School Onsite Training Programme - information for students
Learn more about the school-based training programme for student teachers
The School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) supports people training to become teachers through a school-based study and practical teaching experience.
You will spend three days a week in a host school or kura while completing your qualification and receive support from an experienced mentor teacher.
School Onsite Training Programme for 2027
The 2027 intake is now open.
All SOTP approved Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers and their programmes are listed below.
To apply for a place on an SOTP ITE programme, you need to decide which provider you would like to study with and apply through their application process.
Once your place has been approved by your provider, they will arrange a placement for you at a host school.
If selected, you will receive a $20,660 tax-free bursary as a contribution towards your study and living costs.
SOTP stories
A woman talks to the camera. ‘Alisea McDonald, SOTP Student 2026 – Woodville School’ is written on the left-hand side of the screen.
I am Alisea McDonald and I am a teacher’s assistant and student teacher at Woodville primary school. As unrealistic as it sounds, I've always wanted to make a change in the world in whatever way, shape or form. I never knew in what capacity that was.
I started out with a bachelor's in psychology and then was a youth worker at Oranga Tamariki within care and protection, and youth justice. I think teaching means to me being the change that I want to see around me and being able to create a safe environment for Tamariki to thrive in. And I think at such an imperative age as primary, it's so important for them to have that space and have somebody who cares about their overall wellbeing. Every morning when I come through those gates, I'm greeted with smiles and good mornings and just cheerfulness, and questions about dance and everything we're doing that morning. And I feel like every day that I come in, it's always positive. It's always light, especially in a primary context when you're greeted with such energy.
The reason I chose the SOTP programme was because my passion for teaching was formed as a teacher assistant within the classroom. What the programme allows for me to do is to continue that passion within the environment that was fostered which is a really special and unique experience. The experience in the programme has been amazing so far. I feel as though I've created such amazing relationships which have been really beneficial. Being paired with a mentor for the entire year and getting a mentor at your away school is really beneficial. You feel really safe and walked through the entire process, which is really lovely.
And the connections you get to make with all of tamariki, like especially when you're going to different schools and different settings is so special and it just helps that passion grow even further. For me, the biggest impact of the programme has been being able to be on site and fostering that passion whilst you're in the environment that helped you get there in the first place.
A man talks to the camera.
‘Wes Va’ai-Wells, Tumuaki/Principal – Woodville School’ is written on the left-hand side of the screen. What motivated us to be involved with the SOTP programme was the idea that I wanted to grow capable teachers within Tararua and within our own school. So we had two outstanding TAs who were qualified with a university degree and the SOTP programme allowed us to potentially include them to get qualified as teachers.
Alisea talks to the camera.
A day in my host school is unique for our experience. I wear a lot of different hats here. I’m a netball coach, I’m a dance coach and most importantly, I'm still a teacher assistant as well as a student teacher. My day consists of juggling all of those hats. Which from the outside perspective seems quite daunting and can be a lot, but for me, it's allowed me to continue to hone all of those skills that help me initially grow as a future Kaiako in the first place.
Wes talks to the camera.
The SOTP programme, in its current iteration, allows our TAs to learn on the job.
Alisea talks to the camera.
I think that if you're somebody that learns by doing and you're somebody that already has a passion for Tamariki and knows that that's something that they want to lean into, then it is the best programme possible. I think the impact I want to have is I just want to make Tamariki’s day-to-day lives feel brighter and happier. And I think if I'm able to create a space where they feel safe and included and where they're able to not only learn and develop academically, but learn and develop as a person and grow empathy and kindness and respect and love for themselves and others, that's the most important thing to me as a person.
Wes talks to the camera.
I think bigger picture wise, the benefits will come through building the teaching capabilities of the Tararua District.
Alisea talks to the camera.
This programme has prepared me really well for my first teaching role. I feel like no matter what, you're always going to feel nervous about having your first classroom. I think that's positive when you're nervous about something that you love. You should be. But I feel as though I have really learned how to not only get up and deliver a lesson, but able to intertwine all of the curriculum needs, the pedagogical approaches, the ability to create a safe learning environment. For next year, I feel super prepared to go into my next classroom knowing that I have all of the basics and ability to build on what I need to build on to be the best teacher I can be.
An end slide appears. It reads ‘Find out more about the School Onsite Training Programme – SOTP. Inspire the future. Become a teacher.’ A graphic shows a cursor clicking on a link to Workforce.education.govt.nz. The slide has the Ministry of Education and New Zealand government logos.
A woman talks to the camera. ‘Bernice Cullen, SOTP Student 2026 – Te Anau School’ is written on the left-hand side of the screen.
I'm Bernice Cullen and I am a student teacher at Te Anau Primary School. Growing up, I spent a lot of time around teachers as my mum is a teacher. I really liked watching how committed she was to the job. I knew it was something I wanted to do. I really like teaching kids, I always have. Like growing up I was coaching any sports team I could. I just loved helping other people. I really do care about educating others.
I was interested in the SOTP programme because it meant I could live at home, which was something I really was looking forward to being able to do. I wanted to move home and do it online. Also, I coach Tennis so living in Te Anau was something really important to me because I could do that as well.
A woman talks to the camera. ‘Fallon Graham, Tumuaki/Principal – Te Anau School’ is written on the left-hand side of the screen.
The biggest difference for people in the programme would be that they are with their family, they are well supported, but also time in the classroom. That's what gives you a real experience about what it is to be a teacher.
Bernice talks to the camera.
I think being in the SOTP programme has been really helpful because you are so hands on in the classroom. You're planning. You’re teaching. You're hanging out after school with the AT. You get to do everything with the kids and I've been given so much opportunity with my AT. She's been letting me do so much, which is awesome. My experience with SOTP so far has been amazing. We spent a week together in Auckland getting to know lots of things hands on and then we were brought back to school. Now I'm at school three days a week for the whole entire year, which is awesome. And I just finished a five week block at Fiordland College where I taught year eights.
Fallon talks to the camera
What motivated us to take part in the programme was the fact that you cannot get better experience of teaching than doing it on the ground. For people who are part of a community like ours, it means that you don't have to leave your hometown or your family to go and pursue something that you want to become. It's a nice, supportive way of looking after people in your own community.
Bernice talks to the camera.
As I didn't grow up here, I didn't actually know a lot of the community. Doing a programme like this and being so involved with the school and the community, it's been really helpful. It’s such an amazing place here. Everyone is amazing and wants to help me, and the teachers here are great. They are always asking if they can do anything for me or if I'd like to come and hang out with them for the morning to see what they do. It's been really awesome.
A day at Te Anau Primary school is really busy. We get to school and have yarns with the kids. We talk about what's been going on after school, what's been happening in the weekend, and then into class. We do fitness, we do spelling, reading, writing, all those fun things. And then we spend lunch talking to other colleagues in the staff room, which is really cool. So I've made some really cool relationships with those people. You just get so much experience. You don't realise yet what goes on. So being able to actually do it and get thrown in the deep end I think is really cool and something that I've really enjoyed. I like just getting stuck in and having a go. And I think, yeah, you need to be in school this much to actually be prepared for the real world of teaching.
Fallon talks to the camera.
For schools that are hesitant about becoming involved, I would say don't be. I think we've had a really positive experience. So far so good. But also, it's about including your community. These teachers, they want to be part of your crew. We need good teachers. And this is a way of giving them such great supportive experience on the ground. Again, you can't buy that.
Bernice talks to the camera.
After I graduate this programme, I would definitely see myself in the rural community working at a small school. I grew up in a small school in a small community and I would love to stay around the area. Probably Southland because I just love it. The SOTP programme has really prepared me for a future teacher's role by just getting in there and planning and teaching. I don't think I realised I wasn't actually that confident standing in front of a classroom until I actually had to do it. And now I've grown so much and I think I am ready to get out there and actually teach.
An end slide appears. It reads ‘Find out more about the School Onsite Training Programme – SOTP. Inspire the future. Become a teacher.’ A graphic shows a cursor clicking on a link to Workforce.education.govt.nz. The slide has the Ministry of Education and New Zealand government logos
A woman talks to the camera. ‘Crystal Sargent, SOTP Student 2026 – Woodville School’ is written on the left-hand side of the screen.
My name is Crystal Sargent, and I am at Woodville School. I'm a teacher aide and I'm halfway through the programme. I decided to become a teacher. I've been wanting to be a teacher since I was 12 years old. I had a primary school teacher in a little school who was incredible and showed me the world. Teaching for me is something that happens through every part of your life. I've taught my own children at home. I've been taught myself by children and by other adults. In a school context, I think it means giving children the ability to want to learn for the rest of their lives.
Working and studying is good for me because I have a big family, 5 kids, and my partner has got his own business. It's been a bit easier because I know the school. I know the kids. I know the staff. The aspect of the programme that's had the biggest impact is being able to do the programme and work as a TA because without that I don't think I could afford to do this. It's not something that a lot of schools do, but it's definitely working so far. I think it's a good model.
A man talks to the camera.
‘Wes Va’ai-Wells, Tumuaki/Principal – Woodville School’ is written on the left-hand side of the screen.
What motivated us to be involved with the SOTP programme was the idea that I wanted to grow capable teachers within Tararua and within our own school. So we had two outstanding TAs who were qualified with a university degree and the SOTP programme allowed us to potentially include them to get qualified as teachers.
Crystal speaks to the camera.
It's worth it. It's challenging, but if you want to be a teacher, then you do it. It's a great pathway. Being in school three days a week for a whole year, you get a lot of knowledge, a lot more than some of the other pathways. You spend a lot of time in schools. You're not just learning how to be a teacher. You're learning school culture. You're learning management. You're getting to know kids really well. And I think that's really valuable moving forward.
Wes speaks to the camera.
While it presents the challenges of balancing work life and study, it is completely achievable with a flexible team. I think our context of being a small school meant that we could wrap around and support the student teachers but also wrap around our students’ needs and make sure everything was covered. Reassuring our families that their kids’ needs were being met as well.
Crystal speaks to the camera.
The impact I'd like to have goes back to that idea of the spark and lifelong learning, the joy of learning. I want to have an impact to make children feel safe, heard, and enjoy the learning process. To set them up for their future because if you can enjoy learning, then you'll continue to do it.
You're in a school three days a week, for the whole year. You're exposed to different teaching styles and you learn so much. You're just amongst it for three days straight and you can't not learn. It's like through osmosis. It just seeps into you. You're around it all day long. I feel like that's probably the biggest thing with this programme is that you have so much time in your base school and it's really valuable.
An end slide appears. It reads ‘Find out more about the School Onsite Training Programme – SOTP. Inspire the future. Become a teacher.’ A graphic shows a cursor clicking on a link to Workforce.education.govt.nz. The slide has the Ministry of Education and New Zealand government logos.
To take part in SOTP, you must meet eligibility requirements.
You must:
- be a graduate, as this is a one-year graduate or post-graduate training programme
- be a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or holder of a resident visa. International students are not eligible
- be enrolled in an approved SOTP one-year Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme that leads to teacher registration
- not have accepted a TeachNZ scholarship.*
* You can apply for both a TeachNZ Scholarship and an SOTP place. However, if you are offered both, you can only accept one.
SOTP student teachers can hold a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) or another school role but cannot be employed to work in a host school on the 3 days that form part of the SOTP placement.
| Provider name | Programme type | Programme name(s) and links |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland University of Technology | Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau | Primary Programme | Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning - AUT |
| Secondary Programme | Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching | |
| Laidlaw College | Secondary Programme | Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) |
| Massey University of New Zealand | Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa | Primary Programme | Graduate Diploma of Learning & Teaching |
| Open Polytech | Kuratini Tuwhera | Primary Programme | OP7035 Graduate Diploma in Teaching |
| Secondary Programme | OP7036 Graduate Diploma in Teaching | |
| Te Rito Maioha Primary Teacher Education | Primary Programme | Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) |
| The Teachers' Institute | Primary Programme | Post Graduate Diploma (Primary) |
| Secondary Programme | Post Graduate Diploma (Secondary) | |
| The University of Waikato | Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | Primary and Secondary Programme(s) | |
| Toi Kura Massey University of New Zealand | Te Kunenga Ki Pūrehuroa | Māori Medium/Kaupapa Māori - Primary Programme | Te Aho Paerewa Postgraduate Diploma Teaching and Learning in Māori Medium - PGDipT&LMM |
| University of Otago | Ōtākau Whakaihu Waka | Primary and Secondary Programme | Graduate Diploma of Teaching (GradDipTchg) |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka | Primary Programme | |
| Secondary Programme | ||
| Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland | Primary Programme | |
| Secondary Programme | ||
| Māori Medium/Kaupapa Māori - Primary Programme | Māori Medium Graduate Diploma in Teaching |
Contact us
Contact your preferred provider directly from the list of ITE providers and programmes. Please get in touch if you have any other questions about the information on this page, we're here to help.
Looking for something else?
Try one of the links below.-
Ngā karahipi TeachNZ
TeachNZ scholarships
Our TeachNZ scholarships can financially support you on your journey to becoming a great teachereast -
Kaupapa Māori | Māori Medium EBITE Programme Funding Award
Learn about the funding award supporting those on a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) to train as a teacherPrincipals and schoolseast