Primary School Teacher
Kaiako Kura Tuatahi
Alternative titles for this job
Primary school teachers teach children between the ages of five and 13 at primary or intermediate schools.
Pay
Primary school teachers usually earn
$55K-$95K per year
Source: MoE, 2023-2025.
Job opportunities
Vocational PathwaysPay
Pay for primary school teachers varies depending on qualifications and experience.
- Primary school teachers usually start on $55,000 and can earn up to $91,000 a year.
- Primary school teachers with higher qualifications usually start on $66,000 and can earn up to $95,000 a year.
Primary school teachers may also qualify for higher pay and allowances if they have extra responsibilities.
Source: Ministry of Education, 'Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement 2023-2025'.
Voluntary bonding scheme in hard-to-staff schools
Primary school teachers who work in schools identified as hard to staff may be eligible for an extra $10,500 after three consecutive years of teaching, then $3,500 after the fourth year, and a further $3,500 after the fifth year.
Extra pay in private or independent schools
Primary school teachers who teach in private or independent schools may earn higher salaries.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)
What you will do
Primary school teachers may do some or all of the following:
- plan, prepare and present lessons
- teach a wide range of subjects such as arts, English, maths and science
- keep up to date with curriculum changes and assessment methods
- assess and record learning and development of each child
- observe and manage student behaviour
- help to develop children's social skills and behaviours
- meet with parents, whānau and caregivers at planning or teacher/parent evenings
- lead a curriculum area, such as English or maths, within the school
- get involved in extracurricular activities such as camps, sports coaching and school fairs
- do lunchtime playground duty or road patrol duty.
Skills and knowledge
Primary school teachers need to have knowledge of:
- different teaching methods and learning styles
- the New Zealand school curriculum
- how to plan units and lessons, and evaluate students' progress
- child development, including learning difficulties and how to identify them
- behaviour management techniques such as establishing boundaries and rewarding positive behaviour
- school rules, policies and procedures, including safety and emergency procedures.
Working conditions
Primary school teachers:
- usually work with children from about 8am until 3.30pm. They also work outside these hours doing administrative work, attending meetings and doing extracurricular activities such as coaching sports teams
- work in classrooms, which may be noisy, and occasionally outside in the playground or sports field
- may accompany students on field trips, sports events and school camps.
Entry requirements
To become a primary school teacher you need to have one of the following:
- Bachelor of Education (Teaching)
- Bachelor of Teaching (Primary or Māori Medium)
- Bachelor of Teaching and Learning (Primary).
Alternatively, you can complete a four-year conjoint degree, such as a BA/BTeach or BSc/BTeach, which combines study in teaching subjects with teacher training. This conjoint degree means you can teach both primary and secondary students.
Education requirements for graduates
If you already have a Bachelor's degree that is not in education or teaching, you also need to complete one of the following:
- Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary)
- Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning (Primary)
- Master of Teaching (Primary)
- Master of Teaching and Learning (Primary)
- Postgraduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning in Māori Medium.
You also need to be registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and have a current practising certificate.
Scholarships available for Māori and Pasifika
Primary school teacher scholarships for course fees and sometimes allowances are available for:
- Māori medium trainee teachers
- Māori or Pasifika high achievers – students who have completed one year of undergraduate study with a B+ grade average and show strong leadership skills.
The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 means that if you have certain serious convictions, you can’t be employed in a role where you are responsible for, or work alone with, children.
Secondary education
A tertiary entrance qualification is required to enter further training.
Additional requirements for specialist roles:
Special Education Teacher
To become a special education teacher you need to have two years or more of primary school teaching experience, full teacher registration, and a postgraduate qualification in the area of special education you wish to teach in.
Personal requirements
Primary school teachers need to be:
- skilled at communicating clearly with children and adults from a range of backgrounds and cultures
- organised, and good at solving problems quickly
- enthusiastic, open-minded and able to motivate children
- creative and adaptable
- able to work well under pressure
- firm and fair, with a sense of humour
- able to work well in a team.
Useful experience
Useful experience for primary school teachers includes:
- child counselling
- work with people with disabilities
- school holiday programme work
- childcare work or work as a teacher aide
- working with children through groups such as Brownies and Scouts
- coaching sports teams.
Physical requirements
Primary school teachers need to be reasonably fit and healthy, as they may stand for long periods, do playground duty and physical education, coach sport, and run school camps. Teachers usually need to know how to swim.
Registration
Primary school teachers need to be registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and have a current practising certificate.
Find out more about training
- Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
- (04) 471 0852 - enquiries@teachingcouncil.nz - www.teachingcouncil.nz
- TeachNZ
- 0800 165 225 - teachnz.admin@education.govt.nz - www.teachnz.govt.nz
What are the chances of getting a job?
Shortage of primary school teachers
Demand for primary school teachers is expected to remain high. This is because:
- high birth rates in the early 2010s mean more children at primary schools until 2025
- a large number of teachers are expected to retire by 2023.
As a result the following roles appear on Immigration New Zealand's Green list:
Principal, Kaiako Kura Kaupapa Māori (Māori-medium Primary School Teacher), Pouako (Kura Kaupapa Māori – Māori-medium Primary School Senior Teacher), primary, intermediate, middle school, special needs, teacher of hearing impaired, teacher of sight impaired, special education teacher and teacher of English to speakers of other languages (if working in primary, intermediate or secondary schools).
This means the Government is actively encouraging skilled teachers in these roles from overseas to work in New Zealand.
According to the Census, 33,519 primary school teachers worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Demand highest in Auckland
Demand for primary school teachers is highest in urban North Island areas.
Primary school teachers are leaving Auckland due to the high cost of housing, and commuting times making it difficult to balance work and life.
Teachers who speak Māori in high demand
Qualified primary school teachers who also speak te reo Māori are in high demand to teach in kura kaupapa Māori (Māori language immersion schools) and in general primary schools.
The Government offers scholarships and additional salary payments to encourage people to train in this area.
Most teachers employed by the Government
State schools are the biggest employers of primary school teachers, but teachers may also work for private and state-integrated schools such as Catholic schools.
Sources
- Collins, S, 'NZEI Survey Points to Possible Improvement in Teacher Shortage', 18 February 2019, (www.nzherald.co.nz).
- Education Counts, 'Teacher Headcount by Age', accessed February 2019, (www.educationcounts.govt.nz).
- Gerritsen, J, 'Principals Worried By Teacher Shortage Forecast', 18 October 2018, (www.radionz.co.nz).
- Immigration New Zealand, Transport Sector Agreement Finalised and Green List Changes Confirmed, 26 April 2023, (www.immigration.govt.nz).
- Redmond, A, 'NZ Schools Need 376 Teachers For 2019 As Overseas Recruitment Drive Comes "Too Late"', 23 January 2019, (www.stuff.co.nz).
- Stats NZ, '2018 Census Data', 2019.
- TeachNZ website, accessed February 2019, (www.teachnz.govt.nz).
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)
Progression and specialisations
Primary school teachers may move into managerial roles, such as deputy principal or principal, or they may move into work outside the school system, such as:
- teaching trainee teachers at universities
- doing research, policy or advisory work in the education sector
- working in training and education roles in a museum or art gallery.
With further training, primary school teachers may progress to become special education teachers.
Primary school teachers can help children learn through play
Last updated 2 July 2024