Westown Kindergarten - Permanent Head Teacher Fulltime

At He Whānau Manaaki Kindergartens (WMK), we're proud to support over 135 kindergartens across the regions of Taranaki, Whanganui, Central Plateau, Horowhenua, Manawatū, Kāpiti, Porirua, Greater Wellington, Upper Hutt, Wairarapa and South Otago. We also offer a unique home-based service, Etu Ao, in Porirua and Levin, with a special focus on Pasific families.

We believe that high quality early childhood education is a powerful force—for children, their whānau, their communities, and for the future of Aotearoa New Zealand. Our vision is to be a national leader in early childhood education, setting the standard and advocating for excellence and access across the country.

At the heart of everything we do are our values:
· Nurturing the mana of the child - Honouring each child's unique identity and potential
· Kounga | Quality - Striving for excellence in every aspect of our services
· Pono | Integrity - Acting with honesty, respect, and transparency
· Kaitiakitanga | Stewardship and sustainability
· Mahi Tahi | Partnership - Working together with whānau and communities

Today, more than 6,000 children are part of the Whānau Manaaki kindergarten family, with an additional 150 children enrolled in our Etu Ao home-based programme. Together, we're building strong foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing.


Community Description:
Westown Kindergarten is nestled within the well-established Westown community, closely connected to local services including the hospital, medical centre, rest homes, and Westown School. Our community is culturally diverse, and we embrace and celebrate all cultures.

Our kindergarten features a spacious, spread-out outdoor environment that supports exploration, creativity, and wellbeing. Tamariki enjoy fruit grown from our mara, and our homely gardens foster a strong connection to sustainability and the natural world. Our flexible learning environment encourages creativity, problem-solving, and meaningful engagement.

At Westown Kindergarten, our philosophy embraces diversity and nurtures strong relationships with tamariki and their whānau.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and committed Head Teacher to lead our team and learning community. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate educator who values collaboration, innovation, and culturally responsive practice.

This position is 40 hours per week worked generally and 8am to 4:30pm 5 days per week.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced ECE leader who:

• Can build and sustain effective relationships with the teaching team, children and whānau and the wider community.
• Is a dynamic and collaborative team leader, who can also be flexible and adaptable through a period of change and development.
• Can expertly lead intentional teaching with plans and supporting teaching with purpose, recognizing the important contribution of community.
• A strong advocate for tamariki, supporting their wellbeing and learning, skilled in leading the development of social competence.
• A reflective practitioner, open to professional growth and robust discussion.
• Knowledgeable in Te Reo Māori and Te Ao Māori, and committed to culturally responsive teaching and learning.

To apply for this position, you need to address the key skills or abilities listed above. We ask that you talk about these in your covering letter, giving examples of how you have demonstrated these skills/abilities in previous roles. Please remember to attach your covering letter, resume and other relevant information as listed in the Application Requirements on our website.


Applications close on: Tuesday, 28 July 2026 at 11.45pm

Start date: 28th September 2026