Renew after time away
A key requirement to renew your certificate is that you’ve had enough recent teaching experience (at least two years in the last five years), so that your knowledge and practice are up to date.
If you don't have enough satisfactory recent teaching experience to meet the requirements, you can complete a refresh process to update your skills and knowledge so you can renew your practising certificate.
Who needs to complete a refresh process?
You will be required to complete a refresh process if:
- your initial teacher education qualification is more than five years and you are applying for a Tomua | Provisional practising certificate for the first time.
- you have held a Tōmua | Provisional practising certificate for more than five years and you are applying for this practising certificate type again.
- you are an overseas teacher and your teaching qualification was completed more than five years ago and you have not taught in the last five years.
- you apply to renew a practising certificate but your overseas teaching experience was not equivalent to a teaching position in New Zealand, and you are not able to meet the requirement for satisfactory recent teaching experience.
- you are seeking to renew a Tūturu | Full (Category One) or Pūmau | Full (Category Two) Practising Certificate and lack satisfactory recent teaching experience.
- you are seeking to renew a Tūturu | Full (Category One) or Pūmau | Full (Category Two) Practising Certificate and have renewed either of these practising certificate types using a teacher refresh process for five or more years.
We'll advise if you're required to complete a refresh process, once you’ve submitted your application.
Refresh process
For those with a job offer: Kia Maia | Future-Ready Teaching Plan
“Kia Maia” in this context conveys a process to strengthen knowledge and build confidence, recognising the skills and experience each kaiako | teacher already has. This is a self-assessment to identify your learning needs and the professional development you need to support your entry or return to teaching. It should be developed with and approved by, your principal, professional leader or tumuaki.
If you are required to complete a Kia Maia | Future-Ready Teaching Plan, a Registration Officer will send a template to you after you have submitted your application.
How to renew
Log into our teacher portal | My Rawa.
If you don’t have a My Rawa account, you can visit this webpage or get in touch with our contact centre team. Call us on +64 4 471 0852 or email us at enquiries@teachingcouncil.nz
Log in using your My Rawa details.
Scroll down to the section named ‘I want to’.
Click on the card called Maintain my practising certificate.
Click the button titled 'Apply Now'.
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Submit your application.
Your practice, your portal: My Rawa
Renew your practising certificate, view your digital certificate or make requests in Hapori Matatū through My Rawa - your go-to space for tailored support and practical tools.
