School Education New Zealand
Looking to Send Your Child to School in New Zealand?
At Go To New Zealand, we specialize in helping parents and students navigate the process of studying at at a NZ school. Whether you’re looking for the best schools or need assistance with visas and applications, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Our Services for Parents and Students:
- School Selection: We assist in finding the right school in New Zealand based on your child’s needs, whether it’s a primary, secondary, or private school.
- Visa Support: From the New Zealand student visa application process to work visas for parents, we make sure everything is in place for a smooth transition.
- Ongoing Guidance: We provide support throughout your child’s academic journey in New Zealand, ensuring they have the resources to succeed.
The school system in New Zealand has two stages of schooling – primary schools (years 0-8) and secondary schools (years 9-15). Within these stages, New Zealand families can choose between two types of schooling for their children’s education:
- state and integrated schools (Government funded)
- private schools (fee funded)
Early childhood education is not compulsory in New Zealand. Parents and caregivers can choose from a wide range of services which include:
- New Zealand Free Kindergartens for children between the ages of three and five.
- Education and Care Centres, for children from birth to school age.
- Home-based services, which are a cluster of homes under the supervision of a qualified coordinator.
- The Correspondence School, is a distance education service mainly for children between three and five who are unable to attend a school or have limited access to school because of isolation, illness or itinerancy.
New Zealand Schools offer a great range of qualifications that are internationally recognised and easily transferable. The educational system is progressive with many state-of-the-art facilities. New Zealand’s school system is very popular among international students. And there’s an increasing diversity of students taking part in international education.
- a more international curriculum
- reforming programme structures, credit systems and recognition agreements
- greater awareness of equity issues in international education
The primary and intermediate stages of schooling emphasise basic literacy, numeracy and research skills.
At the high school level, students can make subject choices such as history, geography and the sciences. This specialisation could form the basis for university entry into a particular field of study.
Acceptance into a high school for international students is dependent on their English language ability and this will determine their subject choices and study level.
If students are found wanting in the required English language standards, then they may be required to undertake.
Primary education commences at five years of age and generally ends in the eleventh year, two years for intermediate schooling, and secondary education is compulsory until age fifteen.
Courses are general in the first two years running on to more specialized studies in the next three years.
Qualifying examinations for a school Certificate (which is a national examination) take place at the end of the third year.
The fourth-year is normally a national sixth form certificate qualification.
The fifth year of study can qualify a student for university studies at a higher rate of bursary using an appropriate pass in the bursary of scholarship examinations.
New Zealand has over 2,000 primary and secondary schools. State schools and state integrated schools are primary funded by central government. Private schools receive a lower level of state funding (about 25% of their costs).
Primary schools
Years 1 to 8 (aged 5 to 12 years): Some primary schools may admit students only at Years 4 or 5 to Year 8.
There are many primary schools in New Zealand; state-funded, private, independent and boarding.
It is recommended you choose a good school for your children by seeking and gather information on the school you intend to apply for your children.
There are many websites you are able to look up to; compare them, and it is best to consult the schools yourself so as to ensure it is qualified and meet you and your children’s needs.
Composite Schools
Composite Schools admit students at different levels (primary and secondary students). These may include preschool or Year 1 to Year 13, or Years 7 to 13.
Secondary schools
Secondary schools are mostly government funded, but there are some private or integrated schools, and they are mostly self-funded.
International students mostly enrol to study in the senior secondary school; years 11, 12 and 13, aged 15-18 years in preparation for tertiary studies in New Zealand or in other English-speaking countries.
Intermediate schools
In New Zealand, middle school is called intermediate, for year seven and eight.New Zealand schools are divided into government funded or state schools, independent, private and boarding schools. The quality of education is monitored by the government agency called Education Review Officer.
Government-funded or State schools
Attended by majority of the students, and rated well by OECD standards.
The government ensures children attend the school closest to where they live, but some school facilities have an enrolment scheme to prevent overcrowding.
Independent school
There are forty-three innovative and successful independent schools, educating over 25,000 young students each year; ranging from pre-school to year 13.
Independent schools are partly government funded. There are types of independent schools; independent boarding schools, independent private schools and independent both private and boarding schools.
Day and Boarding Schools
Some schools are day schools only while others provide boarding facilities. These range from weekly boarding for those parents who wish to have their children home in the weekends, to full boarding for parents who wish their children to experience full boarding school life.
Single Sex and Coeducational Schools
Depending on the location, parents and children are able to choose an appropriate option to suit their child’s needs and preference. Some schools are co-ed with separate classes for boys and girls, others are co-ed at Years 12 and 13 only. There are several girls-only and boys-only independent secondary schools.
For information and choice of your children’s schools, contact one of our counsellors.
Most children in New Zealand will start off at an Early Childcare centre, such as a playcentre or kindergarten for children aged 3 to 5, also available for children aged 0 to 5 are Childcare centres which can offer full time, part time or occasional care for those who work.
Primary and Secondary School is compulsory for any child aged between 6 and 16 with exceptions for those that are 15 and have parental or school permission to leave early.
School level is referred to as years, with Primary School being from years 1 to 6 (Age 5 – 11), Intermediate School from 7 to 8 (Age 11 – 13) and Secondary School runs from years 9 to 13 (Age 13 – 18). When you start school depends on your date of birth, If you where born very early in the year there is a possibility that you may start school earlier then expected.
Occasionally Primary, Intermediate and Secondary Schools are joined together and teachers teach in groups rather then years. This is mostly found in rural areas where there aren’t enough students to make up class numbers. Instead they will run as Years 1 to 8 as Full Primary School (Ages 5 – 13), Years 7 to 10 as Middle School (Ages 11-15), Years 7 to 13 as Intermediate/Secondary School/College (Ages 11 – 18), Years 1 to 13 as Area Schools (Ages 5 – 18) and Preschool – Year 13 as Correspondence Schools (Preschool – Age 18).
School Zones
For State Schooling which School you will attend depends on your ‘Home Zone’ , if you are living in the Schools Zone then you will most likely attend that school, this helps with overcrowding of schools. Students who live outside a certain zone can be attend a certain school depending on whether there are enough places available.
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The School System in New Zealand
New Zealand’s school system has currently been ranked as the seventh best in the world by the Programme for International Student Assessment. This country has well qualified teachers, bigger schools, more facilities and is full of friendly people.
During Primary and Secondary school they will generally ask for either a voluntary donation, school fees or a parental contribution. For government schools these fees will be lower however if you choose for your child to go to a Private school then the fee’s will be higher. For tertiary education funding is usually through government subsidies and student fees, so fees are usually high unless you are lucky enough to get scholarship which the government offers.
If there are a number of spaces or applicants students are chosen depending on where they fit into an order of priority. This includes if the child is need of a special programme which only this school can provide, siblings of current students, siblings of past students, children of board employees and then all other students.
Not only is education in New Zealand readily available, but with some of the best teachers and schools in the world as well as help from government funding now is a great time to enrol and start an New Zealand Education Plan.
Currently, New Zealand secondary school students study for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). This qualification replaced the old School Certificate in 2002.
There are about 400 high schools interspersed in New Zealand where age groups 13 to 18 for Year 9 and Year 13 students study various courses for their secondary education at various high schools.
The schools all over New Zealand follow the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualification where a definite value is given to English language.
This is New Zealand’s new secondary school certificate and is based mainly on external examination and internal assessment methods.
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement offered by New Zealand high schools is recognised locally and internationally by both employers and tertiary institutions alike.
It is equivalent to the:
– English General Certificate of Education (GCE) for students studying NCEA Level 1
– English A Levels and Australian higher school certificates for students studying NCEA Level 3
– University entrance examination for students intending to use credits for purposes of gaining tertiary entry
These educational institutions include universities, colleges of education and nanga (Maori education centres). They are state-funded and highly responsive to local and international student demand for coursework and research programs.