Waikanae Kindergarten -Permant Fulltime Head Teacher

At He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens (WMK), we're proud to support over 100 kindergartens across a variety of regions—from Whanganui, Central Plateau, Horowhenua, Manawatū, Kāpiti, Porirua, Greater Wellington, Upper Hutt, Wairarapa and South Otago. We also offer a unique home-based service, Etu Ao, in Porirua and Levin, with a special focus on Pasific families.

We believe that high quality early childhood education is a powerful force—for children, their whānau, their communities, and for the future of Aotearoa New Zealand. Our vision is to be a national leader in early childhood education, setting the standard and advocating for excellence and access across the country.

At the heart of everything we do are our values:
· Nurturing the mana of the child - Honouring each child's unique identity and potential
· Kounga - Quality - Striving for excellence in every aspect of our services
· Mahi Tahi - Partnership - Working together with whānau and communities
· Pono - Integrity - Acting with honesty, respect, and transparency

Today, more than 6,000 children are part of the Whānau Manaaki kindergarten family, with an additional 150 children enrolled in our Etu Ao home-based programme. Together, we're building strong foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing.

Community Description
Waikanae kindergarten is situated within a nature reserve, which we use regularly to extend learning opportunities in Te Ngahere/Bush Programme. We have a rich, well-resourced learning environment, with an extensive outdoor area that provides opportunities for a wide range of experiences.

We collaborate with our parents and whānau to promote their involvement with the daily life at kindergarten and to participate in events and excursions.

Our Kindergarten is near the local railway station and shops which are about 10 minutes' walk away.

We have families attending from a wide geographical area, and we have close relationships with local schools and local childcare centres.

We are licenced for 42 children who attend for 6 hours each day. You will lead our team of 5 other teachers.

This is a fulltime role 40 hours per week Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm

To apply for this leadership position, you need to address the key skills or abilities listed below. We ask that you talk about these in your covering letter, giving examples of how you have demonstrated these skills/abilities in previous roles. Please remember to attach your covering letter, resume and other relevant information as listed in the Application Requirements on our website.

We are looking for an enthusiastic ECE Leader who:

• Will lead and support the team in designing and implementing culturally responsive approaches that reflect the local community and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Works responsively and inclusively, in ways that ensure that tamariki are at the heart of decisions, and where the diversity and uniqueness of each tamaiti is valued.
• Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills which actively contribute to collaborative learning-focused relationships with tamariki, whānau, teaching team, support staff, other professionals and the local community.
• Demonstrates competence in leading collaborative professional learning based on effective evaluative practice and adaptively applies this learning to support positive outcomes for Tamariki.
• Is a strategic thinker and is adaptable and responsive to change.

If you would like to visit the kindergarten to see if the environment would be a good fit for you, please contact the Senior Teacher on 021 193 1361
To apply for this role, you must be eligible to work in Aotearoa New Zealand. You can apply for this role through our website.



Applications close on: Tuesday, 2nd September 2025 at 11.45pm