Christian grew up in a rural, farming community and attended a very traditional boarding school, before making the move to Christchurch with his family after finishing school. In Christchurch, he simultaneously pursued an education degree and a sporting career, eventually returning to education in New Zealand after years spent in Scotland, England and South Africa. Christian worked at independent schools in the Far North and Hawke's Bay, before spending nearly six years back in the state sector as a deputy principal. He holds a Bachelor of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Secondary School Leadership degree from Victoria University. As a passionate outdoorsman, every available moment is spent in some form of outdoor pursuit - these days, with his two young children.
Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics), Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Mathematics, English)
I come from a twenty-year background in education, with around twelve years in teaching, mostly mathematics and eight years working in the education technology sector, in a mix of middle and senior management roles.
During my time teaching mathematics, I have been involved in many extension programs, coaching winning teams for Cantamath (The Christchurch version of Mathswell) and preparing students for Scholarship Calculus and Statistics.
I also have a love of literature and have enjoyed having the chance to teach English at Altum for the first time in my career.
Bachelor of Arts (History/Education), Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Social Science & Geography)
This is my 15th year in the classroom teaching both sciences and social sciences. I’ve taught an incredibly diverse student population at a wide spectrum of schools in different modalities in my home in Alaska, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
I love how students with different backgrounds and with different skill sets and different neurology can all contribute to creating a cohesive classroom culture. Combining their unique experiences with mine allows us to establish an environment that sparks curiosity in all of us.
I am excited to bring both my pedagogy and my paradigm to Altum Classical Academy.
Bachelor of Theology (Hons), Bachelor of Arts, Clinical Pastoral Education Certificate, Playcentre Early Childhood Education Certificate (Course Three)
I find real joy in teaching Latin in an environment like Altum, that provides both nurture and challenge to each student.
I have a Bachelor of Theology with First Class Honours in Biblical Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Otago University. In both degrees I focused the most on the languages: Hebrew, Ancient Greek (Classical & Biblical), and Latin.
Previously I have worked in Early Childhood Education, for Playcentre Aotearoa; and in adult education, coordinating and teaching in St. John’s Theological College’s distance learning programme. I am an Anglican priest, and I hold a Clinical Pastoral Education certificate.
I have also worked in survivor advocacy and redress design in response to the Royal Commission on Abuse in Care, for both state and faith-based institutions.
Bachelor of Arts (Te Reo Māori and Māori Studies)
I am a Māori cultural advisor and educator who has been teaching Māori language, custom and performing arts for over a decade. I enjoy helping students build confidence in te reo Māori and create engaging learning experiences that deepen their understanding of Māori culture. I value Altum’s commitment to high expectations, meaningful learning, and supporting every student to achieve their best.
Bachelor of Arts (English Literature, Political Science, Media Studies), Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Secondary), Graduate Diploma in Second Language Education, Cert TESOL
I am a Wellington-born and raised secondary school teacher with over a decade of ESL teaching experience across diverse age groups and cultural backgrounds from Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and Africa.
Currently, I serve as a Literacy Specialist Teaching Assistant and Relief Teacher at Altum Classical Academy, providing targeted literacy intervention and cross-curricular support. I specialise in scaffolding complex texts, differentiated assessment, and multimodal literacy instruction that honours students' mana while building English confidence.
I thrive in Altum's classical education environment, where rich discourse and the trivium approach aligns with my commitment to developing confident critical thinkers.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Graphic Design)
My family and I recently moved from Christchurch to Wellington to be part of the exciting endeavour of establishing Altum Classical Academy. We have enjoyed settling into our new home and particularly appreciate the beautiful bush and native birdlife on our doorstep.
Coming from a background in graphic design, I spent the past several years homeschooling my three children while travelling extensively around New Zealand in our caravan. I value the opportunity to get to know our students and assist families with their administrative needs. It is a joy and privilege to be part of the Altum Classical Academy community.
Dr Johnston was an Associate Dean of Education at Victoria University and is currently leading the education work for the New Zealand Initiative as Senior Fellow. Dr Johnston chaired the Ministerial Advisory Group for Education. He is a member of the advisory group to NZQA and NCEA. He is also a cognitive psychologist with a background in literacy research and educational assessment.
