Area school teachers' sabbatical
An Area School Teachers' Sabbatical provides 10 school weeks' paid leave for you to undertake professional learning activities, reflection and rejuvenation.
Each year there are 12 sabbaticals available to teachers, in state or state-integrated area schools, covered by the Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement (ASTCA).
Applications for the 2025 Area School Teachers’ Sabbaticals are now open and will be closing on Wednesday 8 May 2024.
To apply for this award/sabbatical you are required to use your existing ESL role with an account and login. You can review your ESL account details here: https://applications.education.govt.nz/education-sector-logon-esl/how-use-esl/self-service
If you do not currently have an ESL role, please contact your school's Delegated Authoriser who will be able to set up an ESL role for you for the "Te Mahau Service Portal".
Please make sure you read all the webpages for information on the award before applying.
The Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.
Am I eligible for an Area School Teachers’ Sabbatical?
If you wish to apply for an Area School Teachers' Sabbatical, you must:
- be employed under the Area School Teachers' Collective Agreement or applicable Individual Employment Agreement (IEA)
- hold a full and current practising certificate
- be a full-time and registered teacher with at least 10 years' continuous teaching service working in a New Zealand state or state-integrated school
- not currently be under review for competence and/or conduct and discipline (as per sections 2.3 or 2.4 of the ASTCA).
Previous recipients’ professional learning
You can read previous recipients' sabbatical reports here.
Contact Us
We're here to help. If you can't find the answer you're looking for in the application guidelines, get in touch with us by calling 0800 165 225 or email teacher.studyawards@education.govt.nz