Clutha Valley Kindergarten - permanent full time Head Teacher

At He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens, we have over 100 kindergartens across the regions we serve, bringing learning, connection, and fun to families across Whanganui, Central Plateau, Horowhenua, Kapiti, Porirua, Greater Wellington, Upper Hutt, Wairarapa and South Otago. We also provide a home-based service - Etu Ao in Porirua and Levin.

Our vision for He Whānau Manaaki o Tararua is derived from our belief in the importance of quality early childhood education for the children themselves, their whānau, their community and for Aotearoa New Zealand. Therefore, we seek to be a leader in the provision of high-quality early childhood education, and by demonstrating what can be achieved, be seen as advocates for children and whānau and help to improve quality early childhood education throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

Out of this vision comes Ngā Uara – Our Values:

Nurturing the mana of the child
Kounga – Quality
Mahi Tahi – Partnership
Pono – Integrity

More than 6,000 children now attend one of Whānau Manaaki’s 108 kindergartens and around 150 children are enrolled with our Pasifika-focused Etu Ao homebased service.

Community Description

Clutha Valley is a strong rural community 23km west of Balclutha, with a population of around 1,700. We have many local groups and clubs, including a Lions club, volunteer fire brigade, rugby club, golf club, bowling club, church, flower show, garden club, the third largest primary school in South Otago (with brand new, state-of-the-art buildings), playgroup and Mainly Music. The community is made up of mostly farmers and we have many immigrant families in the area. We are blessed to have a diverse range of cultures represented in our community.

Locals describe Clutha Valley as a welcoming and friendly community where people look out for each other. Nestled on the banks of the Clutha River, it offers great access to an array of activities, including boating, cycling, fishing and hiking.

It is a close-knit, supportive community, welcoming new faces each year with farming changes. Clutha Valley offers excellent sporting opportunities, with a well-attended golf club, champion cricket and rugby teams and a bowls club. A community favourite in summer is our popular heated swimming pool. The Clutha Valley calendar features regular events such as spud growing competitions, craft market, annual flower show, the Blue Mountain Challenge, monthly fundraiser Bingo nights, the Valley Roar for keen hunters, men's health evenings, community fireworks and regular farmer brunches.

We are looking for an enthusiastic ECE kaiako who:

Has a strength in building relationships and connections with children and their whānau as well as colleagues and the wider community.
can pull a team of teachers together and focus on building a learning focused culture in partnership with children and their whānau.
Can lead the team in all aspects of the planning, assessment and ongoing evaluative practices and support the team to be intentional in their practice
Shows a willingness to be involved in all aspects of the community and build up the feeling of the kindergarten being the hub of the community.
Strength in the administrative processes involved in running a Kindergarten and a Playcentre session and can see the benefits of the partnership for the community.
High energy levels and have a positive outlook on each day with a focus on creating a place where everyone has a sense of fun.

Applications close on Tuesday, 10th December 2024 at 11.50pm