Assistant Principal (2 positions)

At Taipa Area School, our vision – “Kia Ngātahi te Hoe, Kia Whakatere te Waka ki Uta” (Navigate Together for Success) reflects our commitment to fostering a sense of belonging, safety, and achievement for every student while embracing the rich heritage and strength of our Ngāti Kahu iwi.

We are seeking TWO dynamic and passionate senior leaders to join our leadership team. We are looking for candidates with exceptional teaching abilities and a commitment to fostering meaningful relationships, modelling whanaungatanga, and driving school-wide pedagogical growth and inclusivity.

You’ll be someone who brings deep cultural competency, a strong understanding of Mātauranga Māori, and a commitment to enabling Māori to achieve as Māori.

Portfolio and leadership

Experience and/or skills in any of NCEA, Principal’s Nominee, Timetabling, EOTC, leading Curriculum, or Te ao Māori will be considered an advantage, though not essential, an dcan be negotiated.

The two successful applicants will join our collaborative senior leadership team (SLT) of the Principal, 2 x Deputy Principals, a SenCo, and a PA, working alongside a great Executive Officer.

Why Taipa Area School?

Our location – right on the beach in Taipa, Doubtless Bay – provides a truly unique open-air classroom. Immediate access to the ocean, estuary, and local whenua offers our students unparalleled opportunities for hands-on, meaningful education.

We live and breathe three strong values – Manaakitanga, Painga, and Mahitahi – creating a safe, supportive, and strong whānau environment for both ākonga and kaiako in our beautiful beach-paradise community.

If you are a registered New Zealand teacher/leader seeking a supportive, thriving, and well-resourced team, we invite you to contact Zinnia Smith at zinnias@taipa.school.nz to arrange a visit and tour of our school or a conversation with our Principal, Lisa White.

How to apply

Science teacher

Taipa Area School

Are you a passionate and dedicated science teacher ready to contribute to a supportive and culturally responsive learning environment in a spectacular coastal setting? We are keen to hear about your specific strengths in the sciences and other subject areas you could bring to our diverse composite school.

The opportunity

Taipa Area School is seeking a full-time, permanent science teacher to join our team. Strength in NCEA chemistry may be advantageous. However, we welcome applications from teachers with strengths across the science curriculum.

While proficiency in another subject area would be a significant advantage, we are specifically looking for a teacher who shares our passion for whanaungatanga and thrives in a collaborative, cohesive team environment. 

Our unique composite school structure encourages the science department to collaborate closely with the mathematics department. The successful candidate will require strong knowledge of the curriculum and pedagogical expertise across the science curriculum.

We are proud of our focus on culturally responsive learning, and you will help incorporate mātauranga Māori into our science programs. Our department is committed to ensuring that all students succeed in NCEA and make excellent progress against the NZC levels.

About Taipa Area School

Our vision, ‘Kia Ngatahi Te Hoe, Kia Whakatere te Waka ki Uta’ (Navigate together for success), forms the foundation of everything we do. We operate on a philosophy that places student well-being and achievement at the heart of our practice, living by our three core values daily: manaakitanga (caring/hospitality), painga (excellence), and mahitahi (working together).

Taipa is an awesome place to live and work. Our school backs onto Taipa Beach, offering what we believe is the best open-air classroom in Northland.

This is an exciting opportunity for an NZ-registered teacher to add value and grow within a thriving and well-resourced department.

How to apply

Taipa Area School New Zealand (nationwide)

Leader of learning physical education and health

Taipa Area School, guided by our vision, ‘Kia ngātahi te hoe, kia whakatere te waka ki uta’ (navigate together for success), is seeking a full-time Teacher of Physical Education and Health to join our team for a fixed-term position covering the 2026 school year.

We are looking for an experienced and relationally-driven educator to teach Health and Physical Education to students from Y7–13, with responsibility for planning, teaching, and assessment for NCEA Levels 1-3. A proven track record of delivering excellent lessons, with students showing clear progress against the New Zealand Curriculum, is essential.

For candidates with proven leadership experience, a possible Leader of Learning position (2 Management Units negotiable) is available, depending on your expertise. Please state your other subject strengths in your application.

The physical education and health department is well-resourced, featuring a large Sports Hall, a newly developed Ki o Rahi pitch, and modern equipment to support engaging, innovative learning.

As a teacher at Taipa Area School, you will actively promote the school values of manaakitanga, painga and mahitahi. We are committed to culturally responsive teaching and expect engagement with the Ngāti Kahu community, integrating te ao Māori into everyday teaching practices while building strong, genuine relationships with students, staff, and whānau.

The fixed-term nature of this role is for one year, pending staffing and a possible future restructure. The current incumbent is applying for this position.

We invite you to apply if you are a passionate educator committed to high-quality teaching.