Mel Stopford Email & Phone Number

Mel joined Evaluation Associates in 2015, after serving on the senior leadership team at an area school in Christchurch. With a strong background in educational leadership, Mel excels in adult learning and leadership team development. She is trained in primary education and has experience in diverse school settings, teaching both primary and secondary students. Mel is passionate about leadership and is dedicated to helping leaders improve themselves, their teams, and their organisations. She has extensive mahi in: - leading customised, site-based professional learning with leadership teams. - growing leaders’ capabilities to lead for learning improvement - strengthening capabilities for effective communication - creating collaborative cultures and highly effective teams - modelling practices that build trust and learning-focused relationships, ensure a safe learning environment, and encourage honest reflection and growth. Since 2021, Mel has been the Project Lead for the highly successful Unlocking Potential Principal Preparation Program at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership in Australia, a role she will continue until 2026. In this role, she: - leads the programs refresh and refinement - oversees quality assurance across all aspects, - leads facilitator onboarding and coordinates with masterclass speakers - designs online learning that skilfully model highly effective learning principles - oversees programme impact, evaluation and reporting - works closely with the Academy to support internship success and ensure the smooth running of the entire programme. In New Zealand, Mel continues to work closely with Joan Dalton and David Anderson, a partnership that has spanned over 20 years. She leads the Leading Adult Learning Team of 10 facilitators from across New Zealand. An accredited DiSC facilitator with Level Two accreditation, Mel specialises in team and leadership growth. She uses her DiSC expertise and deep knowledge of Joan Dalton’s Learning Talk material to enhance team effectiveness, helping leaders achieve strategic goals they couldn’t reach before. Mel is a skilled facilitator, coach, and mentor, frequently called upon to work with school leadership teams, especially in times of crisis. Her mahi is often long term in schools and deeply connected to raising achievement and reducing disparity.

Listed skills include E Learning, Teaching, Coaching, Pedagogy, and 16 others.