Education Support Services

Nau mai! Haere Mai! Welcome to Education Support Services

The College of Education offers support for schools and centres through its advisory services, workshops, and seminars.

Director's Introduction

Kia ora tatou

Education Support Services is dedicated to developing and providing quality professional learning and development (PLD) with and for educators to improve outcomes for all learners.

We have highly committed and experienced facilitators who draw on current research and practice to build educators’ capability within schools and organisations.

ESS is able to provide support through three different avenues. The first is through the Ministry of Education contract; Culturally Responsive Culturally Responsive Professional Learning Development Provision.  The second is PLD that is designed with schools or clusters of schools, or organisations to meet their specific requirements.  This can be accessed through our Consultancy provision and is on a cost recovery basis.  The third avenue for PLD is through courses for which there will be a cost.

We look forward to discussing your PLD needs with you.

Ngā mihi
Ian Stevens
Director

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About Us

Education Support Services vision:
Through effective advisor practice, we will enhance the quality of teaching and learning to improve outcomes for all learners.

Education Support Services (ESS) has been developing and providing high quality professional learning and development support to educationalists in Otago, Southland, nationally and, latterly, internationally, for over 20 years. 

We have committed and experienced facilitators who:

 ESS values and enacts:

Education Support Services operates from two sites.  The main site is in Dunedin at 157 Union Street East as part of the University of Otago College of Education.  The second site is in Invercargill at 100 Nelson Street as part of the University of Otago College of Education Southland Campus.  The Dunedin location is on a site that has a long tradition of education and considerable significance as a place of learning for local Māori.

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Ministry of Education funded Professional Learning and Development

Culturally Responsive Culturally Responsive Professional Learning Development Provision

Professional Development and Learning (PLD): Education Support Services, University of Otago College of Education, as a member of the Te Tapuae o Rehua consortium with the University of Canterbury and Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, has been successful in winning Ministry of Education PLD contracts in English and Māori medium for the South Island and in some instances, the North Island. The areas of provision we have been successful in are as follows:

English medium

Māori medium

To access this PLD, schools needed to complete the Ministry PLD request form at the end of 2011.  Schools have been contacted by the Ministry outlining if they have been successful with their PLD application. 

Secondary student achievement support (including NCEA standards alignment) will be provided for all secondary schools in the region through workshops and clusters.  Any in-depth support will be provided resulting from PLD requests to the regional Ministry.  More details of the format of the secondary student achievement provision will be forwarded to schools including details of workshops and cluster support. 

For a list of workshops that are funded under PLD please go to ESS Adviser Workshops.

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Reading Recovery

Reading Recovery is a nationally implemented early intervention programme designed to give those children making least progress in reading and writing at six years a second chance through individual instruction.

Reading Recovery programmes are available in both Otago and Southland. They provide a year-long school-based training course as well as continuing support for trained reading recovery teachers. Tutors act as consultants on matters relating to Reading Recovery within schools, and are available to talk on Reading Recovery and related literacy matters to staff meetings, PTA and Board of Trustees meetings.

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Education Support Services Workshops

NCEA Arts PLD – Central South (North Island) and South Island:


NCEA Science PLD - Central South (North Island) and Otago/Southland:

NCEA Technology PLD - Otago/Southland:

NCEA English PLD – Otago and Southland:

NCEA Social Sciences PLD – Central South (North Island) and South Island:

NCEA Mathematics & Statistics PLD – Central South (North Island) and Otago & Southland:

Upcoming Otago/Southland Education Support Services Workshops:

Workshops facilitated by Margaret Ross for PRTs/OTTs and Tutor Teachers:

Provisionally Registered Teachers (Year 1 & 2), Overseas Trained Teachers and their Mentor Teachers Workshops in New Zealand

This workshop is intended for PRTs, OTTs (both 1st & 2nd year) and mentor teachers in English medium schools – the aim being to develop shared understanding of the foci of our professional learning and development (pld) - quality induction & mentoring programmes, registration requirements, culturally responsive pedagogy, Teaching as Inquiry  and building professional relationships and networks.

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Provisionally Registered/Overseas Trained Teachers (PRT/OTT) and Mentors for Schools (1-13) (provision across New Zealand)

The focus for this PLD initiative will be to provide flexible and responsive support for PRT/OTTs and mentors/leaders to enable the development of high quality, educative induction and mentoring programmes, thereby ensuring the transition of PRT/OTTS into the teaching profession in Aotearoa New Zealand.

PRT/OTTs will have the opportunity to be supported through responsive workshops, clusters, on-line and in-depth support tailored to meet their individual needs as they progress towards meeting the RTC.

PRT/OTTS will develop a Teaching as Inquiry cycle from Te Aho Arataki Marau mo te Ako I te Reo Māori- Kura Auraki based on the material from the RTC, Tataiako, and the Effective Teacher Profile within a NZC framework.

Workshops and online support will enable PRT/OTTS to build their capability as culturally responsive, inclusive teachers. This will entail them inquiring into their practice and critiquing it against the principles from Ka Hikitia and the PEP and the vision of Success for All and developing their capacity, knowledge and pedagogy. The focusing inquiry will require PRT/OTTS to identify a group of students from the target areas of Māori, Pasifika or students with special educational needs, with a specific emphasis on accelerating achievement.
PRT/OTTS will also be supported to meet the requirements of full registration by developing their understanding of these requirements, both legal and pedagogical, and the evidence required for attestation.

Mentors/Leaders will be supported through responsive workshops, clusters and on-line support tailored to meet their individual needs as they implement high quality, educative induction and mentoring programmes.
Mentors and leaders will develop a Teaching as Inquiry cycle from Te Aho Arataki Marau mo te Ako I te Reo Māori- Kura Auraki, based on the Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers and Towards Full Registration. The focus of this inquiry will be on providing a high quality induction and mentoring programme for PRT/OTTs.

PRT/ OTT/ Mentor face to face workshops

Workshops will be combined Year 1 and Year 2 PRTs because all components (e.g. culturally responsive pedagogy, National Standards, RTC) are viewed within a Teaching as Inquiry framework (examining the implications for “me” within my teaching/mentoring situation). A separate workshop specifically for OTTs will be provided if required.

Resources from Workshop 1 plus extra information on Teaching as Inquiry

Online support

An important component of the on-going support for PRT/OTTs and mentors is the on-line support (e PRT) available made up of the following two aspects:

Aspect 1: General PRT/ mentor support information (open access) will:

Aspect 2: e PRT restricted access to PTR/OTTs and mentors/leaders enrolled in e PRT
e- PRT is the MOE funded TToR consortium culturally responsive on-line PLD available, at no charge to schools, for all PRTs, OTTs (with provisional registration) and their mentors.  Participants in this programme must register for e-PRT and agree to undertake Teaching as Inquiry cycles and complete the Analysis of Impact module provided through the online e-PRT programme. 

e –PRT is a series of interactive modules that participants complete at their own pace.  Participants will complete a series of 12-14 (dependent on whether a PRT primary/ PRT secondary/ OTT or mentor) 20 – 30 minute interactive, self-paced modules.

To view a demonstration module and/or register for e- PRT go to www.maukiteako.co.nz

For information on

These workshops are intended for PRTs, OTTs (both 1st & 2nd year) and mentor teachers in English medium schools – the aim being to develop shared understanding of the foci of our professional learning and development (PLD) - quality induction & mentoring programmes, registration requirements, culturally responsive pedagogy, Teaching as Inquiry and building professional relationships and networks.

For MOE funded workshop locations and dates please go to ESS Workshops

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Consultancy 2012

Research in education is consistent about the critical importance of focused professional development to support school development.  In response to this Education Support Services is offering quality professional development programmes to meet the identified needs of your school.

The Consultancy 2012 booklet provides an outline of the school focused professional development we can provide on a fee for service basis.  It is not offered as a prescription but rather as a guide to the broad range of services on offer. Your specific needs and the context you operate in will shape our work.

Consultancy and Professional Development for Schools (80k in PDF format)

University of Otago College of Education Support Services Consultancy 2012 Booklet (832kb in PDF format)

Expression of Interest Form (29kb in PDF format)

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Central Otago Education Centre

The College offers professional services to the education community through an on campus centre at the Central Otago Education Centre, 1 Ventry Street, Alexandra. Resources are available for purchase or loan and programmes for professional development are offered. Rooms may be available for meetings, seminars and in-service courses.

Further Information and Enquiries

Central Otago Education Centre
P O Box 281
Alexandra
Tel 03 448 6891
Fax 03 448 6890
Email coec@xtra.co.nz

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Education Support Office Locations

Dunedin Campus

157 Union Street East
Dunedin

Dunedin College of Education
PO Box 56
Dunedin
Tel 64 3 479 4900
Fax 64 3 479 4296

Southland Campus

100 Nelson Street
Invercargill

Southland Campus
Dunedin College of Education
PO Box 886
Invercargill
Tel 64 3 211 6724
Fax 64 3 216 1399

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