Choose the Hafnarfjörður route and come and work in our nurseries!
We want to fill our schools with professional and capable staff. All of the City of Hafnarfjörður's initiatives aim to encourage the interest of qualified professionals and attract them to the varied and vibrant work in the city's nurseries.
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The school year for nursery and primary school teachers has been harmonised in Hafnarfjörður.
The working year for staff in the Association of Nursery School Teachers and other university-educated staff within Hafnarfjörður's nursery schools is comparable to the working year for teachers in primary schools. At the same time, a reorganisation of the nursery schools' academic year is underway, with the aim of aligning it more closely with the primary school academic year, featuring active and professional study for a large part of it, alongside professional leisure and after-school activities with different focuses.
A 36-hour working week is equivalent to 23 accumulated days off.
A full working week reduction (36 working hours instead of 40) has been introduced in all of Hafnarfjörður's nurseries and applies to all staff. Implementations tailored to the needs of each individual setting are followed, ensuring that neither the service nor the quality of the nursery's work is compromised. Staff in the Association of Play School Teachers and other university-educated staff within Hafnarfjörður's play schools have the option to work a 40-hour working week and accrue the reduction (a 36-hour working week is equivalent to 23 accumulated days off) which is taken out in better working hours during the following periods:
• Two days in October when the primary schools in Hafnarfjörður are on their winter holiday
• From 21 December until 2 January
• Two days in February when there are school holidays in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools
• Three days in Holy Week before Easter
• During the holiday period from 15 May to 15 September, in addition to the entitlement to annual leave
Health promotion grants and support
Emphasis is placed on targeted occupational health and wellness for the staff of the City of Hafnarfjörður. As part of this, staff are offered an annual grant for health and fitness and free swimming. In addition, a free library card is offered at the Hafnarfjörður Library. Furthermore, in the spring of 2022, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður decided to become a health-promoting workplace, thereby placing even greater emphasis on the health and well-being of its staff. Hafnarfjörður has been a healthy community since 2015, and the municipality now wants to invest even more in its human resources. The implementation of the health promotion is tailored to each of the council's workplaces and is carried out in collaboration with all staff.
Support for increased professional education
Since 2015, staff in the nursery schools of the City of Hafnarfjörður have received study grants from the municipality to study early years education. The initiative aims to increase the proportion of professionally qualified staff in the town's nurseries, thereby boosting the number of qualified nursery teachers, as well as encouraging further professional development among other qualified staff. Special scholarships are awarded annually and are in the form of paid study leave, allowing students to study while working in a nursery school, as well as covering the cost of registration fees and course materials. The scholarships are awarded for varying lengths of time, depending on the chosen course of study. Those undertaking the B.Ed degree in Early Childhood Education receive a grant for two years, while those enrolled in a full M.Ed programme receive grants for five years. Grants are also awarded to students on the Early Childhood Education bridging course at Borgarholtsskóli.
The Hafnarfjörður Route won the Reputation Award 2023
At the beginning of the year, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður received the Reputation 2023 award, a professional recognition from the Association of Play School Teachers and the Association of Play School Managers. The municipality received the Reputation Award for standardising working hours in its nurseries and primary schools, thereby making the school year for these two educational stages comparable. Hafnarfjörður is the first municipality to take this step. Also for significantly increasing the management role of deputy headteachers, in order to provide professional guidance and enhance the induction and training of new staff – thereby further strengthening the internal operations of the nurseries.
Announcement of the 2023 Reputation
A landmark step in strengthening and developing the future of nursery education.
At the beginning of 2023, the Municipality of Hafnarfjörður took a landmark step in strengthening and developing its nursery education for the future, with the aim of increasing the number of professionals in the municipality's nurseries, increasing flexibility, and creating genuine and realistic opportunities for professional work. The measures included, among other things, increased coordination between the early years of education and the creation of a nursery environment that better responds to the needs and development of the modern educational community.