The Biddulph Group

Jeanne has many years experience as a primary school teacher, reading adviser, and teacher educator in language/literacy at Christchurch College of Education and the University of Waikato. As a senior lecturer in the School of Education, University of Waikato, she was responsible for teaching undergraduate courses in language/literacy education, a graduate course in literacy education, and a course in New Zealand children's literature.

Jeanne has served on numerous national advisory committees in the field of language/literacy education, and been a keynote speaker at national reading conferences. Jeanne has undertaken research in teacher/parent partnerships in reading education and worked extensively with teachers and parents in this area since 1982. She has developed resources for this partnership programme, which is called Reading Together™ and is designed to assist parents to help their children with reading at home. She provides ongoing advice and support for principals, teachers, librarians and parents who seek her advice. She was the New Zealand representative and a keynote speaker at a language teacher education colloquium in Singapore, and initiated and organised a conference of New Zealand literacy teacher educators at the University of Waikato. She has a number of publications in literacy education, was a founding editor of the journal Teachers and Curriculum, a co-author of 36 science books for primary school children (published internationally by Wendy Pye Limited), and a main author of The Complexity of Community and Family Influences on Children's Achievement in New Zealand: Best Evidence Synthesis, a major project commissioned by the Ministry of Education.

Chris has substantial expertise and experience in information technology and he has worked extensively in the education sector. He is an MCP+I (Microsoft Certified Professional + Internet), an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) and he also has a Bachelor of Management Studies (First Class Honours) degree from the University of Waikato.

Chris' work experience includes:

Fred has an MA in Education and a D.Phil in Science Education. He has varied work experience, including several years in the New Zealand Police. In the field of education, he has many years experience as a primary school teacher and principal, and several years experience as a secondary teacher in special education.  He has also been a teacher educator and curriculum developer in mathematics in the Solomon Islands, a curriculum adviser in the Cook Islands, and a teacher educator at both Christchurch College of Education and the University of Waikato (particularly in science and mathematics education).

Other professional experiences have included 3 years as project officer for the Learning in Science (Primary) Project at the University of Waikato, providing a professional development programme for staff at the Regional Centre for Science and Mathematics Education in Penang, Malaysia, co-teaching an advanced undergraduate course online, and supervising masters and doctoral theses. Fred has over 100 publications in science education, mathematics education and curriculum development, was a founding editor of the professional journal Teachers and Curriculum, a co-author of 36 science books for primary school children, and was consultant for, and made a major contribution to, both the Sunshine junior science programme, and the Galaxy junior mathematics multimedia programme (both published internationally by Wendy Pye Ltd).  He was also a main author of The Complexity of Community and Family Influences on Children's Achievement in New Zealand: Best Evidence Synthesis, a major project commissioned by the Ministry of Education.

Philipa is a qualified lawyer who has professional experience working for the Wellington Tenths Trust, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in Melbourne, and the New Zealand Human Rights Commission.  She has also worked for the Department of Māori and Pacific Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences (University of Auckland), the Children's Issues Centre (University of Otago), the New Zealand Children's Commissioner and the City of Manukau Education Trust.

For many years, Philipa has been involved in supporting Early Reading Together™ and Reading Together™, including assisting with the revision of the resources.

Philipa made a significant contribution to The Complexity of Community and Family Influences on Children's Achievement in New Zealand: Best Evidence Synthesis, a major project commissioned by the Ministry of Education.

Through her various professional and consultancy roles, Philipa has developed significant expertise in report writing, editing professional documents, preparing and presenting submissions (including to parliamentary select committees) and has also developed a range of information technology skills.