Secondary teachers' sabbatical
The Secondary Teachers' Sabbatical provides 10 school weeks' paid leave for you to undertake professional learning activities, reflection and rejuvenation.
Each year there are 50 sabbaticals available, 40 of which are based on service.
Applications for the 2025 Secondary Teachers' Sabbatical 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 in 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 a Secondary Teachers’ Sabbatical?
If you wish to apply for one of the 40 Secondary Teachers' Sabbaticals based on service, you must:
- be employed under the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement(STCA) or applicable Individual Employment Agreement (IEA)
- be a full-time registered teacher, with at least 20 years' teaching service in New Zealand state or state-integrated schools
- have a period of at least seven years of most recent unbroken service
- not currently be under review for competence and/or conduct and discipline (as per sections 3.3 or 3.4 of the STCA)
- have not received a sabbatical in the last 10 years.
If you wish to apply for one of the remaining 10 Secondary Teachers' Sabbaticals, you must:
- be employed under the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement (STCA) or applicable Individual Employment Agreement (IEA)
- be a full-time registered teacher, with at least five years' teaching service in New Zealand state or state-integrated schools
- not currently be under review for competence and/or conduct and discipline (as per sections 3.3 or 3.4 of the STCA)
- have not received a sabbatical in the last 10 years.
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