Join a community of changemakers committed to creating a fair Aotearoa in which all young people can realise their potential.
If you’re anything like us, you recognise that the education system is not set up to serve all young people equally.
This leads to significant disparities in educational outcomes which impact our young people for life.
Ako Mātāupu is offering you an opportunity to be part of the solution.
The Teach First NZ Programme will support you to bring your knowledge and experience into the classroom and create learning spaces in which all young people can thrive.
Earn while you learn and establish a stable and rewarding career that allows you to focus on what matters most: shaping futures and transforming lives!
This two-year, employment-based programme offers a fully funded Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching, allowing participants to teach in one of our partner schools with expert mentorship and support.
To be eligible for the Teach First NZ Programme, you need to:
The Teach First NZ Programme exists to support our partner schools serving low-income communities to find teachers in subjects that are difficult to staff.
These subjects typically include the Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Technology and Digital Technology, Mathematics & Statistics, English (Literature), Te Reo Māori and Pacific Languages.
Eligibility to teach a subject typically requires papers up to 300-level. In some cases, we may also take professional experience into consideration.
If your background is in a different subject you are still welcome to apply, please just note that scholarships are awarded based on the subject needs in our partner schools.
Demonstrate commitment to being of service as a secondary school teacher through the following competencies:
Become an Ako Mātātupu teacher and set young people up for success in the classroom and beyond.
Engage in rigorous training covering teaching skills, cultural intelligence, and leadership abilities.
Be part of a global network of change makers and leaders committed to making a difference.
Receive a salary while you train so you can continue taking care of yourself and others!
Gain a world-class, fully funded Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching.
Receive next-level wrap-around support from our Community of Care.
Ako Mātātupu is a community of changemakers committed to creating a fair Aotearoa in which all young people can realise their potential.
Our team are highly skilled educators, passionate and committed to supporting Teach First NZ participants to become highly effective teachers in and outside of the classroom.
With 10 cohorts, a 90% graduation rate and over 85% of our graduates continuing to teach in the communities they serve, our impact speaks volumes.
Join us and be part of a movement that is shaping the future of education.
Submit your application to demonstrate how you would make an impact as a secondary school teacher.
Engage in rigorous training to develop your teaching skills, cultural intelligence, and leadership abilities.
Graduate as a fully qualified teacher and make a significant impact in schools, creating lasting change in your community.
Meet some of our Kairapu (alumni) who are making a difference in their communities.
Download our comprehensive Info Pack to learn more about the Teach First NZ Programme.
The Info Pack includes everything you need to know about our mission, programme structure, eligibility criteria, and how you can make a difference.
Some of our applicants are already working in schools, but this is not a requirement!
Teach First NZ Programme participants are employed full time in a secondary school. However, we provide the opportunity to access large parts of the programme online so that you can serve in a secondary school in your local area.
Teach First NZ Programme participants are paid on the Untrained Teacher Pay Scale which ranges from $51,160 and $85,529. Which step you would start on would be determined by the level of qualifications you hold and relevant work experience you bring.
The Teach First NZ Programme is 2 years, full-time.
Yes, the Teach First NZ Programme offers the Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching which is a Level 8 qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). You will be registered as a teacher with the New Zealand Teaching Council with provisional certification on completion of this programme.
As the Teach First NZ Programme is recognised at Level 8 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF), it will be recognised as equivalent to any other Level 8 qualification on the Framework.
The Teach First NZ Programme is taught in English. As an organisation committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and with primarily indigenous staff members, our Teacher Educators will use kupu (words) in Te Reo Māori and the Pacific languages on a semi-regular basis, but every effort is made to ensure you understand, and your language proficiency will grow even stronger as consequence!
The Teach First NZ Programme exists to support our partner schools serving low-income communities to find teachers in subjects that are difficult to staff. These subjects typically include the Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), Technology and Digital Technology, Mathematics & Statistics, English (Literature), Te Reo Māori and Pacific Languages. If your background is in a different subject you are still welcome to apply, please just note that scholarships are awarded based on the subject needs in our partner schools.
The Teach First NZ Scholarship covers the fees for the Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Schools teaching and associated programme costs. This means no student loan!
No. We are looking for participants who will champion all young people throughout their education journey.
We are looking for people with a Level 7 Qualification or higher against the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. You will require knowledge equivalent to 300-level in a secondary school curriculum area.
As long as you hold a Level 7 qualification or higher and have sufficient papers to teach your subject, you would be deemed to have suitable subject knowledge. We offer support for people to update their curriculum knowledge if they have studied a long time ago.
While professional experience is an advantage, it is not an entry requirement.
No. Speaking even a little Te Reo Māori can be beneficial but you do not need to speak Te Reo Māori to gain entry onto the programme.
No. However, you do need to be in the final year of your degree to apply.
You will require at least 4 papers in a secondary school curriculum area. At least one of these papers must be at 300-level to have sufficient knowledge to teach senior students in your subject area.
The Teach First NZ Programme exists to support our partner schools, who serve low-income communities, to find teachers in subjects that are difficult to staff. The largest number of partner schools is in Tāmaki Makaurau, and we have partner schools spotted throughout the rest of the country. The more flexible you are in where you are able to live, the higher your employment opportunities would be, but you do not have to be open to moving to apply for the programme.
The Teach First NZ Programme is an intensive training programme, given that you are completing a Postgraduate Diploma while teaching in a school. Everyone’s circumstances will be different so it comes down to the individual determining what’s possible for them and their whānau, but we do have many participants who are parents and caregivers on the programme.
We work with secondary schools serving low-income communities across the motu. Contact us if you would like to know if there is an existing partner school - or a school there is potential to partner with - in your area.
The Teach First NZ Programme is recognised by StudyLink. StudyLink has their own requirements to determine where they are able to offer financial support. We would recommend that you contact StudyLink to see if financial support is available.
Our Māori and Pasifika communities are among the fastest growing in Aotearoa yet remain among those most under-served in the education system.
Ensuring all young people have equal opportunity to fulfil their potential is a collective responsibility.
Without change-makers like you, these educational disparities will persist and the future of Aotearoa will hang in the balance.
Join the Teach First NZ Programme and open up pathways to success for all students.
Join Ako Mātātupu through the Teach First NZ Programme and transform the future of education in Aotearoa.
