8 best boarding schools in New Zealand for foreign students

New Zealand is a country with a beautiful unique nature, in which stunning national parks and reserves are located, occupies the top lines in world rankings and is in the top 10 countries with the highest standard of living.

Studying in boarding schools in New Zealand guarantees the best world-class education with the opportunity to further build a successful career. More than 30,000 foreign students annually strive to enter educational institutions of the country, where they can perfectly learn English, get excellent academic training and have an exciting time.

The main types of the best schools in New Zealand:

1. State.

State schools are funded from the state budget, there is also free education. Depending on the focus of the school, free (or partially free) education can be provided for:

• New Zealand citizens only
• for citizens and children of representatives of foreign states working under a contract

2. Integration.

Former religious or regular private schools that have undergone additional accreditation and joined the public sector

3. Private.

Self-financing schools, boarding houses and boarding schools. Despite the status of “private”, they are under no less strict control than state ones.

4. International.

A special type of school is international, where schoolchildren and foreign students are accepted. All institutions - schools and boarding schools - undergo annual accreditation: the assessment is carried out according to the number of points scored by students in final exams, the percentage of graduates who entered and failed in exams at a university or college is taken into account. The highest number of points in all considered parameters puts the school in the ratings of hundreds of the best. If schools do not meet the requirements, they are deprived of the right to be an educational institution - thus, to study in a New Zealand boarding school in any case means a high-quality education.

Separately, it is worth highlighting schools of the full course of study (grades 1–13) only for girls that are rarely found in Europe: mostly local girls study in them, but they also accept foreign applicants.

Many of the best schools in New Zealand offer boarding and half-boarding tuition, which means accommodation:

• in their own residence or in New Zealand families (housing, food, group cultural and leisure activities)
• in rented housing - a room or an apartment (meals at a separate expense, self-planning of free time).

Moreover, host families are always trusted agents who can not only provide foreign children with accommodation, but also communicate with them, contributing their necessary share of education. In addition, living among native speakers, foreign students adapt more quickly to the new linguistic and cultural environment and within a year or two do not feel alien in the vast expanses of the beautiful New Zealand.

In the middle classes in New Zealand, a large set of sports sections, as well as various types of art, are added to the general subjects to choose from.

• volleyball
• squash
• water sports
• mountain sports
• theater
• chore
• drawing and painting, etc.

The Ministry of education of New Zealand understands the need for comprehensive development of schoolchildren and students, so the sport is taught at a professional level. Regular competitions awaken a healthy sense of competition and self-confidence in children.

In addition to the general subjects, that are included in the curricula of each school, A-level and IB programs for high school students  are especially popular.

Intensive courses allows to avoid failures during admission to higher educational institutions and passing entrance exams. One year in such a school makes it unnecessary to spend an extra year at a university in your country. An opportunity of independent choice of subjects is very convenient when the future student clearly knows his future professional path. During his studies at school, he accumulates practical knowledge, learns to think thematically, participate in debates and discussions, school webinars. 

The table below summarizes information about special (narrowly focused) disciplines that are studied in schools, boarding houses and boarding schools in New Zealand:

It is better to decide whether to send a child to study at a boarding school in New Zealand as early as possible to catch the start of the new school year. Necessary documents include:

• school certificate with grades and scores
• language proficiency certificates
• motivation letter and recommendations from school teachers.