Foundation Phase Apprentice Teacher (Paulshof)

Nova Pioneer is looking for a superstar Apprentice Teacher to teach Junior Primary grades at Paulshof Primary School! This is an exciting opportunity for an aspiring teacher who is currently or going in their 3rd or 4th year of their BEd qualification or completing their PGCE in 2025 to join a team deeply committed to the development of our people and our children. You will partner with your Resident Teacher to empower students using an enquiry-based learning approach and be a part of an innovative network of schools that is developing generations of innovators and leaders who will shape the African Century.

About Nova Pioneer

Imagine a world in which every young person across Africa attends a school that truly sets them up for success in the 21st century. A school that cares about individual students and allows them to explore the world around them. A school that focuses more on developing skills than on memorizing content. At Nova Pioneer, we have done more than just imagine this future, we are bringing it to life. Nova Pioneer is a pan-African, independent network of schools offering high quality, accessible education from pre-primary through secondary school. Nova Pioneer uses a unique, enquiry-based learning approach that encourages students to ask “why” instead of telling them the “what”. It allows them to form their own thinking through exploration, investigation and collaboration. Nova Pioneer currently has 15 schools in South Africa and Kenya with a vision to launch 100 schools and reach tens of thousands of students across the African continent in the next decade. To learn more visit www.novapioneer.com.

Apprentice teachers support instruction and classroom management and are responsible for helping to drive a rigorous, enquiry-based learning environment the Nova Pioneer way. Apprentice teachers are supported by Resident teachers who partner with them in their growth journey - observing lessons, providing feedback and coaching.

Key responsibilities for the role include:

• Help and support Resident teachers to deliver impactful and engaging enquiry-based lessons supported by technology to enhance instructional delivery.
• Infuse joy and passion for learning into lessons so that students are excited about and invested in their academic excellence.
• Help to set and communicate rigorous and ambitious goals for all students and provide student feedback so they internalize it.
• Work collaboratively with the resident teacher to conduct ongoing assessment of student progress. Use assessment data to adjust instructional content and delivery techniques accordingly.
• Attend weekly feedback meetings with resident teachers and Deans to enhance teaching practices.
• Fully participate in opportunities for professional growth including daily team meetings and reflections, weekly professional development meetings, instructional coaching, and organization-wide learning and reflection.
• Communicate regularly with parents through e-mail, telephone and parent-teacher conferences.
• Contribute to and participate in co-curricular programming for at least one activity in the course of a term.
• Participate in a variety of collaborative teams and committees, fulfill supervision duties as assigned including some morning, evening and weekend events.

About You

Skills and Qualifications required:

• You are pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and entering your third or fourth year of study OR a Bachelor’s Degree + Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).
• You are not a qualified teacher at the start of 2025.
• You are specialising in the Foundation Phase.
• You are provisionally SACE registered.
• You have English and Mathematics teaching experience or curriculum knowledge - experience in Singapore Maths and THRASS (English) is not compulsory but ideal.
• Experience and/or understanding of Cambridge curriculum objectives would be an advantage.

Qualities of a successful candidate:

• You love teaching and care deeply about the success of each and every student.
• You have a deep understanding of children and you know how to connect with the specific age group that you teach.
• You are deeply committed to your development as a teacher and welcome constructive feedback, translating feedback into improvements and innovations in your approach and in your classroom.
• You are able to work within a team-based environment and collaborate with other resident teachers, apprentice teachers and deans.
• You communicate openly and effectively with your colleagues.
• You are adept at using technology for instruction.

Working at Nova Pioneer

Nova Pioneer is committed to the achievement and maintenance of diversity and equity in employment. Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast! We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students. “Novaneers” work harder and work longer hours than most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary. We offer consistent and ongoing personal development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best. Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life. We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions!). We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better. There is no problem too big for us! We work hard but we also have a lot of fun together. We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels the hardest work and learning.