Te Wā Whakatā Whakaako mō te Kaiako o ngā Kura ā-Rohe
Area School Teachers' Sabbatical
Reflect, rejuvenate and undertake professional learning with a paid sabbatical
Image
calendar_today
Last updated 4 June 2026
The Area School Teachers' Sabbatical gives you paid leave for 10 school weeks so you can reflect, rejuvenate and undertake professional learning. Each year, we offer 12 sabbaticals to teachers in state or state-integrated area schools.
Application period now open
You must have ESL access to apply. Your ESL account must be linked to your current school with “TeachNZ Study Awards” role. Contact your school’s ESL Delegated Authoriser or visit the Applications & Online Systems website for help.
Applications for the 2027 Area School Teachers' Sabbatical open on 2 June 2026.
To apply for an Area School Teachers' Sabbatical, you must:
be employed under the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) or applicable individual employment agreement (IEA)
hold a full and current practising certificate
be a full-time and registered teacher with at least 10 years' continuous teaching service working in a New Zealand state or state-integrated school
not currently be under review for competence and/or conduct and discipline (as per sections 2.3 or 2.4 of the ASTCA).
Professional learning activity
Outline the professional learning activities you will undertake.
Purpose
State the purpose of your sabbatical in terms of your professional learning. Explain what you will investigate, study and develop during your sabbatical.
Benefits of sabbatical
Outline the benefits of your sabbatical activities to yourself, your students, your school, and your community. You should describe the expected benefits of the sabbatical, including the impact on your students’ learning outcomes.
Reporting
Describe how you will share your sabbatical findings and who you will share them with.
You will have a 250-word limit for each question. You will also need to provide generic employment information on the form.
If you are applying without support from your principal or school board/employer, please upload a letter confirming this to the online application form or you will not be able to apply.
Please upload this in the supporting documents section. You may choose either format.
Contact us
If you have any questions, we're here to help.
See our Contact us page for more information on how to get in touch.
