Updating Results

Ako Mātātupu: Teach First NZ

  • 500 - 1,000 employees

Ako Mātātupu: Teach First NZ Graduate Programs & Internships

  • Education & Training

Quick facts

Who is Ako Mātātupu? Ako Mātātupu is a social change organisation steered by Tangata Whenua working to address inequities in the education system by adopting an innovative and culturally sustainable approach to teaching and leadership.

Best known for: The Teach First NZ Programme (TFNZ) which trains teachers and leaders to remove educational barriers so all young people can reach their potential.   

The opportunity: As a participant in the Teach First NZ Programme, graduates will gain extensive leadership experience as a paid beginning teacher while working towards an all-fees-paid Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching.  Teaching opportunities are available with our Decile 1-5 partner schools across the motu. This really is the ultimate earn-as-you-learn opportunity! 

Graduate outcomes: TFNZ graduates typically go on to rich and rewarding careers as secondary teachers; work towards change in Aotearoa's non-profit, social enterprise, research and government sectors; or join a global network of change-makers working towards a more equitable future. The opportunities are truly endless. 

The Ako Mātātupu: Teach First NZ story

Ako Mātātupu: Teach First NZ was founded in 2011 with the aim of bridging the gap of educational inequality through its flagship teaching and education leadership programme Teach First NZ. We are part of a global Teach for All network that can be found in more than 40 countries. 

The TFNZ Programme

Ako Mātātupu is looking for graduates to join the 2-year Teach First NZ Programme and become change-makers in the education system. 

To be eligible, grads will need a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of four papers (with at least 1 paper at 300-level or Level 7) in one of the following high-demand subject areas:

  • Te Reo Māori
  • Gagana Sāmoa
  • Lea faka-Tonga
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Digital Technology
  • Technology
  • Computer Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Statistics
  • English

*Other subjects may be considered where a need arises in a partner school. If your subject area falls outside this list, it is recommended that you submit an application and Ako Mātātupu will advise of any opportunities available.

*If you are fluent in Te Reo Māori or a Pacific language but do not hold a degree in this area, you can sit a language assessment to teach these subjects.

*Graduates who hold a qualification that allows them to teach in Aotearoa New Zealand - and/or have been the recipient of a TeachNZ scholarship - will not be eligible for this opportunity.

Successful applicants will participate in the TFNZ Summer Intensive — a seven-week programme starting in November 2023 that prepares participants to teach and lead their own classes from January 2024. Participants will carry a 12-hour teaching load with 4 hours of in-school mentoring and support while working to achieve a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching.

The culture

The Ako Mātātupu whānau are committed to thinking courageously; being of service to the community; working in partnership, and taking an ‘indigenous-first’ approach. 

Participants in the Teach First NZ Programme report feeling connected through their shared sense of purpose and always ready to support one another on the unique and powerful TFNZ development journey. 

To be accepted into the Teach First NZ Programme, graduates will need to actively demonstrate their commitment to this kaupapa, along with the following competencies:

  • Humility, self-awareness and openness to learning
  • Commitment and resilience
  • Relating to others
  • Serving community
  • Respect and empathy
  • Cultural intelligence
  • Commitment to kaupapa
  • Organisation and planning
  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Achievement

The Teach First NZ Programme offers a unique experience with hugely positive outcomes. Upon graduation, 95% of participants stay in their teaching roles. The remainder has either started working for Ako Mātātupu or become change agents in related areas — which is a testament to the organisation’s culture and wide-reaching impact.

A note from Ako Mātātupu:

Ko te piko o te māhuri, tērā te tupu o te rākau. 
The way the sapling is shaped determines how the tree grows.

Kia Ora, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Fakalofalahi atu, Bula Vinaka, Kia Orana, and Warm Pacific Greetings from the Ako Mātātupu whānau.

We are excited to open applications to join Teach First NZ Cohort 2024!

All young people in Aotearoa have potential, but not all young people have equal opportunities. In fact, Aotearoa has one of the highest rates of educational inequality in the developed world, ranking 33rd out of 38 in UNICEF's latest report. Our education system is four times more likely to fail a student from a low-socioeconomic community.

If the idea of disrupting the system so that all young people can fulfil their potential is appealing to you — you're in the right place and we can't wait to meet you!

We look forward to receiving your application.

Ngā mihi nui. Kia manawanui, kia toa.

The Ako Mātātupu team

Recruitment Process

The Teach First  is a 4-stage recruitment process:

  1. Online application (written)
  2. Phone interview
  3. Ako Centre (online or in-person)
  4. Job offer and induction

1. As part of the written application, Ako Mātātupu encourages you to share your experiences, achievements and motivations, as well as your understanding of the barriers many young people face in the education system. If selected, you will be invited to a phone interview.

2. The phone interview lasts between 20 and 30 minutes and provides you with the opportunity to share more about yourself and your motivation to participate in the Teach First NZ Programme. Successful candidates will then be invited to attend a one-day Ako Centre.

3. During an Ako Center, you'll participate in:

  • a pepehā process
  • an interview
  • a group exercise
  • a sample teaching lesson; and
  • self-reflection exercises.

4. Successful candidates will then be made an offer to the programme, starting with a seven-week intensive training period that begins in mid-November. You’ll start teaching in one of Ako Mātātupu's partner schools in January of the following year.

Remuneration & Career Growth

The Teach First NZ trainee teachers earn a full salary. You can expect to earn between $43,381 and $77,584 in your first year, which is the New Zealand government’s estimated base pay for untrained secondary teachers.  Every year you will proceed up the pay scale until you reach the top which is currently $90,000 per year + potential Management Units for extra responsibilities.

Throughout the 2 years of the programme, participants are paid according to the ‘untrained teachers’ salary scale which is outlined in the 2022 Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement (STCA). 

The step at which participants enter the scale is determined by the highest academic qualification that they hold. In addition to an assessment of their highest academic qualifications, participants are also able to apply to have past teaching experience and relevant work experience credited towards their salary step. As with all other teachers in New Zealand, participants have their degree level and relevant work experience assessed by the Ministry of Education’s Salary Assessment Unit. 

At the start of their second year on the Teach First NZ Programme, and each subsequent year, participants progress one step up the pay scale.

Ako Mātātupu also provides participants with a full scholarship to complete the Postgraduate Diploma of Secondary Teaching while they teach (meaning no fees or student loans!)

Jobs & Opportunities

Locations With Jobs & Opportunities
  • Our partner schools are in towns and cities all over Aotearoa, but as we respond to the need of the community, a degree of flexibility is appreciated on the part of our participants.
Hiring candidates with qualifications in
B
Business & Management
C
Creative Arts
E
Engineering & Mathematics
H
Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
I
IT & Computer Science
L
Law, Legal Studies & Justice
M
Medical & Health Sciences
P
Property & Built Environment
S
Sciences
T
Teaching & Education

Graduate Success Stories


  • Graduate stories
I love seeing rangatahi Māori feeling successful knowing the reo of their tipuna.

Phinia Evans

  • Graduate stories
I love seeing rangatahi Māori feeling successful knowing the reo of their tipuna.

Phinia Evans

  • Graduate stories
It made me so happy to see that students who were initially having trouble being engaged in class are now the ones leading the learning for the rest of my students.

Janel Tolentino

  • Graduate stories
It made me so happy to see that students who were initially having trouble being engaged in class are now the ones leading the learning for the rest of my students.

Janel Tolentino

  • Graduate stories
I love seeing rangatahi Māori feeling successful knowing the reo of their tipuna.

Phinia Evans

  • Graduate stories
I love seeing rangatahi Māori feeling successful knowing the reo of their tipuna.

Phinia Evans

  • Graduate stories
It made me so happy to see that students who were initially having trouble being engaged in class are now the ones leading the learning for the rest of my students.

Janel Tolentino

  • Graduate stories
It made me so happy to see that students who were initially having trouble being engaged in class are now the ones leading the learning for the rest of my students.

Janel Tolentino


Videos


Testimonial - Liziana Fa'asolo

As a teacher, Liziana Fa'asolo (Cohort 2018) draws on her Biomedical Science degree and cultural knowledge to make science exciting, relevant, and encourage more Māori and Pasifika learners into STEM careers.

Testimonial - Mitchel Clark (Ngāpuhi)

Mitchell Clark - Ngāpuhi (Cohort 2018) sees teaching Physics as a way to give back to the South Auckland community that raised him. Here's Mitchell's story.

Testimonial - Liziana Fa'asolo

As a teacher, Liziana Fa'asolo (Cohort 2018) draws on her Biomedical Science degree and cultural knowledge to make science exciting, relevant, and encourage more Māori and Pasifika learners into STEM careers.

Testimonial - Mitchel Clark (Ngāpuhi)

Mitchell Clark - Ngāpuhi (Cohort 2018) sees teaching Physics as a way to give back to the South Auckland community that raised him. Here's Mitchell's story.