Primary teachers transitioning to ECE

Sometimes, the teaching sector you trained in isn’t the one you want to stay in.

Maybe you finished your primary teaching qualification and realised you prefer working with younger kids, or maybe you’d rather work in an early childhood centre instead of a school.

Whatever the reason, we’re here to help you to make the transition from primary teaching to early childhood education.

Am I even considered a qualified teacher in an early learning service if I’m primary trained?

Yes you are! In a teacher-led centre-based service, “at least 50% of required staff must have a recognised ECE teaching qualification“, so as long as the centre has met those requirements, you can act as a qualified teacher. In 2020, changes were made so that those with recognised primary teaching qualifications (or overseas qualifications assessed as comparable by NZQA) can be the person responsible at an ECE centre – previously, this could only be trained ECE teachers.

What if I’m interested but not totally sure?

Why not test it out? As a primary trained teacher, you can work as a qualified relief teacher in ECE centres and see for yourself if it’s right for you. If you’re working with ANZUK Education as a relief teacher currently, you can get in touch with your consultant and let them know you’d like to give ECE a go – they’ll get you set up so you can test the waters and see if it’s right for you!

If it turns out you enjoy teaching in both schools and centres, you can do a mix or just teach ECE in the school holidays. And if you find that you’d like to make a more permanent shift to ECE, the resources below can help you on that journey.

Recorded Webinar – Primary Teachers Moving into the ECE Sector

Get yourself up to speed with what you need to know before working in a centre and create a standout Early Childhood teaching CV.

About the webinar:

• Outline of the ECE sector and what you need to know before working in a centre.
• How to structure your teaching CV for an ECE role with details on the relevant experiences to include in each section.
• Only $35

In addition to the webinar:

• Receive our free CV template (Word document)
• Useful links to Learning through play activities

Recorded Webinar – Primary Teacher to Early Childhood Teacher – Using Te Whāriki – Judith Price (InterLEAD)

Get an overview of the Early Childhood curriculum as well as an outline of the key documents used in Early Childhood centres.

About the webinar:

• Differences to consider when teaching in the ECE sector
• An outline of the key documents used in Early Childhood centres
• Te Whāriki – An overview of the Early Childhood curriculum and key areas to focus on

CV Support Sessions

Have some one-on-one CV support to help you tailor your primary CV for the ECE market.

About the sessions:

• Receive our free CV template (Word document) to get you started 
• Send us your draft CV to review 
• 1 hour video chat with an experienced education consultant:
  – Find out how to structure your teaching CV
  – Discuss the details of your relevant experiences, what to include in each section and what to leave out.  

If you’re interested in more support on transitioning into the early childhood sector, get in touch by calling us free on 0508 TEACHER or by emailing your CV to our candidate care team.