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Jackie Andrews is one of Essential Resources’ most successful authors, with many thousands of her books sold around the world. Her success is backed by her extensive teaching experience in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. That experience, combined with her assiduous approach to professional development and passion for supporting teachers, drives her to create resources that improve student outcomes and inform best teaching practice. Jackie currently has 75 titles in print, a number of which have been translated into other languages. Her wider range of mathematics and English publications reflect the diversity of her expertise throughout primary school, as well as her ability to respond to the specific needs of particular age groups and ability levels. Supporting teachers in their curriculum planning is another specialty area. Jackie’s Curriculum Planning Made Easy series has been immensely popular with teachers looking for practical and effective ways of planning classroom programmes. It also led to the creation of iUgo – a digital solution that is reshaping the landscape of classroom planning and resource management. Jackie has been a key player in developing the usability of iUgo and in training teachers to get the most out from it. Complementing her work in the publication sector Jackie continues to enjoy her time in the classroom. Many schools and teachers also seek out her advice on effective resourcing and teaching practice.

Melissa Segar is a New Zealand trained and registered teacher, with teaching experience in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She enjoys creating resources and ideas to help teachers meet the individual needs of their students and encourage creative thinking skills and flexible problem solving. Melissa is the mother of two young children.