What are some things to think about when choosing a school?
When must my child start school in New Zealand?
What are the differences between state school and private school?
Where can I find information about schools to make sure I make the right choice for my child?
How do I find out the philosophies of each school?
I’m thinking of home schooling my child. What’s involved in this?
How do the school zones work?
How do I find out what school I am zoned in?
I want to send my child to a school that’s not in my zone. Can I do this?
What are some things to think about when choosing a school?
The number of schools you and your child have to choose from will depend on the zone you live in. Some things to think about when choosing a school may be
- what advantages a private school might offer
- where your child’s friends are going
- the subjects that are taught at the school
- where your child wants to go
- how long it’s going to take to get there
- how your child will get there
- whether the school offers before/after school care
- whether to send your child to a single sex or co-ed school, if you are choosing a secondary school
You know your child best and what type of school is likely to suit their academic ability, their interests and personality. You can read up about different schools from a range of sources. Schools usually have open days before the school year starts. Speaking to parents with children attending the schools in your area may also provide you with helpful information.
To find a school in your area, see the Ministry of Education School Zones website.
When must my child start school in New Zealand?
Children usually begin school when they turn five, though schooling is only compulsory from age six.
What are the differences between state schools and private schools?
State schools are funded by the government and give preference to accepting students from within their school zone. Education at state schools is free for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, but those schools can ask for a donation towards the cost of events and activities as well as for materials used in certain classes such as art or design. The donation, as its name suggests, is a voluntary payment but some schools will prevent your child from taking part in the activity that relates to the donation, if you don’t pay.
Private schools are not directly controlled by the government. They must meet certain standards to be registered as a school but are governed by an independent board. Private schools receive some funding from the government but are mostly funded by yearly school fees and donations. Because of this it is a lot more expensive to send your child to a private school. Private schools also often have a religious basis, for example Catholic Christian, and may want students to take religious education courses and join in prayers at school events based around that religion.
There are also schools referred to as Integrated Schools. Integrated Schools were once private schools which have now joined the state school system. They teach the national curriculum but keep their own special character (usually a philosophical or religious belief) as part of their school programme. Integrated schools receive the same government funding for teaching as state schools but because their buildings and land are privately owned, they often charge yearly fees called “attendance dues” to meet property costs.
State schools and integrated schools provide education that is based on the national curriculum. Private schools do not have to teach using the national curriculum but must use a curriculum that is at least as good. Most state primary schools educate boys and girls (i.e. co-ed), while secondary schools can be either single sex or co-ed.
Back to top
Where can I find information about schools to make sure I make the right choice for my child?
You can find information on different schools from many different sources:
The Education Review Office (ERO)
The Education Review Office (ERO) is a government department that reviews and reports on the education and care of students in schools, early childhood services and other education providers in the pre-tertiary education sector.
ERO publishes education reviews which you can use to help you choose a school. Schools are reviewed, on average, three times a year. The reviews evaluate
- student achievement
- teaching
- professional leadership and governance
- legal compliance
ERO also carries out
- education reviews
- supplementary reviews
- special reviews
- private school reviews
- home schooling reviews
- national reviews
- cluster reviews
You can get these reports by contacting ERO – either by looking under E in the Blue Pages in your phone book, or by visiting their website.
Contact the school directly
You can find the contact details of the schools you’re considering in the telephone directory, or else by searching for a school website online. Generally, you can ask for an information pack about the school once you get in touch with them. If you want to discuss any queries or uncertainties you have about the school, make an appointment with the principal. You could ask about
- behaviour policies
- class sizes
- extra support available e.g. reading recovery programmes
- facilities for special needs children
- the strengths of the school
- the strengths of the teachers
- you could also have a look around the school to get a feel for it, and talk to other parents whose children go there
The Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education website has information on schools in New Zealand. It covers
- curriculum
- teaching
- qualifications
- school management
- school administration
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority’s (NZQA) website shows the unit standards secondary schools are accredited to teach. This gives you an idea of the subjects that are likely to be taught at each school. You can find the contact details of your local NZQA office in the Blue Pages of your phone book, or visit their website. The unit standards are listed by topic and subtopic in the online unit standards framework.
To help make your search for the right school easier, the Ministry of Education has a school checklist that lists things you might want to look for in a school. You can also refer to question “What are some things to think about when choosing a school?”
Back to top
How do I find out the philosophies of each school?
Each school has its own philosophy which will influence their attitude to homework, behaviour, dress, how subjects are taught, and how much emphasis they place on other activities such as music and sport.
Some schools have particular philosophies about the whole experience of education, for instance Montessori schools or Steiner schools. If you want to find out about a school near you, you should contact the school and ask them about their philosophy or talk to other parents who have children going to that school.
I’m thinking of home-schooling my child. What’s involved in this?
There are two ways you can school your child at home. You can either enrol your child in Correspondence School or teach your child yourself.
The Correspondence School will send out booklets and material to your child for them to complete. You then post it back to the correspondence school for assessment. To enrol your child in Correspondence School they must fit within the enrolment criteria of the school, for example if they move around the country too often for enrolment in a school to be practical. A full set of the enrolment criteria can be found at the Ministry of Education’s website. To enrol in the Correspondence School go to the Correspondence School website.
If you want to teach your child yourself you must have approval from your local office of the Ministry of Education. To get this approval you must prove either that
- your child will be taught at least as regularly and as well as in a registered school, or
- your child, if they would otherwise be likely to need special education, will be taught at least as regularly and as well as in a special class or clinic, or by a special service
Speak to your local Ministry of education office if you would like to know more about what is involved in this.
Parents and caregivers who home school their children are given an annual grant to help with the cost of learning materials. This can also be used to pay for teaching services from the Correspondence School. Speak to your local Ministry of Education office for more information about how to get this grant.
How do the school zones work?
School zones are specific areas of your town or city worked out by the Ministry of Education to make sure state schools are not overcrowded. The schools in the zone you live in must give your child’s enrolment priority over children outside the zone. State schools which are outside the zone you live in do not have to accept your child – they will give priority to the children in their own school zone.
How do I find out what school I am zoned in?
The Ministry of Education has a website that can show you what schools are in your zone.
Schools will also know if you live in their zone or not. You can contact a school directly to find out. See your white pages for a list of schools near you.
I want to send my child to a school that’s not in my zone. Can I do this?
You can try to enrol your child in another school in another zone, but be aware that the children who live within the school zone get first preference when enrolling. This means that if the school is already full, your child may not get in. Children not in the school zone will usually be accepted in this order of priority
- students accepted for enrolment in any special programme run by the school
- brothers and sisters of current students
- brothers and sisters of former students
- children of board employees
If you are not successful in enrolling your child at the school you want, you can ask to be put on a waiting list.