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Schooling
Choosing a school for your child(ren) is a big responsibility for all parents. In North Canterbury there are a variety of options available to you, depending upon where you live. Most children are enrolled at school by their fifth birthday. North Canterbury also caters for parents who require early years education.
Early Years (under 5 years)
Early Childhood Centre Directory
There is no mandatory preschool education in New Zealand, although the government does support pre-school education by providing 20 hours free per child for children aged 3 and 4. Not all settings are part of this scheme so it will be important to check if this is a requirement for you. These settings are reviewed by the Education Review Office on average every 3 years, the inspection reports are available on their website.
Home School
There are a number of private companies now who offer care for pre-schoolers in your own home or in the home of a care provider. These services are growing in popularity for those parents who do not want their children to attend a formal setting. Some parents also choose to home school their children right through their educational career which is allowed in New Zealand.
Schools (5 years onwards)
The schools are broken down into;
- Primary - 5-10 years of age (Year 0-6)
- Intermediate - 11-12 years of age (Years 7 & 8)
- High Schools - 13 - 19 years of age (Year 9-13
- Area/Composite schools are generally found in rural locations and combine all types of school into one location
- Maori State Schools - these schools teach Maori Language (te reo Maori)
- Private - these schools are generally found in more urban areas and can cater for all ages in the same way that the area/composite schools do.
- Boarding Schools
- Special Educational Requirements - if you child has special requirements, there are a variety of options including integration in main stream schools
All schools are inspected by the Education Review Office and full inspection reports for each school can be found on their website