Endorsing an application
Endorsers use their professional judgement to endorse teacher applications for issue and renewal of practising certificates.
What is endorsement?
Endorsement is the process of communicating judgements about the quality of practice of professional leaders¹ and kaiako | teachers to the Council during the practising certificate application process. Endorsement supports the Council’s decision-making processes for practising certificate issue and renewal. The professional judgement exercised by endorsers also gives us confidence that the professional leader or kaiako | teacher meets the Ngā Paerewa | Standards as required for their practising certificate type.
¹The term 'professional leader' is used to encompass ECE professional leaders, tumuaki | principals and those holding similar roles in other settings.
Who are endorsers for kaiako | teachers?
Endorsers are ECE professional leaders and tumuaki | principals (or senior teachers with endorser delegation holding a full practising certificate) who endorse kaiako | teacher applications for issue and renewal of practising certificates, based on their professional judgement of the kaiako | teacher’s everyday teaching practice and processes that are in place at the ECE service or kura | school.
In other settings such as (ITE providers), professional leaders may be known by another term such as head of faculty or team leader.
Professional leaders who are not registered teachers holding a full practising certificate will need to be assured that the processes in place within their setting enable professional judgements about teaching practice to be made by a fully certificated kaiako | teacher in a senior role, including whether a kaiako | teacher meets the Ngā Paerewa | Standards as required for their practising certificate type.
A relative or close friend cannot be an endorser. If you are a relative or close friend of the kaiako | teacher, make sure another appropriate person is found to endorse to avoid a conflict of interest. If there is a conflict of interest the professional leader will need to complete a conflict of interest form online to explain how the conflict is managed.
How can senior staff become endorsers for kaiako | teachers?
As a professional leader, you can choose a senior staff member (or members) to complete the endorsement process for kaiako | teachers in your setting. Staff given this authority will need to hold a Tiwhikete Whakaakoranga Tūturu | Full (Category One) or Tiwhikete Whakaakoranga Pūmau | Full (Category Two) Practising Certificate.
A professional leader should complete the endorsement of practising certificate applications for any senior staff who are given endorsement responsibilities.
You can choose as many senior staff as you feel appropriate or necessary for your setting.
For kura | schools: senior staff will need to contact the Delegated Authoriser of the school to apply the 'leader role' to their Education Sector Logon (ESL).
For ECE services: the professional leader will need to complete the ESL110 form on the Ministry of Education website and select the 'Professional Leader' box next to the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand Hapori Matatū Online community.
For tertiary and other approved settings: senior staff will need to ask the Delegated Authoriser at your ITE provider or approved setting to apply the 'leader role' to their ESL or fill in the ESL120 form on the Ministry of Education website and select the 'Professional Leader' box next to Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand Hapori Matatū Online Community.
Once this has been done, when senior staff log into Hapori Matatū and select the 'Registration and Certification' tab at the top of the page, their screen will display three boxes 'Applications', 'Approval Requests' and 'LAT Approvals'. To endorse select 'Approval Requests'.
Who are endorsers for professional leaders?
Professional leaders will use the professional learning network process for endorsement of their own practising certificate.
Professional leaders must seek an endorsement from a professional learning network colleague holding a Tiwhikete Whakaakoranga Tūturu | Full Practising Certificate (Category One). When completing their application, the professional leader should select their endorser using their registration number in Hapori Matatū.
Guidelines for endorsement of practising certificates
The Endorser Guidelines provide direction to professional leaders or senior staff who have been delegated endorsement responsibilities about what is required when they endorse a professional leader colleague or kaiako | teacher's application for issue or renewal of a practising certificate.
We encourage professional leaders to contact the Council if they are unsure about any aspect of the endorsement process.
Note for professional leaders: the updated Endorser Guidelines include the new process for professional leader endorsement, using professional learning networks and the Professional Growth Cycle for ECE professional leaders and tumuaki | principals.
Professional leaders who are already part of a professional learning network can choose to have their endorsement completed by a professional learning network colleague holding a Tiwhikete Whakaakoranga Tūturu | Full Practising Certificate (Category One). More information about the new process can be found in the guidelines. As a registered kaiako | teacher, your professional learning network colleague will be able to complete your endorsement by logging in to Hapori Matatū.
Teacher endorser survey results
On using re-certification requirements to encourage teachers to develop te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
At the end of 2024 the Teaching Council sent a survey to principals and professional leaders that endorse teachers, asking for participation to understand both how effective the standard to practise and develop the use of te reo and tikanga Māori has been in supporting a lift in capability, and also whether this approach, of calling out one particular standard within the certification application and endorsement process, is a useful mechanism to get a system-level focus to an area of teacher practice.
The insights gained from this survey will help the Teaching Council learn from our experience with this requirement to date, informing not only the future of the requirement but also the design of elements of certificate renewal. For clarity, the Teaching Council is totally committed to continuing its expectation and focus on growing te reo me ngā tikanga Māori.
We would like to thank the teacher endorsers that completed the survey.
How to endorse an application
If you are a professional leader or registered kaiako | teacher needing an endorsement, please have your professional leader or endorser's registration number available to input into Hapori Matatū to enable the endorsement to be completed online.