of having a place to belong—even one—where they can take off their armor.
It can and often does change the trajectory of their life.
Dare to Lead, page 13, Brene Brown

Helen Pearson
​Principal

I have been involved in education for around 30 years. During this time I taught at Whangaparaoa Primary School, and in 1986-91 was the founding Principal of KingsWay School. After leaving and starting a family I was a founding Director of MASTERS Institute (Teacher Training), a curriculum developer and publisher (Interact Curriculum and SparX, and Celebrate Art resources), and home educated our five children with my husband Dean.

Through all these experiences, and particularly through parenting and teaching our own children, I have seen the importance of learning being relevant to real life, based in relationship, being both authentic, and connected. Highlights of real life learning for our family included a year long trip around the world in which we spent six months in developing countries and six months traveling and learning in Europe in a campervan.

​I became the principal of Mahurangi Christian School in 2011, transitioning the school to Horizon School in 2015, and I love working with a team of enthusiastic, happy, skillful teachers who care about inspiring and equipping individual learners.

 Sam Burrows
Years 7 - 9 Teacher

I’ve been teaching for around 7 years now in public and Christian education, interspersed with a bit of pastoral work as well. I love the act of teaching and opening up doors for young people in understanding new things and learning new skills. Relationships are at the heart of teaching and I like my students to feel known by me and safe to try new things in learning contexts.

I love teaching critical thinking and pushing my class to see things from a variety of different perspectives, and this is particularly true in regards to faith. I love seeing students given the tools to take charge of their own learning and to extend themselves as far as they can, so I try to personalise my teaching as much as possible.

You’ll often see me running around with the kids in sport lessons, I often forget that I’m not actually young anymore and should probably instruct instead of playing. But I can’t help myself. 

​Outside of teaching I like to play music, read German theology, talk about Star Wars and eat salmon. Sometimes all at the same time.

Tilda Rabey
Year 5-10 Teacher & ​Learning Design Leader

My teaching started over 25 years ago in Auckland. I taught preschool children, primary, homeschooling and adult education. I have been involved with Horizon School since my children attended as students.  For the past 15 years I have been a relieving teacher, and part time teacher. 
Horizon fosters a family and community spirit.  All the children know each other and are supportive of one another. 

I love fostering a sense of identity and purpose in young people because each child is so unique and different. I enjoy it when children are able to articulate their goals and I love to watch them become so excited when they exceed them.  To facilitate children's learning in meaningful, interesting ways is always a challenge for me.  

I enjoy the Arts, being an expressive and creative person.  I encourage my students to express themselves in a safe, friendly and supportive environment.
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It is a privilege for me to work in a school community where there is a talented staff, where a collaborative spirit is fostered and where great results are aimed for and achieved!

Maria Allen
Room 1 Teacher

I have been involved in education for the past 25 years.
​ I have been involved in Christian Education in New Zealand for the past 12 years. 

I am passionate about nurturing children to achieve their full potential in their learning, as well as seeing them grow in their knowledge of who they are in God.
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My strengths in teaching lie in creativity and incorporating it into the curriculum to make learning exciting and more meaningful. I am presently implementing the Feuerstein pedagogy into my teaching, as I value growing as a learner myself. I am also currently doing undergraduate papers on Education at Massey University.

I consider myself privileged to be teaching at Horizon School. I love the family feel, the progressive management of the school and the positive, collaborative learning environment that has been created by the wonderfully committed staff at the school.​

Jessica Raffills
Years 1-2 Teacher | Room 2

​I have been teaching for around 10 years, interspersed with having a few children of my own! 

I am a very 'junior' teacher and have spent the majority of my teaching career with NE/Year 1'. I love creating a classroom environment where the children know they are safe, loved and inspired and one of my most favourite things is seeing their 'yes' moment, where new learning is secured. That look of pride and joy is what gets me every time. Instilling in the children a sense of purpose, self-management and intrinsic motivation is a very important part of a happy and well functioning classroom and I love to promote a strong sense of self amongst my learners. 

My strengths are very literacy based and teaching writing is my true passion. As well as this, I love creating a bright and vibrant classroom full of beautiful art work that showcase children's unique creativity. P.E is also something I love and we are always getting out and about for some skills based lessons. 

I feel blessed to be a part of the Horizon team. This truly is the BEST school I have worked at and I'm excited for my own family to become life long learners here too.

Karen Hunter
Years 1-2 Teacher | Room 2

I began teaching 30 years ago in Wellington after graduating from Wellington Teacher’s College.  My husband and I then transferred up here with his work and I began teaching Year 7 & Year 8 students at Wairau Intermediate on the North Shore. From there we travelled back to Wellington where I worked Part Time at Onslow College while bringing up the first of our 4 children.  Time was spent as a Kindergarten teacher as my children progressed.  Once again we were transferred up to Auckland and I taught for a year at Henderson Intermediate, before gaining a position at Birkdale Intermediate for 5 Years where I was a Classroom Teacher and finally the Head of the Arts Department.  I was asked to be the Dean of the Year 8 students in 2005 at Orewa College once it became a Year 7-13 school.  Now my husband and I are settled in Snell’s Beach and I am enjoying my new role within Horizon School. 

Vanessa Holdsworth
​Years 2 - 3 Teacher | Room 3 

My family and I moved to New Zealand 7 years ago believing strongly that God had called us to this beautiful country. I was offered a teaching post at the school before we arrived and have been living in Snells Beach ever since. We all love living here and are blessed to call many New Zealanders our friends.

I have been teaching for over twenty years. I love teaching and working with the students. I am very open to new and exciting learning experiences and together with my students engage in real life learning on a daily basis.

​Teaching at Horizon school is a privilege. The management and especially our Principal Helen Pearson are very supportive and encourage fresh ideas and innovation. This makes for a dynamic place to work. The sense of family and belonging add to this special place. One of my favourite parts of the day is arriving at school and looking out at the view of the Mahurangi River. I consider myself blessed to be called to such a place.

Allyson Peddle
Years 3 - 4 Teacher | Room 4

My family and I live on a farm in the Omaha area. I have 2 teenage daughters and my husband is a farm manager.

I am a primary school  teacher and have taught in a variety of schools for almost 20 years. My passion is to make each pupil feel important.

I feel blessed to be working here at Horizon, as I really enjoy interacting with children, and to be a part of this staff who are so passionate about what they do.

Christina Wakefield 
​Years 5 - 6 Teacher | Room 7

My family and I moved to New Zealand in April 2019. We are now settled in Snells Beach and we feel so privileged to be living in such a beautiful place. I have an Honours Degree in Inclusive Education and I specialized in Learning Support. My teaching career began 9 years ago, teaching in private, state and special needs schools. I am passionate about seeing children reach their full potential. I believe that they learn best when they are in a positive learning environment, where they feel welcomed, comfortable, and safe with each other. Teaching at Horizon has given me the opportunity to share this, as well as my learning experiences, resources and above all, my Christian faith. I am also grateful that God has blessed me with such a wonderful team to work with, at Horizon school. I am looking forward to all the new experiences and impacting the lives of the children, at this wonderful school.

Natalie Cass
Years 5 - 6 Teacher | Room 8

My wonderful family and I arrived in New Zealand, December 2018 from South Africa.

I hold an Educational degree as a primary school teacher, and I have accumulated 9 years experience and counting. I enjoy being involved in extra-curricular activities i.e.: netball, t-ball & athletics.
My passion for teaching lies in the children seeing them individually reaching their unique and full potential.  I am full of energy and I inspire my kids to grow and learn everyday, encouraging them towards the attitude of “I can, I can, I can” rather than, “I cannot.”
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God has placed me at Horizon school, where I am surrounded by a team who inspire, guide and encourage me on my new journey, as a teacher in New Zealand. Their positivity and prayers have given me the strength to continue to build on being a great teacher for the school and the students.    I enjoy working at a school that is surrounded by pristine beauty and it reminds me about how God has created this extravagant and beautiful planet for us all to live in.  This gives me great pleasure to be part of a praying team and community here at Horizon School.

Robin Fraser
​Years 7 - 8 Teacher | Room 9

Keith Gibson
Te Reo and Technology Teacher ​

June Port
​Special Education Needs Co-ordinator & Accounts

It is my pleasure to fill the role of SENCO (Special Education Coordinator) at Horizon. What could be better than having a part in enabling learners to meet their potential?

After many years working in adult education and in various capacities with children I joined Horizon School as an office administrator. In the spirit of lifelong learning I went on to train as a Reading Recovery Teacher and then undertook training as a SENCO.

My time here is an example of our belief It is never too late to learn new things and to become more of what you were made to be.

Toni Waddell
​Reading Recovery

​After gaining an HND in Civil Engineering and degree in Ocean Science I was employed in the construction industry for 7 years. My roles included working on some of the largest motorways in the UK including the M1 and M25 and I was also part of a team who constructed the tunnels beneath the terminals at Heathrow Airport.
With family in mind, I retrained as a primary school teacher in Nottingham in 1999/2000.
After teaching for 4 years I took a career break to have children and moved to NZ in 2006. With all 3 of my children at school, I returned to work last year and felt a Teacher Aide role would provide the best step back into teaching. I love working with children and have a particular interest in Special Educational Needs.
I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to be given the chance to work at Horizon School and have been made to feel a valued team member by all the staff. The school has a caring, supportive and inclusive nature and provides a wonderful environment in which children and adults can learn and grow.

Chrissy Coop 
Music Teacher | "Mrs Music"

​I have been involved in music all my life, and could never imagine life without music.
I have been teaching for many 34 years and enjoy passing on my passion for making music to my students. Many have gone on to be play in bands and to be teachers themselves.
I'm first love beside my husband is to play the piano. 
I have ATCL qualifications and I am happy to take students through exams if they have the desire and dedication.
I endeavour to capture the students attention with exciting modern music or whatever they want to play.

Greer Bell
​Singing Teacher 

I teach students at Horizon School singing.
My background in education is varied and I pursue a wide range of interests, but my key focuses lie in the creative arts, worship and working with children, especially the more sensitive and creative among us. 

I offer vocal coaching to children, running a songwriting group for young women from my home, and have released my first album.

Jesus is the centre of my life, and the call to ‘bind up the brokenhearted and set the captive free’ runs deep, wherever I am and whatever I’m doing.
"As a student teacher at Horizon School, I was privy to the professional activities within the staffroom.  Inquiry, reflection and positive support was the norm within this school.  I was fully encouraged to participate with the collaborative processes that my fellow peers were involved with on a daily basis. As a student teacher, this small school showed me practically what the Principles of the NZ Curriculum stands for – high expectations, cultural diversity, inclusion and a community of lifelong learners."  Student Teacher, 

“Horizon is a wonderful school. It has lovely atmosphere which is loving, kind and not rigid. I love that there is a large cross section of the community at the school. All the teaching staff are wonderful. My daughter loves the challenge and the new ideas she has to think about.”