New Zealand has a highly regarded government-funded education system that is free until the age of 19. School is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, though most children start school on their fifth birthday. The vast majority of students attend government-funded (or state) schools, which rate well by OECD standards. There are also private, independent and boarding school options.
The Education Review Office is the government agency that monitors the quality of education in all New Zealand schools. You can read recent reports on schools in the Wellington region on the Education Review Office website.
Compulsory education in New Zealand is divided into primary, intermediate and secondary schooling.
Primary & Intermediate Schools
Primary school covers years 1 to 6 for children aged 5 to 10. Intermediate schools cover years 7 and 8 (ages 11 to 12). Some primary and secondary schools offer schooling for these years. At primary and intermediate level, schools are generally co-educational.
Secondary Schools
Secondary schools (or colleges or high schools) are for students from years 9 to 13 (ages 13-18). Students here are not streamed into a particular type of secondary school as in some countries. In New Zealand, students usually attend one of the high schools in the neighbourhood (or school zone) they live in.
In the Wellington region, there are 32 secondary schools. Students progress through classes in accordance with their year but have different teachers and go to different classrooms for each subject. Secondary schools serve as gateways to tertiary level study, including university. Students qualify for university by passing the required number of National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) standards from the required number of subjects. At secondary school level, there is a choice of co-educational or single sex schooling within the state system.
NCEA - New Zealand Qualifications Authority website
Private Schools
There is a choice of private primary and secondary schools in the Wellington region. These schools are dependent on fees. Each school determines its own fees scale. Private schools are governed by their own independent boards but must meet government standards in order to be registered. They are also subject to the same ERO audits as state schools. Private schools are usually single sex at both primary and secondary levels.
Integrated Schools
These are schools that used to operate as a private institution but, in recent years, have been integrated into the state funding system. Although they follow the state curriculum requirements, they retain their special religious or philosophical character. The majority of integrated schools are Roman Catholic. A small number, such as Montessori and Rudolf Steiner schools, are secular.
Home Schooling
A small number of parents choose to home school their children. People wanting to apply for home schooling should contact the Ministry of Education.
Te Kōhanga Reo
Te reo Māori means Maori language, which is one of New Zealand's three official languages, alongside English and New Zealand Sign Language. 4.1% of the New Zealand population can speak te reo Māori.
Te Kōhanga Reo is a Maori language programme for young children from birth to six years of age. The methods of Te Kōhanga Reo are based on total immersion in the language and culture which promotes learning within an appropriate cultural context, drawing on Maori styles of learning and teaching.
In Wellington the combined kōhanga reo is called Tangi-te-Keo.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori
The development of kōhanga reo led to the establishment of kura kaupapa Maori at primary level. The aim of these schools is to produce bilingual students who have a high level of competency in both Maori and English.
Kura kaupapa teach many of the same subjects as other state schools but te reo Maori is the main language used by teachers and students.
There is one Kura Kaupapa Maori in Wellington. Te Kura Kaupapa M?ori o Ng? Mokopuna is located in Seatoun. It is a composite school taking children from five years of age through to the end of secondary schooling.
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngā Mokopuna information
Choosing a School
There are primary schools in almost every residential area in Wellington, as well as a good choice of secondary schools. Most children attend the school closest to where they live, but parents and caregivers can enrol their children at any state school.
- Zoning
If a state school has too many children wishing to enrol, the Ministry of Education may allow the school to have 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 a 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. Brothers and sisters of current and former students have a higher priority for the out-of-zone places. - Factors to consider
Families have the right to visit schools and meet with the principal and staff before deciding to enrol their children as students. They can ask to see the latest ERO report. Many schools also have a prospectus or brochure that sets out their ideals and what the school offers it students. Schools also operate open days when interested parents can wander through, during or after class, talk to teachers and students, and inspect the resources and level of education offered at a school.
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