Two outstanding kaiako win prestigious NEiTA Awards
21 December 2025
Two outstanding kaiako have been recognised for the prestigious NEiTA awards, winning two awards for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Not every small moment in teaching comes with recognition. Yet acknowledging the incredible work teachers do should be an everyday practice.
For more than three decades, the National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) has celebrated exemplary teaching across Australia and New Zealand. In this time, there have been more than 42,000 nominations, from early childhood to school communities.
Established in 1994 by the NEiTA Foundation and Futurity, this community-centred awards programme honours teachers and leaders who demonstrate excellence in their profession through contributions that advance education at local, regional, and national levels.
The awards also aim to build community confidence in the teaching profession, encourage ongoing professional learning, and provide grants and prizes to those who show exceptional dedication to their mahi.
Deputy Chief Executive of the Teaching Council Clive Jones believes that these awards are essential to celebrate the profession.
“Teachers across New Zealand are nurturing our tamariki, rangatahi and mokupuna every day. They create environments that set learners up for success, encourage creativity and diversity, and so much more. Teachers make children feel safe and heard.
The role of a teacher takes skill, expertise, and dedication. That’s why we are excited to celebrate and honour kaiako who have made significant contributions to the futures of children in Australasia.”
This year’s awards recognised two remarkable Kiwi educators: Amelia Meertens, winner of the Apple Award, and Lysandra Stuart, winner of the Founders' Principal for Leadership Award.
Meet the winners
Amelia Meertens from Matangi School
Winner of the NEiTA Apple Award
Amelia Meertens, Team Leader, Enviro Leader, Production Leader at Matangi School, has been awarded the NEiTA Apple Award for Primary and a $5,000 professional development grant from NEiTA Foundation.
Amelia is known for constantly going above and beyond for her students.
In addition to teaching year 3 and 4, she oversees the school’s musical production with passion and creativity, ensuring there is an opportunity for each student to be involved, and leads Matangi’s environmental program, which inspires students and staff to make meaningful change.
She believes that agency is at the heart of learning, and her vision for young people is for them to understand why they’re learning something, and how they can shape their own success.
“We talk about our successes of the day. Sometimes it’s academic, and sometimes it’s something like, ‘I didn’t give up when the puzzle got tricky.’ Both matter,” says Amelia.
Read Amelia’s story on our Teaching Shapes What Matters Most website.
Lysandra Stuart from Glenbrook School
Winner of the Founders' Principal for Leadership Award
Lysandra Stuart, Principal of Glenbrook School, has been awarded the NEiTA Founder’s Principal’s Award for Leadership and a $10,000 professional development grant from NEiTA Foundation.
Lysandra has revitalised the Franklin Principal’s Association, a collective of 49 local schools, by creating opportunities that ensure all tumuaki in the region have access to purposeful, future focused and cultural sustaining professional development.
Her selfless leadership has seen her mentoring emerging education leaders, as well as reshaping her school to understand the concept of what it is to FAIL – first attempt at learning.
Her mission is to help young people learn, grown and thrive from mistakes.
“Every failure is feedback. If our learners walk out of here understanding that, then we’ve prepared them for life, not just for school,” says Lysandra.
Lysandra’s mentoring reflects her deep belief in optimistic, inclusive leadership grounded in manaakitanga, pono, and whanaungatanga.
Read Lysandra’s story on our Teaching Shapes What Matters Most website.
