St Joseph's School
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At St Joseph's School, we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our students under the Children's Act 2014, Education and Training Act 2020, and Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The board ensures all teaching staff employed at our school are registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand, and hold a current practising certificate or limited authority to teach. The board also safety checks all teaching staff. See Safety Checking.
The principal and teachers are expected to understand and comply with:
See Our Code, Our Standards 
(Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand).
Teacher registration and certification
At St Joseph's School, we comply with 
legislative requirements for employing individuals according to their registration and certification. We employ teachers who have Kaiako Whai Rēhitanga | Teacher Registration through the Teaching Council.
Our registered teachers also have a current practising certificate. Certificates are renewed every 3 years and teachers are responsible for renewing their practising certificate before expiry. The school does not pay for registration and certification fees.
Registration with the Teaching Council includes vetting by the New Zealand Police or, if applicable, an overseas police service. See Police Vetting.
In certain circumstances, a teacher or the principal may be able to continue teaching for up to 20 half-days without a practising certificate (e.g. due to certification expiring). If teachers need to be employed without a practising certificate for more than 20 half-days, a request is made to the Teaching Council.
Supporting beginning teachers
St Joseph's School supports teachers who are new to the current New Zealand teaching environment to meet the Standards for the Teaching Profession | Ngā Paerewa. Teachers who have completed an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme or who have taught overseas but are new to teaching in New Zealand are considered "beginning teachers" and have a Tōmua | Provisional practising certificate. The school supports beginning teachers with an induction and mentoring programme. See Staff Induction.
(Ministry of Education). (Teaching Council). (Teaching Council). Limited Authority to Teach (LAT)
We may employ teachers that have a Limited Authority to Teach, which allows someone without a teaching qualification to be employed in a teaching position where there is a need for specialist skills or skills in short supply (e.g. musical instruments, language, guidance counselling). A Limited Authority to Teach is for a specific situation for a specified time period and is not a permanent teaching position.
See For Limited Authority to Teach (Teaching Council).
Student teachers
St Joseph's School may partner with an ITE (Initial Teacher Education) provider and have student teachers (i.e. teacher trainees, teacher interns, pre-service teachers) working in our school. Student teachers are classified as children's workers and the board of St Joseph's School is responsible for ensuring they are safety checked before they begin work at our school (Children's Act 2014, s 25). See Safety Checking.
Student teachers are supported by appointed associate teachers and their ITE provider while at our school. Associate teachers give feedback and assess the school-based components of the training programme. Associate teachers are responsible for raising any concerns with the student teacher and discussing these with the principal, if necessary, as early as possible in the placement. If the concerns cannot be resolved through support and guidance, they are communicated to the ITE provider.
The principal assures the board that all teachers employed at the school are registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand and hold a current practising certificate, or have a Limited Authority to Teach. See Review Schedule and Board Assurances.
