# education in wellington, NZ



## huong (Nov 19, 2014)

we are moving to wellington, NZ next July. our daughter turned 6 past month and is currently a kindergarten. 
Please advise me what is the best school in wellington for primary school? anyone knows what grade my daughter might be in next july? 
I know the school system in NZ is totally opposite due to the hemisphere. 

thank you


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

huong said:


> we are moving to wellington, NZ next July. our daughter turned 6 past month and is currently a kindergarten.
> Please advise me what is the best school in wellington for primary school? anyone knows what grade my daughter might be in next july?
> I know the school system in NZ is totally opposite due to the hemisphere.
> 
> thank you


Children must start school before they turn 6, however most start on or just before/after their 5th birthday.
If they start at 5 years old that's year 1, then the following beginning of Feb they'll move up a year as that is the official start of the school year.
If your daughter is still 6 years old in July 2015 then she'll be in year 2.
Think I've got that right altho it is a bit confusing.
See here

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/Parents/AllAges/EducationInNZ/SchoolsInNewZealand/YearLevels.aspx

There's lots of good schools in Wellington and it's a big place. You'll need to look at the ero reports for each school and the decile ratings to see the quality of the childrens families that attend and tge government funding they receive.
School isnt free here. Even the state shools ask for parental assistance for fees and these maybe voluntary and/or compulsory. Youll also have to pay for stationery books uniforms trips meals etc. They are zoned also so you'll need to live in the school zone to guarantee a place.


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## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

Yep, year two or possibly a year 2/3 composite class, there are many really good schools in Wellington and I suggest you start trolling the ERO web site your looking for decile 10 BTW. We always found the schools first, then hunted for the house in that area. My kids went to Easter Hutt (Lower Hutt area) and really loved it. Once you narrow down a few schools, log onto the school website and read their newsletters, that gives you a really good idea of the character of the school and the kids. 
You should find the the principle and or head teacher very approachable and helpful, if you get a short list or possible areas you are considering, come back here and we could help further, personally, I have been involved with 11 schools in Wellington and I think its a case of there being the odd bad one rather than the odd good school. As stated above the state schools are zoned, meaning you have to lie within that zone to get your children into that school, you will note on the real estate sites they often state the school zone area as a selling point for a house. 
You have three types of schools, state, catholic and private, my kids have been to all 3 types. Wellington is very fortunate in have some brilliant state schools at every level of eduction, intact I removed two of my children from a private school (costing $12,000p/a) and sent them to the local state school as I thought the eduction was better and it was, good luck, enjoy Wellington, shame you will be coming in winter!


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## huong (Nov 19, 2014)

thanks for the tips. I am not sure what specific area in wellington i will live yet since it will be provided by my husband job later. i only contacted St. Mark's Church school (mt Victoria) cuz it is a coed one which can be convenient for both of my kids. what is your opinion on this private school? 
Do schools in NZ assess new students?
she studies at an american school now so their curriculum is not as hard as the british's. she is in kindergarten (just turned 6 last month) and still doesn't know how to read yet. i heard kids learn at NZ school are supposed to read at 6 years old. is it true? 

thank you again.


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## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

I know St Marks well, I went there and so did one daughter, it is a private (fee paying) but has an excellent reputation.
Yes and no to your question, most of the junior classes are flexible, my daughter at St marks could read at age 4. When we arrived and enrolled her at 5 they popped her into year one with her age, however, moved her into the 3rd class for reading. I have worked in 5 schools in Wellington and in all of them there is a plan to keep children with their age group if at all possible. If your daughter is six, then yes she will be assessed, in NZ there is a test called the 6 year old net test. This is to catch all children by age 6 who are not reading to the national standard and all schools should have a written plan in place to get those children up to speed. So in answer to your other question, yes, it is expected that children should have basic reading skills by 6. However, my job being to work with these children, this is by no means the case. Up to 30% of children in some areas do not reach this and boys especially learn at a different speed in the first few years. I really wouldn't worry, it will be sorted, with sound and experienced teaching. I would often take children from different countries and work one to one with them, on average, it took 12 weeks to get these children up to pass the test and often children without the reading skills are ahead of the others in the class in another way, often in maths. Ask any school about the net test and what their written plan is to help the children who do not pass this. 
Now, St marks itself, one school I have 1st hand knowledge about, excellent and it should be because it does cost money, only downside to this school is its very busy location. Drop off and pick up can be difficult, its right on a ring road on the outskirts of central Wellington, right opposite the main cricket ground, and traffic is sometimes rather thick. I would say however, in the suburbs around this area of Wellington most of the state (almost free) schools are excellent as well. Not sure if you know, but private or Catholic schools in NZ have uniforms, usually state primary schools do not, that will be an extra expense to factor in too. Also most private schools have a school bus service available to students, where most state one don't at the primary level. 
Some parents do not sent their children to school until 6, its not a requirement by law until then and in my humble experience, although these children often can't read and write to the expected standard on entry, give them one term and they are overpassing their classmates, life experience and kindergarten is a wonderful launching point to learning. PM me if you need other details.


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## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

Sorry for this, working off my phone and can't post directly here, but go to stuff.co.nz you will find a link called "School Report, open that and have a look look around, it will give you the rating of and information on every school in the country, it also explains the education system well, also all your links you will need.


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## huong (Nov 19, 2014)

Hello Ms. Rosie
thanks so so so much for the details. It really helps me to get an overall picture of the school. we will arrive in NZ next July so the school has only one more term left. I will have to contact St. Mark school again to see what grade my daughter will be in. it sounds pretty confusing to me and of course it will based on my daughter's knowledge as well. 
thanks again and i will do some research on the school report link you sent.


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## huong (Nov 19, 2014)

Hello
what do you think of Queen Margaret College? i have been researching and sort of overly overwhelmed. Thanks for your time.


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## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

Good grief, this is amazing, went there from age 12!!!! OK, its a good school, VERY, VERY expensive, is it worth the money? not really sure about that, good teachers, some are my friends in fact, did not send my daughter there. Wellington girls college (public) is two minutes down the same road and also very good and a fraction of the cost, that if your daughter is at seconadry school. if your looking at it for primary level, look also at kelburn school, also just down the road, very good and public. All the schools in this area have good reputations, this is a high income, good area of Wellington. My suggestion is to look at the subjects your children are good at, these schools all have particular areas of excellence and work from there. If you are very keen on private education, there is also.Samuel Marsden also excellent and Chilton St James in Lower Hutt.


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## Rosieprimrose (May 9, 2014)

So sorry, got by schools mixed up, its Thorndon primary just down the road from Queen Margaret's, been there too, really great little school. But you are right, you need to get going as the schools will be closing down for summer, are you in Wellington now? 
Don't get too worried, you can always change schools if it not to your liking. Some schools run summer programs, in things like music, dance, science, or they used to, that might be a good away for your children to make friends before the next year starts.


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