New Zealand Diploma in ECE (Aperfield Montessori)

This specialised diploma was developed in collaboration with the Aperfield Montessori Trust for a wide range of tauira: qualified and unqualified early childhood teachers, primary teachers, parents, carers, psychologists, and professionals with an interest in wanting to train in the Montessori Method.

This diploma reveals the unique learning potential of tamariki aged 3-6 in a Montessori setting.

Enrolment in this programme will draw on a lifetime of observation and study by Dr Maria Montessori to provide you with a strong foundation in child well-being, learning and development in the bicultural context of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Qualified ECE teachers will gain credit for two courses: Context for Early Childhood Education and The Child and only need to complete the two Montessori based courses.

Note: International students are required to be in New Zealand to study this programme.

Teacher Registration Pathway

This programme does not qualify students for Teacher Registration and a Practicing Certificate from the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Full-time or part-time
• Online learning
• Field-based learning
• 5-day face-to-face block course in Wellington

You can choose to enrol in this programme full-time over 1 year or part-time over 2 years, whether you are a qualified or non-qualified teacher.

The courses will be delivered through a blend of online, field-based and face-to-face learning.

You will belong to a connected online community where support from lecturers and pouako is readily accessible. Face-to-face support from lecturers and pouako is also available at your nearest Regional Education Centre.

Assessment

This programme is assessed by internal assessment. Assessments are varied and include online conversation participation, essays, reports, PowerPoint presentations, multimedia presentations and other assessment types.

To be eligible for programme admission, you must:

• Be at least 17 years of age if you are a domestic student; or 18 years of age if you are an international student.

• Provide 2 written confidential referee reports.
  Reports from family members or friends will not be accepted.

• Complete and pass a Children’s Worker Safety Check as required under the Children’s Act 2014.

• Consent to and pass a Police Vetting check as required by the Children’s Act 2014.

• International students are required to show proficiency in English by achieving an IELTS 5.5 overall (no band lower than 5) or a minimum mark of 42 overall at PTE Academic (no band lower than 36).
  NZ residents schooled outside of New Zealand may need to provide other evidence of their English language proficiency.
  See: Language Competency Requirements
  
  

• Meet the minimum requirements to study at tertiary level in New Zealand.
  We accept either:

  • NCEA Level 3, including 10 literacy credits at Level 2 and 10 numeracy credits at Level 1

  • Equivalent experience or learning sufficient to study in the programme
    

• Arrange to work or volunteer at a licensed Early Childhood Centre, supervised by a registered teacher with a full practising certificate, for a period of at least:
  • 12 hours a week; or
  • 6 hours a week if you are studying part-time.

What is a verified copy?
A verified copy is a photocopy of your original document signed as being a true and accurate copy by a Justice of the Peace (JP), solicitor, church minister, kaumātua, police officer, school principal, Member of Parliament or Te Rito Maioha teaching staff member. You can find a list of Justices of the Peace in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book or at Royal Federation of NZ Justices’ Associations

Documents required to submit an application

1. Primary ID
You must supply a verified copy of one of the documents below:

• New Zealand Birth Certificate issued on or after 1 January 1998 carrying a unique identification number
• New Zealand Passport
• Overseas passport (must include relevant visa/residency permit)
• New Zealand Emergency travel document
• New Zealand refugee travel document
• New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Passports Act 1992 to non-NZ citizens who cannot obtain a passport from their country of origin)
• New Zealand certificate of identity (issued under the Immigration Act 1987 to people who have refugee status)
• New Zealand citizenship certificate

2. Secondary ID
You must supply a verified copy of one of the documents below:

• New Zealand Driver’s licence
• 18+ Card
• Community services card
• NZ student photo identification card – from another tertiary institution
• NZ employee photo identification card
• NZ electoral roll record
• Inland revenue number
• NZ utility bill, issued not more than six months earlier.

This programme consists of 4 (30-credit) courses that can be studied full-time over one-year or part-time over two-years:

Qualified ECE teachers will gain credit for two courses: ‘Context for Early Childhood Education’ and ‘The Child’ and only need to complete the two Montessori-based courses.

Fees cover all tuition costs, student guides and readings.

All fees shown are for domestic students studying in 2025*:

*Fees may be subject to late payment fees after the due date

Enrolling as an international student, you will be subject to international fees.

Aperfield Montessori Trust Scholarship

This scholarship assists students studying the New Zealand Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care (Aperfield Montessori) with their fees.

When awarded this scholarship, the Trust will reimburse you an amount of up to $3,240 of the fees paid to Te Rito Maioha, after the completion of the qualification. The scholarship also offers to reimburse students 50% of their travel costs incurred in attending the practical workshops, up to the amount of $1,000, upon receiving relevant documentation and receipts.

Scholarship applications for semester 2, 2025 will close on Tuesday 1st July 2025

Discover other scholarships, grants and loans to finance your studies