Te Poipoi Kaiako | Mentor support programme

Supporting mentors, provisional teachers and overseas trained teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Tātai Aho Rau Core Education provides professional development support for:

  • provisional teachers (PTs) in English medium and Pia in Māori medium settings
  • overseas trained teachers (OTTs) with provisional certification
  • mentor teachers and Pou Tautoko.

This service is fully funded by the Ministry of Education for kura, schools and early learning services. It aims to meet the needs of mentors, provisional teachers, and overseas trained teachers through improved and nationally consistent PLD guidance.

Enquire about the programme

Explore the programme outline

Participants will have access to the appropriate supports to assist with gaining full certification and making a successful start to their teaching career in Aotearoa New Zealand. To learn more, explore the programme outline below.

There is no need to enrol to participate, please simply register your interest by filling in the form at the bottom of this page to stay up to date with what is on offer.

 

Download the outline

Upcoming workshops 

Ngā Awheawhe ā-Rohe | Regional Workshops

He awheawhe kanohi ki te kanohi mō ngā kaiako tārewa, ngā Pia me ō rātou Pou Tautoko | Face-to-face workshops for provisional teachers, Pia and their Pou Tautoko | mentors.

 

Professional learning session for mentors and mentees

Workshop 3: Term 2, 2025

The first workshops held in 2024 were highly successful. The next workshop will build on the first ones:

Mentor teachers and Pou Tautoko will develop their mentoring practice, and induction and mentoring programmes.

Provisional teachers and Pia will develop their professional practice as they prepare to apply for Tiwhikete Whakaakoranga Tūturu | Full Practising Certificate.

There are 11 face-to-face workshops across the motu.

There is no charge for kaiako and teachers to attend the workshops as they are funded by the Ministry of Education.

Refreshments, morning tea and lunch will be provided. However, travel and release costs are not funded.

Workshops run from 9am–3pm; refreshments are available from 8.45am.

The workshops are facilitated in English and te reo Māori and will be adaptive and responsive to the needs of attendees.

Dates, venues and locations | Ngā rā me ngā wāhi

Iwikatea | Balclutha (05 May) – Register

Ōtautahi | Christchurch (08 May) – Register

Te Papaioea | Palmerston North (14 May) – Register

Ngā Awheawhe ā-Rohe | Porirua (15 May) – Register

Kirikiriroa | Hamilton (20 May) – Register

Whakatū | Nelson (21 May) – Register

Rotorua (21 May) – Register

Ahuriri | Napier (23 May) – Register

Whangārei (27 May) – Register

Tāmaki Herenga Waka | Auckland south and southwest (10 June) – Register

Tāmaki Herenga Tāngata | Auckland north and northwest (11 June) – Register


Can’t make it this time? We’ll publish all facilitation materials so that you can use them in your own setting.

More than 2 hours for you to travel? Attend on online option instead (see below).

 

  • Workshop agenda | Rārangi take awheawhe

    Workshop agenda | Rārangi take awheawhe Workshop agenda | Rārangi take awheawhe

    In the morning we will:

    • begin with whakahoahoa
    • continue to explore Our Code, Our Standards
    • review the process to move to Tūturu | Full Certification
    • learn about supporting our own and others' wellbeing.


    After lunch we will collaborate in breakouts in response to what the group would like to focus on, for example:

    • What makes an effective induction and mentoring programme?
    • Establishing effective professional practices.
    • Sharing positive classroom management strategies.

  • Workshop highlights

    Workshop highlights Workshop highlights

    For everyone:

    • Connecting and networking with other mentor teachers, Pou Tautoko, Pia and provisional teachers.
    • Understanding the process to obtain Tūturu | Full Certification.
    • Initiating and building relationships and networks across your region.
    • Developing your culturally responsive practice and capabilities.


    For mentors and Pou Tautoko: 

    • Exploring effective mentoring practices and the value of mentoring when creating a meaningful induction programme.
    • Supporting you to help current and future mentees to develop and embed their professional practice.
    • Gaining a greater practical understanding of what is required for a mentoring programme, and what is required to endorse a PT to move to full registration.


    For provisional teachers and Pia: 

    • Developing your professional practice.


    For overseas trained teachers: 

    • Developing your understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand and our education context.

New for 2025 – Online Workshops

In 2025 we are offering an online version of the workshops to accommodate people who are more than 2 hours' drive from a regional workshop.

These workshops will run via Zoom on different dates for mentor teachers | Pou Tautoko and mentees | Pia. They will cover similar content to the face-to-face regional workshops. They will be capped at 80 participants. They will not be recorded.

Online workshop for Mentor teachers | Pou Tautoko (06 June) – Register

Online workshop for Provisional teachers, Pia, Overseas Trained Teachers (13 June) – Register


The online workshops will run from 9:30am–2:30pm.

For further questions or enquiries, please get in touch with us: mentor.support@core-ed.org

Access programme resources

The Education Learning Management System is the main gateway into bespoke, self-directed resources designed to support your journey through Te Poipoi Kaiako, comprising:

  • e-learning modules
  • guidance
  • workbooks
  • workshop slides and facilitation notes.

To access these programme resources:

1. Visit training.education.govt.nz

2. Use your Education Sector Logon (ESL) to log-in (to create an ESL, please use the Ministry of Education's self-registration process.)

3. You'll find Te Poipoi Kaiako content, designed specifically for mentor teachers | Pou Tautoko and mentees | Pia

Access programme resources

Webinars for Pou Tautoko and mentor teachers

Express your interest

There is no need to enrol to participate in Te Poipoi Kaiako. Please simply fill in the form to receive updates on what is on offer: 

'Ingoa tuatahi | First name' is required
'Ingoa whānau | Last name' is required

Contact us

If you have any questions about this programme, please contact us at mentor.support@core-ed.ac.nz. 

1:1 support for Pou Tautoko and mentor teachers

Pou Tautoko and mentor teachers participating in Te Poipoi Kaiako | Mentor support programme are welcome to contact us at mentor.support@core-ed.ac.nz with requests for light touch, 1:1 remote support from a facilitator. 

Please note we can only provide support for Pou Tautoko or mentor teachers. If a provisional teacher, Pia, overseas trained teacher, or people in any other roles have a support request (other than a question about the programme itself) they should liaise with their Pou Tautoko, mentor teacher, setting management or an appropriate agency. 

Other sources of support:

Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand

Ministry of Education’s local offices 

Concerns? Complaints?

If you have a serious concern or complaint about the programme, a participant or a facilitator please contact Clive Francis, Project Manager.