Going to school in New Zealand
Children in New Zealand generally start school at age 5 and spend 13 years at primary and secondary school.
After completing primary and secondary school, students can go to tertiary education.
The education system (external link) – Study in NZ
Finding a school or tertiary provider in New Zealand
Primary, intermediate and secondary schools, as well as tertiary education providers, can be:
- public (funded at least partially by the Government)
- taught in the Māori language for some or all of the time
- private, where families or students pay fees set by the school or provider.
Find schools and tertiary providers in New Zealand (external link)
On this page
Primary and intermediate school
Primary school takes children from year 0 or 1 (age 5) to year 6 or year 8, depending on the school.
Intermediate school is for children in years 7 and 8, where their primary school does not go to this level.
In Kura Kaupapa Māori schools, children are taught some or all curriculum subjects in the Māori language at least 51 per cent of the time.
The primary curriculum is known as The New Zealand Curriculum and the Māori language edition is Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
The New Zealand Curriculum (external link)
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (external link)
More information
Coming to New Zealand to study
Primary and secondary education (external link) - Ministry of Education
Secondary school
Secondary education runs from Year 9 (around 12 to 14 years old) up to Year 13 (around 16 to 18 years old).
Students generally start the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 in Year 11 and work through to Level 3 in Year 13.
NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 are on the first 3 levels of the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).
At each level of the NZQCF, students pass by achieving a number of credits.
In Kura Kaupapa Māori schools, children are taught some or all curriculum subjects in the Māori language at least 51 per cent of the time.
University Entrance
University Entrance (UE) is the minimum students need to achieve to go to a New Zealand university.
Students need NCEA Level 3 and to meet the additional UE requirements.
More information
Coming to New Zealand to study
Primary and secondary education (external link) - Ministry of Education
Studying at tertiary level in New Zealand
In New Zealand, you can get tertiary education through:
- universities
- New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST), polytechnics and institutes of technology
- wānanga (taught partly or completely in the Māori language)
- private training establishments
- workplace training
- government training establishments.
More information
Coming to New Zealand to study
Study New Zealand qualifications
Choosing a tertiary education provider
Find education organisations in New Zealand (external link)
Tertiary study and training (external link) – Ministry of Education
Monitoring quality and performance of schools and tertiary providers
New Zealand schools and tertiary providers are regularly checked for quality of education and performance.
For more information, see:
Earning qualifications in New Zealand
Any qualification you earn from a quality assured school or tertiary provider fits onto the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF).
The NZQCF is a qualifications framework for all vocational and academic qualifications in New Zealand. It has 10 levels, which are based on complexity – level 10 is the most complex.
The NZQCF is where to look for accurate and current information on all quality assured qualifications, from senior secondary school to doctoral degrees.
Bringing overseas qualifications to New Zealand
If you have completed qualifications in other countries and want to have them recognised in New Zealand, you can apply to NZQA for an assessment.