TESSOL Scholarships – Applications opening soon#

Are you ready to deepen your impact in supporting multilingual learners?

Each year, we offer scholarships to employed teachers to undertake study in Teaching English in Schools to Speakers of Other Languages (TESSOL). This is a valuable opportunity to deepen your expertise and enhance your practice in supporting English language learners across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Applications for scholarships to begin study in 2026 will open soon. Do not miss this opportunity to grow your expertise and make a lasting difference. Keep an eye on our website for updated university information and access to the online application.

Teaching English in Schools to Speakers of Other Languages scholarships

Professional Development Day – Spotlight on Inclusive Education#

Teachers at the AUT Education Centre at Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre recently participated in a thought-provoking professional development session led by Dr Lincoln Dam and Ministry of Education, Senior Advisor Migrant and Refugee Support, Saniya Surani.

Dr Dam, a lecturer at AUT’s School of Education, explored liberal and critical approaches to multicultural education. Liberal multiculturalism involves the celebration of different lifestyles, via cultural and language days/weeks, for example. Critical multiculturalism, on the other hand, goes beyond celebrating diversity—it looks at who holds power in society and works to create fairer opportunities for all students. To learn more about these approaches, check out the book Critical multiculturalism: Theory and praxis or explore chapter 25.

Critical multiculturalism: Theory and praxis

Chapter 25: Essentialism

Saniya Surani’s session highlighted the complex resettlement experiences of Pakistani refugee mothers in Auckland. Families faced cultural shock and language barriers, making it difficult to navigate school enrolment and understand the New Zealand education system. While younger children settled more easily into primary schools, older students encountered greater challenges in high school settings. Support networks, community groups, and welcoming school environments played a vital role in easing the transition.

Saniya's research also highlighted the role the pōwhiri ceremony at Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre played in helping mothers feel welcomed while deepening their understanding of Māori culture and fostering a sense of belonging.

The session was met with positive feedback. Mireille Weldschidt, Head of the Refugee Education Centre, shared that the team found both sessions deeply engaging and thought-provoking: "The presentations sparked meaningful discussions on how this important work can be integrated into and enhance the Centre’s ongoing initiatives."

Interested in exploring inclusive education further?#

Get in touch with our team to learn how we can support your school or programme.

New Beginnings: Supporting Former Refugee Students Transitioning to School#

The RTLB has long supported English language learners with social, emotional, and language needs. A recent pilot project, led by the West Auckland RTLB Service - Cluster 6, has extended this support to former refugee students transitioning into their first New Zealand school.

Prompted by school-identified needs, the project focused on a refugee family with three primary-aged children facing complex health and learning challenges. With support from the Ministry of Education ESOL, Migrant and Refugee Education team, Kāhui Tū Kaha, and other agencies, a culturally responsive transition plan was developed. This included bilingual support, teacher release time, and trauma-informed strategies to ease the children into school life.

Teachers worked closely with RTLB June Ris and Ilona Roberts to develop simple, individualised plans to help the children feel safe and engaged. Activities included role play, literacy games, and resources for home and hospital visits. One child, aged 5, was delighted by the classroom, calling it a “toyshop.” Teachers also developed strategies to ease morning separations, which gradually improved as the children and parents grew more confident. These efforts helped create a sense of safety and belonging.

Guided by the He Pikorua framework, the project demonstrated the power of collaboration and proactive planning. RTLB Cluster 6 now offers this transition model to other schools, aiming to reduce reactive bilingual assessments and foster successful school beginnings for former refugee students.

He Pikorua

Tāhūrangi: Multicultural learner success and ESOL support#

Just a reminder that resources previously hosted on the ESOL Online TKI website are now available on Tāhūrangi, our central online hub for curriculum, teaching and learning support.

You can find many of these resources under the Teaching Support section of the New Zealand Curriculum space, specifically within Multicultural learner success and ESOL support.

Multicultural learner success and ESOL support – Tāhūrangi

While the content migration is complete, it will take us a little longer to update the links in our resources, including the ELLP Pathway.

Team profile#

When space allows, we include a short profile on one of the ESOL, Migrant and Refugee team members.

This profile highlights Senior ESOL Verifier, Janis Maidment.

To start#

• What is your role, and how long have you been with the organisation?
• Can you describe a typical day in your job?

As one of four ESOL verifiers, I am based in Auckland along with most of the team. I have just completed 18 years in the role. 

There is no such thing as a typical day, and as a verifier visiting schools across the motu one thing I have learnt is that every school is different.  

I am privileged to be welcomed into a large number of schools and to meet with many school leaders, teaching staff and students. One week I can be looking around an Auckland school with 300+ ESOL-funded students, and the next week visiting schools in Ashburton with smaller numbers of English language learners but many of the same challenges.

Professional background#

• What inspired you to pursue this career path?

I came to this role from a long career in secondary teaching and a stint creating online activities for children learning English. 

My fascination with language began at primary school, where I remember finding a French reader on a shelf at the back of the class and starting to teach myself with mixed success. My studies and teaching focused on language acquisition. As a teacher of English, Japanese and French, I was interested in how language is consolidated and confidence built. 

By the end of my teaching career, I was teaching whole classes of students who were learning a third (and in some cases fourth or fifth) language. When I saw the job description for my current role, every aspect of the role seemed to reflect what I had been working towards throughout my working life.

Job insights#

• What do you enjoy most about your role?

Meeting and working with passionately dedicated people who ‘walk the talk’. 

• Can you share a project you are particularly proud of?

The English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) Pathway resources were created by our team in response to feedback from primary schools that the existing ELLP matrices did not reflect clearly enough for teachers the progress of younger learners. We worked initially with a group of teachers, then with experts (Dr Jannie van Hees and Gaylene Price) and sought feedback from teachers across the country to create the resources, which are designed to upskill teachers as well as to reflect learner progress. It has been a pleasure to see the way these resources have been received in schools.

Advice and inspiration#

• Who or what inspires you in your work?

Teachers and students inspire me every day.

Schools are dealing with a lot of changes, and I am constantly inspired by school leaders and teachers who are ‘keeping the balance’, with the welfare of ākonga at heart and an ‘and…and’ rather than an ‘either…or’ approach.

I am inspired when I see student work (which I look at as part of every visit) which reflects genuine progress and excitement about learning.  Behind this, there are always dedicated professionals – recognising, encouraging, teaching.

It has been a privilege to work in the ESOL team over the last 18 years. I will be ‘rewiring’ at the end of October. I will miss my wonderful colleagues and working in schools, which I have so much enjoyed, but am looking forward to spending time with family, and being able to focus more on other interests such as reading and travelling.

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou | Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing.

A note of thanks to Janis on behalf of the ESOL, Refugee and Migrant Education team:

We are very privileged to have had Janis in the ESOL Refugee and Migrant Team for 18 years. She has positively influenced thousands of teachers and senior leaders and tens of thousands of students during her time in the Ministry. Janis has always been driven by a desire to support teachers, and she has always generously shared her knowledge and expertise. She was the driver behind the ELLP Pathway document, just one of the significant contributions she has made in the ESOL field. Janis leaves a huge gap, but we wish her all the very best with ‘re-wiring’!

Ngā manaakitanga

Maree Jeurissen (Manager)

Useful links#

ELLP and ELLP pathway – Tāhūrangi

Working with English Language Learners professional development modules WELLs – Tāhūrangi