Teacher Bonding Scheme

Are you a teacher or kaiako looking to work at a school where you’re most needed? You could take your skills to a school that needs them most and receive lump-sum incentive payments. Find out more about our Teacher Bonding Scheme below.

Teacher Bonding Scheme

The Teacher Bonding Scheme (TBS) recognises the important contribution teachers make when they work in Priority Staffing Schools. Each year, eligible schools can apply for a TBS placement. If successful, a school can assign the placement to one teaching vacancy, allowing the successful applicant to participate in the scheme.

How can teachers participate in the scheme? 

TBS placements are linked to specific teaching vacancies in Priority Staffing Schools. Vacancies that are eligible for the TBS will be identified in the job advertisement. Teachers that meet the eligibility criteria can apply for these roles and, if appointed, participate in the scheme.

Eligibility Criteria

Teacher Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the TBS, a teacher must:

• hold and maintain a current practicing certification (Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand)
• not have been employed by the school, either permanently or on a fixed-term basis, within the previous 12 months. Exceptions are stated below.

The 12-month exclusion does not apply where the preferred candidate was previously employed at the same school:

• under a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) and now meets the qualification and practising certificate requirements above; or
• as a day relief teacher and is now being appointed to a fixed-term or permanent eligible teaching position.

Position eligibility criteria

When considering applying, please note that only positions that meet the following criteria are eligible for the TBS:

• commence in Term 4 or Term 1 of the year of the specified funding round,
• be for at least 0.3 FTTE, and
• be for a minimum term of 12 months.

Payment Information

Teachers appointed to TBS roles will receive a lump sum payment annually, up to a maximum of $40,000 before tax over five years through payroll. Once recruited, the teacher must complete 12 months continuous service at a minimum of 0.3FTTE to be eligible for payments. The teacher must continue in the appointment to receive their annual payments. Payments are made in Term 1 annually. Please see the below table for a breakdown.

Payments are prorated according to a teacher’s FTTE. See table below for an example of the prorated breakdown.

TBS payments are made directly to teachers, who can decide how the funds are used.

Payments are subject to income tax, an ACC earners levy, and may have an impact on their income tax obligations, Working for Families payments, and child support payments, etc.

We suggest participants seek independent tax advice on how scheme payments may affect their tax position. For further tax information, contact Inland Revenue on 0800 775 247 or visit the IRD website.

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