Kindergarten Head Teachers' Sabbatical

Your application, which must be made in consultation with your employer, should identify the purpose(s) and the likely benefits of your sabbatical.  

Educational Leadership Capability Framework

• Building and sustaining high-trust relationships
• Ensuring culturally responsive practice and understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s cultural heritage, using Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the foundation.
• Building and sustaining collective leadership and professional community.
• Strategically thinking and planning.
• Evaluating practices in relation to outcomes.
• Adept management of resources to achieve vision and goals.
• Attending to their own learning as leaders and their own wellbeing.
• Embodying the organisation’s values and showing moral purpose, optimism, agency, and resilience.
• Contributing to the development and wellbeing of education beyond their organisation.

Te Ara Poutama

• He Whāriki Motuhake: The learner and their learning
• Whakangungu Ngaio: Collaborative professional learning and development builds knowledge and capability
• Ngā Aronga Whai Hua: Evaluation for Improvement
• Kaihautū: Leadership fosters collaboration and Improvement

To apply for a Kindergarten Head Teachers’ Sabbatical, you must:  

• be employed permanently in a New Zealand Kindergarten as a Kaiako Matua (head teacher*)
• have over 2 years' service as a kindergarten Kaiako Matua
• have not held a TeachNZ Sabbatical or Study Award within the last 5 years
• have a full and current Tiwhikete Whakaakoranga | Full Practising Certificate (Category One)
• not currently be under any form of action listed in the Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers' Collective Agreement competency clause 6.3
• work at least a 0.8 full-time teaching equivalent (FTTE).

*A head teacher is a trained and qualified teacher certificated by the Teaching Council. In addition to undertaking their teaching duties, they are the pedagogical and operational lead of a free kindergarten. This is as determined by the kindergarten employer in agreement with the teacher and in accordance with the teacher’s position description. 

Purpose

State the purpose of your sabbatical in terms of your professional learning. This will describe the work planned and may include time for reflection. (500-word limit)

Benefits

Outline the benefits of your sabbatical activities to yourself, the tamariki, the kindergarten, and the wider community. Your proposal should specify the nature of the benefits of the sabbatical, including the impacts on the learning outcomes for tamariki. (250-word limit)

Reporting

Describe how you will share your sabbatical findings and who you will share them with. (250-word limit)

Submitting your application

It’s important to ensure you submit all the required information. If your application is incomplete, or not in the correct format, our selection panel may not be able to assess it fully. 

We can only accept applications submitted through our online form above during the open dates. Late applications will not be considered. 

Payment during your sabbatical

You will receive your normal salary from your employer. We will provide relief funding to your employer in accordance with the collective agreement.

If successful in applying for the sabbatical, you and your kindergarten will receive instructions on how to charge us, the Ministry of Education, for the relief costs associated with your sabbatical.

Course fees or any additional expenses

There is no contribution to course fees or additional expenses with the sabbatical.

Postponing a sabbatical

You cannot postpone your sabbatical. If you need to withdraw from the sabbatical, you will need to let us know in writing that you would like to withdraw. We can accept this by email: teacher.studyawards@education.govt.nz

If you need to withdraw from the sabbatical, you can apply again in future with no prejudice.

Splitting your sabbatical

You cannot spilt your sabbatical. It must be taken in one block.

Informing your employer

You must inform your employer that you are applying for the sabbatical, but you do not need to have their support. If successful, we will inform your employer you have been offered the sabbatical.

Assessment of applications

Your application will be checked to ensure it meets all eligibility criteria. 

A selection panel, made up of representatives from kindergarten associations, NZEI Te Riu Roa, and the Ministry of Education will then assess your application.