Longbush Rural Kindergarten Southland

Head Teacher

Longbush Kindergarten is excited to offer the opportunity for an inspiring and capable Head Kaiako to lead our busy rural kindergarten just 13 minutes from Invercargill.

Nestled in a countryside setting, Longbush Kindergarten is known for its strong sense of community, meaningful relationships with whānau, and a teaching approach grounded in curiosity, nature, and connection.

🌱 About the role

This is a hands-on leadership role where you will guide and support a dedicated teaching team while ensuring high-quality learning outcomes for tamariki.

As Head Kaiako, you will:

• Provide professional and pedagogical leadership to your team
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative team culture
• Build strong, authentic relationships with tamariki, whānau, and the wider community
• Lead curriculum design and practice in line with Te Whāriki
• Maintain a focus on continuous improvement, quality teaching, and compliance
• Take an active role in growing and sustaining enrolments (roll numbers) within your community
• Balance day-to-day teaching with strategic thinking and forward planning for your kindergarten

✨ What we’re looking for

We’d like to hear from you if you:

• Are a fully qualified and registered ECE kaiako in Aotearoa
• Hold a current first aid certificate
• Have proven or emerging leadership capability (or are ready to step into leadership)
• Bring warmth, positivity, and a genuine passion for working with tamariki
• Value rural communities and the unique opportunities they bring
• Are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and integrating te reo Māori me ngā tikanga into everyday practice
• Can balance being both supportive and decisive as a leader

💛 Ready to lead?

If you’re looking for a leadership opportunity where you can truly make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

If you are overseas, please note we are unable to support visas.