Schooling in New Zealand: an overview

Children most commonly start school when they turn five, though schooling is compulsory in New Zealand only from age six.

While most students in New Zealand attend state-funded schools, other options are available. The majority of children attend the school closest to where they live, but some school facilities have enrolment schemes in place to prevent over-crowding.

Schooling in New Zealand

Compulsory education in New Zealand falls under one of three categories: primary, intermediate and secondary schooling.

Primary	Age five to the end of Year 6
Intermediate	Years 7 and 8
Secondary	Year 9 through the to end of Year 13
Area/composite schools	Usually based in rural areas, these combine primary, intermediate and secondary schooling at one location

Types of schools

While most students in New Zealand attend state-funded schools, parents/caregivers and students have a choice of schooling options.

• State schools: Co-educational (mixed sexes) at primary and intermediate level, with some offering single-sex education at secondary level.
• Special education schools: State schools that provide education for students with special education needs. The curriculum is the same as at other state schools.
• Independent (private) schools: Governed by their own independent boards, but must meet certain standards in order to be registered. Independent schools may be either co-educational or single-sex. They charge fees, but also receive some subsidy funding from the government.
• Boarding schools: May either be independent or part of a state-funded school. All charge boarding fees.
• Integrated schools: Schools that used to be private and have now become part of the state system. They teach the New Zealand curriculum, but keep their own special character (usually a philosophical or religious belief) as part of their school programme. They receive the same government funding for each student as state schools, but charge attendance dues to meet their property costs.
• Designated character schools: State schools that teach the New Zealand curriculum, but have been allowed to develop their own set of aims, purposes and objectives to reflect their own particular values.
• The Correspondence School (TCS): Provides distance learning for more than 20,000 students across New Zealand. Students may live a long way from their nearest school, live overseas, study with TCS for medical reasons or have special education needs. Secondary students may also enrol in specific subjects if these are not available at their regular school. They also offer programmes in early childhood and some specialist adult education courses, such as English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Find out about The Correspondence School eligibility here.
• Kura kaupapa Maori: State schools where teaching is in the Maori language (te reo Maori) and is based on Maori culture and values. The curriculum is the same as at other state schools.

Choosing a school

Parents and caregivers can apply to enrol their children at any state school of their choice. However, if a school has too many children wishing to enrol, the Ministry of Education may require a school to operate an enrolment scheme to prevent over-crowding.

An enrolment scheme must contain a home zone with clearly defined boundaries. Students who live within the home zone have an absolute right to enrol at the school. Students living outside the zone can still apply to enrol, but if there are more applicants than available places, a ballot will be held to determine who can enrol.

Many schools have a prospectus or brochure that sets out their ideals and what the school offers its students, which, like a school’s charter, must be made available when requested.

Parents or caregivers may visit schools and can view the latest Education Review Office report online for any New Zealand school or early childhood service.

The Education Review Office also provides a resource on its website to assist parents and caregivers in selecting a secondary school for their children.

 

Enrolling

Once parents and caregivers have decided on a school, they are encouraged to visit to fill in an enrolment form, and have an opportunity to meet the principal before the child's first day. They are then given information about school opening hours and how the school operates.

Starting School

As stated above, children most commonly start school when they turn five even though schooling is compulsory from age six. Where children start school for the first time after the age of six, they are placed in the same year as other children of the same age.

A child starting primary school for the first time between July (when the school roll is counted) and 31 December of a school year, and aged between five and six, will be classed as Year 0.

Children who begin school for the first time between 1 January and before the July roll count will be classed as being in Year One.

The school year runs from the end of January to the middle of December, broken into four terms. Classes typically have between 19 and 24 children to every teacher.

NCEA

New Zealand children generally attend primary school until they are 12 and then move on to their secondary institute, known as secondary schools, high schools, colleges or area schools. It is here that they are encouraged to partake in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement programme (NCEA), which is undertaken in three levels over the last three years of schooling (Years 11-13). NCEA qualifications are available in a myriad of subjects including academic, artistic and trade.

The NCEA qualifications equate internationally as follows:

Level One NCEA equates to:

• The British General Certificate of Secondary Education
• Canadian or US Grade 10
• Year 10 awards in most Australian states – School Certificate, Junior Certificate and Achievement Certificate

Level Three NCEA equates to:

• The British A level
• Year 12 awards in most Australian states

Higher education

A high level of tertiary education is available within New Zealand including universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, all of which are public institutions. There is also a huge variety of private training facilities and organisations, which include many language schools catering to international students.

A Bachelor’s degree from a New Zealand university is equivalent of both the British Bachelor’s (Ordinary) degree and the Australian Bachelor’ degree award.

More Information

For more information on education in New Zealand, visit or contact the Ministry of Education.