# NZ education



## simply me (Sep 17, 2013)

I'm still sorting out my ITA application but had to get a head start about info on schools in NZ. My kids are in an American School and they will complete grades 9 and 10 by summer

. I read that NZ start school in Feb??? and it's a 13 year system ?? How would that go about, if my kids finish May and hopefully say we get to go in June, so my kids will enroll in the middle of the year as 10th and 11th or 9th and 10th?

Confused


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

simply me said:


> I'm still sorting out my ITA application but had to get a head start about info on schools in NZ. My kids are in an American School and they will complete grades 9 and 10 by summer . I read that NZ start school in Feb??? and it's a 13 year system ?? How would that go about, if my kids finish May and hopefully say we get to go in June, so my kids will enroll in the middle of the year as 10th and 11th or 9th and 10th? Confused


NZ primary and secondary schools start late January till mid December and universities late February till mid November. Free education is available from a child's 5th birthday until they are 19 and compulsory for a child from 6 - 16 yrs old. I guess then it can be a 13 year system. Sorry, no idea what years your children will enrol into after arrival, but they will be able to enrol mid year and not have to wait until the start of the next school year. I'd say in general after agreement is reached for them to start in school they will start at the beginning of the next new term.
Have a look at this link - seems to be an accurate picture of the NZ schooling system.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_New_Zealand


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## inhamilton (Jun 10, 2011)

What ages are your kids, and what month are their birthdays?


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## simply me (Sep 17, 2013)

inhamilton said:


> What ages are your kids, and what month are their birthdays?


They are now 14 yrs old born sep 29 1999 and 15 yrs old, oct 24 1998. 
They will complete 9 and 10 in USA in June.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

simply me said:


> I'm still sorting out my ITA application but had to get a head start about info on schools in NZ. My kids are in an American School and they will complete grades 9 and 10 by summer
> 
> . I read that NZ start school in Feb??? and it's a 13 year system ?? How would that go about, if my kids finish May and hopefully say we get to go in June, so my kids will enroll in the middle of the year as 10th and 11th or 9th and 10th?
> 
> Confused




Here is a link from the ministry of education that, I think, explains pretty well how the year they start is determined by their date of birth. 

School overview - Ministry of Education

So, going by their description, as an example: if you have a child who turned 5 in February, they could start school *after* the first half of the term here in NZ, which is around winter here (June-ish), they would be in Year 0, if the parent waited until the NEW term started in January, they would be in Year 1. 

So, your kids would ostensibly remain with their peers for another half term of school, and then roll into the next year that they'd be in if they were in the US. Don't let them in on this, that they'll be in school for a few extra months! 

Schools here start during the first 2 weeks of January, and are on a year round basis (unlike my youth in the US where we had summers off!), with 2 week breaks every 6/8 weeks or so, and then about a 4 or 5 week break during summer (mid Dec to mid Jan)... I have a year 7 daughter who will be going into year 8 this January, who turned 12 in July, and a year 8 going into year 9, who turned 13 last January.. if that helps you calculate out what you need to know!

Cheers,
Kim


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## simply me (Sep 17, 2013)

Hmmm.. So my kids would complete grade 9 and 10 in USA in early June.. We'd be in NZ by then, they will continue grades 9 & 10 until December. (So like extra schooling ) 

Then in January they'd be in grades 10 & 11? Ofcourse I'm saying 12 year system. So in NZ they do an extra year?

Loool. That's gonna be fun. then being born in Sept and Oct probably doesn't help. 

😊


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## inhamilton (Jun 10, 2011)

Kimbella said:


> Schools here start during the first 2 weeks of January,


Hi, I've never actually heard of a school starting that early, but schools are able to choose their terms as long as it all adds up at the end (I think). Most schools don't start until the very last days of January or the first week of February, so normally the summer break is about 6 weeks.





> They are now 14 yrs old born sep 29 1999 and 15 yrs old, oct 24 1998.
> They will complete 9 and 10 in USA in June.


When deciding which class kids go into, the age range normally runs from July-June, so because your kids were born in September and October, they should be one of the oldest in their class. So, a kid will start high school in february (Year 9) when they are 13 (if their birthday is July-January) or aged 12 if their birthday is February to June. It also depends on their development though. Sometimes a child will be held back if their birthday is early in the year.

So your youngest being 14 now should be in Year 9 (1st year high school) when he/she arrives, and Year 10 when school starts up again next year. Your oldest should go into Year 10 this year and Year 11 in 2014. That's the way I read it anyway. Although it sounds as if you won't be arriving until next year, in which case they should go into Year's 10 and 11 respectively when you arrive in 2014.


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## simply me (Sep 17, 2013)

Yeah I assume they would finish grades 9 & 10 in USA then begin school again in June/July still as 9th and 10th graders. Then Feb 2014 they become grades 10&11. Got it.


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