Budget 2025 update#

Kāhui Ako will be formally disestablished with effect from 28 January 2026 as a result of a Budget 2025 decision to reinvest their funding in Learning Support.

No Kāhui Ako roles will be funded by the Ministry after the date of disestablishment (28 January 2026).

School boards will need to work through the impact of the changes for Kāhui Ako leaders and teachers that they employ. This will be different in every school depending on the arrangements that the board has put in place for people working in Kāhui Ako roles. School boards will consult with their employees about the changes and how it affects their role.

The Ministry and Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa New Zealand School Boards’ Association (NZSBA) will work with schools and Kāhui Ako to support them with implementing the change.

Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – NZ School Boards Association

Read a fact sheet about the changes to Kāhui Ako below.

Teacher and leadership roles#

There are 3 roles within a Kāhui Ako that help it work towards its goals:

• Kāhui Ako lead principal
• Across school teacher
• Within school teacher.

School boards that appoint teachers or principals to a Kāhui Ako role receive additional resources. Our guide has details of what these roles involve and eligibility criteria.

Kāhui Ako leader#

The Kāhui Ako leader role is for principals. They support collaboration and the professional growth of member principals and teachers to meet achievement challenge goals.

We provide the employing board with:

• 0.40 full-time teacher equivalent (FTTE) release time (this will appear on the school’s staffing entitlement notice)
• between 90% and 140% of a rate 2 travel grant
• a $1,000 per year induction and networking allowance.

Allowances are made on a pro-rata basis if an appointee is in a role for less than 1 year.

Alternative leadership arrangements#

To change the leadership arrangement of a Kāhui Ako, you will need to get approval from the Regional Director of Education.

Your application must include:

• Confirmation that principals and senior leaders in the Kāhui Ako were able to apply for the leadership role.
• Reasons why a leader was not recruited.
• The proposed new leader.
• Confirmation that Kāhui Ako members support the alternative arrangement.
• Your work with an independent advisor from the New Appointments National Panel (NANP).

Send the application to your regional office. The director will check the information and send it to the Secretary for Education for consideration.

Across school teacher#

This role strengthens teaching practice across the Kāhui Ako. It supports improvements in student achievement and wellbeing.

We provide the employing board with:

• 0.40 FTTE release time (this will appear on the school’s staffing entitlement notice)
• between 85% and 140% of a rate 1 travel grant and a $750 per year induction and networking allowance are paid as part of the operations grant.

Allowances are made on a pro-rata basis if an appointee is in a role for less than 1 year.

A Kāhui Ako can create an additional across school teacher role by merging 3.3 within school teacher roles. Contact your regional office for support with this merge.

Within school teacher#

The within school teacher promotes best teaching practice.

We provide the employing board with:

• 0.08 FTTE release time (this will appear on the school’s staffing entitlement notice)
• a $400 per year induction and networking allowance, as part of the operations grant.

Allowances are provided on a pro-rata basis if an appointee is in a role for less than 1 year.

Responsibility allowances#

Schools with at least 2 school-allocated within school teacher positions can release up to 50% of these roles to allocate Kāhui Ako responsibility allowances. Your relevant 2023 collective agreement has more information about how these can be applied.