Congratulations to Jane Hazelton, who received an ISNZ Honours Award for Service to Education Outside the Classroom at the 2026 Independent Schools of New Zealand Annual Conference Gala Dinner in Auckland on Friday.

The ISNZ Honours Awards are among the independent school sector’s significant professional honours, celebrating individuals whose service, leadership and commitment have made an exceptional difference to students and their school communities. The awards have been presented for more than 25 years, with a maximum of just 10 recipients recognised nationally each year.

The award recognises Jane’s remarkable contribution to Marsden, spanning more than 27 years.

Throughout her time at Marsden, Jane has held a wide range of roles, including Year 7/8 Dean, PE and Health teacher and Food Technology teacher. Today, she continues to play an important role in student development as Marsden’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award Leader and William Pike Challenge Coordinator.

Across these roles, Jane has created countless opportunities for students to learn through challenge, service and adventure. From camps, tramps and adventurous journeys to the William Pike Challenge and Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award, her work has helped generations of students develop resilience, confidence, teamwork, independence and perseverance.

Her influence is particularly evident in the strength of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award programme at Marsden. Since becoming Award Leader in October 2022, Jane has supported more than 300 students, contributing to the completion of 122 Bronze, 25 Silver and nine Gold Awards. Marsden currently has 38 students working towards Silver and 10 towards Gold.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award is undertaken as a co-curricular activity at Marsden, making the level of student participation and completion especially notable. In the 2025 Year 10 cohort alone, 39 of 59 students had completed their Bronze Award by the following year, while 42 of 51 Year 10 students signed up to begin Bronze in 2026.

For students, however, Jane’s impact goes well beyond statistics.

Year 13 students Phoebe and Yasmin have experienced that first-hand through completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. They credit Jane with helping them stay on track through each stage of the programme, breaking what could feel like a daunting process into manageable steps while providing regular encouragement and support.

“Mrs Hazelton is someone who not only invests so much of her time and energy into providing opportunities for the students within the school, but also deeply cares about every individual she crosses and consistently goes above and beyond to ensure they succeed.”

Phoebe and Yasmin said Jane’s patience, kindness and high expectations created an environment in which students felt supported to challenge themselves and grow.

Principal Paula Wells said Jane’s contribution was both longstanding and deeply felt across Marsden.

Paula also highlighted Jane’s extraordinary care, professionalism and judgement, particularly in the planning and management of outdoor education, camps, tramps and adventurous journeys, and her ability to encourage students to step beyond what feels comfortable while ensuring they feel supported and safe.

Jane’s connection with Marsden’s value of Manahau | Resilience is evident in the way she supports and encourages students, particularly when things feel difficult. She takes great joy in seeing them overcome fears, achieve personal goals and discover what they are capable of.

The ISNZ Honours Award is fitting recognition of Jane’s sustained, generous and values-led service to Marsden.

Congratulations, Jane. We are incredibly proud to see your contribution recognised in this way.