GuidesA closer look

How do I change my child's school?

What to do when your child moves school, whether across town or to a new region: telling the old school, getting a place at the new one, what happens to zones when you move house, and how enrolment records and NCEA results follow your child.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: Ministry of Education, New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 35), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 237), Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21), New Zealand Government (govt.nz), New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, Schedule 20 clause 12), Immigration New Zealand and NZQA.

What do I need to do first?

You are responsible for letting your school know if your child is moving to a new school.¹ You must enrol your child in a new school right away.²

Every domestic student must be enrolled at a registered school from their sixth birthday until their 16th birthday.³

Changing schools, step by step

Tell the current school
You are responsible for letting your school know if your child is moving to a new school.¹
Enrol at the new school
You must enrol your child in a new school right away.²
The record goes to the new school
When a student moves from one registered school to another, the first school's principal (or equivalent) must take reasonable steps to send the student's enrolment record to the second school.⁴

The ENROL register monitors the period between a student leaving one school and enrolling in the next.⁵ The Attendance Service is notified through ENROL if a domestic student under 16 remains unenrolled after 20 school days.⁶

What the old school does when your child leaves

On the day the principal first knows a student has left, they must record that the student has left and note the student's last day of tuition.⁷ The school must unenrol the student in the Student Enrolment Register (ENROL) within 5 days of them leaving.⁸

A school must also record that a student has left when they have been absent for 20 consecutive school days, unless it has been told the absence is only temporary.⁹

Recording the student's intended school and reason for leaving in ENROL helps the Ministry of Education find the student promptly if they do not enrol at another school.¹⁰

Getting a place at the new school

If you live within a school's home zone, your child automatically qualifies to enrol.¹¹ Not all schools have zones.¹² Anyone can enrol at a school that doesn't have an enrolment scheme.¹³

You may still be able to apply to enrol your child at a school if you live outside its zone, but your child is not guaranteed a place.¹⁴ This depends on how many out-of-zone applications the school gets, and how many extra places are left after all in-zone students have enrolled.¹⁵

Schools and kura have to advertise if they have any places left for out-of-zone students, normally in September, or more often if they have several intakes a year.¹⁶
Students who miss out in a ballot are put on a waiting list in the order they were drawn, and may be offered a place if one becomes available later in the year.¹⁷
Schools cannot charge a fee or ask for donations for any part of the pre-enrolment process.¹⁸

If the school says no: Your enrolment must be accepted if your child lives inside the home zone or the school has no enrolment scheme; if the school still refuses, ask for the refusal in writing and contact your nearest Ministry of Education office for advice.¹⁹

You cannot temporarily move into a zone in order to get your child into a school.²⁰ The board of a state school with an enrolment scheme may annul a student's enrolment if it believes on reasonable grounds that the enrolment or pre-enrolment form falsely claimed, to secure enrolment, that the student was living in the home zone when they enrolled.²¹

What if we move house but want to stay at the same school?

If you move out of a zone after your child is enrolled at a school, they are entitled to remain at the school.²² You can also choose to enrol your child at the new local school they are in zone for.²³

Once a child is enrolled at a school, they are entitled to stay there even if the enrolment scheme changes.²⁴

Check school transport separately. Home zones are different from zones for school transport services.²⁵

Arriving from overseas

If your child is starting school as a newcomer to New Zealand and has already had some schooling, you can enrol them at any time of the year.²⁶

How your child's records move

When a student moves from one registered school to another, the first school's principal (or equivalent) must take reasonable steps to send the student's enrolment record to the second school.⁴

ENROL is an enrolment management application containing enrolment records for all students in New Zealand.²⁷ Schools and kura use it to make updates as students enrol, change schools or leave the school system.²⁸

After a child's first enrolment, ENROL remembers their identity details, so later schools need not ask for an official document for New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.²⁹ Eligibility for all other students must be checked and updated.³⁰

Teaching and Learning Notes in ENROL tell the new school whether there is anything it may wish to discuss with the previous school to help the student settle in.³¹ When updating ENROL, the school the student is leaving flags where any supporting information is kept on the student's file, and the new school must request this information.³²

Parents can request copies or corrections of the information held in ENROL about their child, through the child's current school or the Ministry of Education.³³
The information stored in ENROL is protected by the Privacy Act.³⁴

Secondary students and NCEA results

Students can only have one active secondary school enrolment with NZQA at a time.³⁵ A student's enrolment, with any entries and results, stays active with the last school they attended until they transfer to a new school.³⁶ When a student transfers, any entries with results are recorded against the new enrolment, and the previous enrolment is marked as withdrawn.³⁷

When a student leaves, NZQA says the school must, among other things, send a full transcript of the student's results to their new school on request, including any results confirmed after the student left.³⁸

Students who transfer schools after 1 September will not have personalised exam booklets at the new school, which must follow the late entry process.³⁹

Children with learning support

Children with very complex and ongoing support needs may qualify for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding, which stays with them throughout their school life.⁴⁰ Support continues to be available throughout a learner's school journey.⁴¹

Sources

Every statement on this page comes from an official page, quoted in full here.

Each numbered statement above is followed here by the words of the official page it comes from. Every quote was checked against its page on 5 October 2026.

“You are responsible for letting your school know if your child is moving to a new school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/atte… ↑
“You must enrol your child in a new school right away.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/atte… ↑
“Every domestic student must, during the period beginning on the student’s sixth birthday and ending on the student’s 16th birthday, be enrolled at a registered school.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 35) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“When a student moves from one registered school to another registered school, the principal , or person responsible for teaching and learning, or manager of the first school must take reasonable steps to send the student’s enrolment record to the principal , or person responsible for teaching and learning, or manager of the second school.”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, s 237) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“ENROL will monitor the period between a student leaving one school and enrolling in the next.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“The Attendance Service will be notified through ENROL if the student: is domestic and under 16 years of age, and remains unenrolled after 20 school days.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/adm… ↑
“on the day that the principal first knows that a student has left their school, they must record that the student has left and note the student’s last day of tuition.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/adm… ↑
“You must unenrol the student in the Student Enrolment Register (ENROL) within 5 days of them leaving your school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/adm… ↑
“You must also record that a student has left your school when the student has been absent for 20 consecutive school days, unless you have been told that the student’s absence is only temporary.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/adm… ↑
“Updating ENROL with the student's intended school and the student's reason for leaving will help the Ministry locate the student promptly if they do not enrol in another school.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“If you live within a school's home zone, your child automatically qualifies to enrol.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Not all schools have zones. Anyone can enrol at schools that don't have an enrolment scheme.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Anyone can enrol at schools that don't have an enrolment scheme.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“You may still be able to apply to enrol your child at a school if you live outside its enrolment zone. Your child is not guaranteed a place at the school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“This depends on how many out-of-zone applications the school gets, and how many extra places are available after all the in-zone students have enrolled.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Schools and kura have to advertise if they have any places left for out-of-zone ākonga | students. This could be in the local newspaper, their website, the school app and newsletter. Normally this happens in September, or more frequently if schools have several intakes of students per year.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Students who are unsuccessful are put on a waiting list in the order they were drawn in the ballot. They may be offered a place if it becomes available later in the year.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/enr… ↑
“Schools cannot charge a fee or ask for donations for any part of the pre-enrolment process.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/enr… ↑
“Your enrolment must be accepted if either: your child lives inside the home zone the school does not have an enrolment scheme. If the school still refuses your enrolment: ask the school to put the refusal in writing contact your nearest Ministry of Education office for advice.”
New Zealand Government (govt.nz) · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“You cannot temporarily move into a zone in order to get your child into a school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“The board of a State school that has an enrolment scheme may annul the enrolment of a student if the board believes on reasonable grounds that the student’s enrolment or pre-enrolment form falsely claimed, for the purpose of securing enrolment, that— (a) the student was living in the school’s home zone when the student enrolled at the school”
New Zealand Legislation (Education and Training Act 2020, Schedule 20 clause 12) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“If you move out of a zone after your child is enrolled at a school, they are entitled to remain at the school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“You can also choose to enrol your child at the new local school they are in zone for.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Once a child is enrolled at a school, they are entitled to stay at the school, even if the enrolment scheme changes.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Home zones are different to zones for school transport services.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/enr… ↑
“If your child is starting school as a newcomer to New Zealand, and they have already had some schooling, you can enrol them at any time of the year.”
Immigration New Zealand · immigration.govt.nz/live/setting-up-your-life-in-new-zealand/chil… ↑
“ENROL is an enrolment management application containing enrolment records for all ākonga | students in New Zealand.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/enr… ↑
“It is used by: schools and kura to make updates as students enrol, change schools or leave the school system”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/enr… ↑
“Thereafter ENROL remembers those details and subsequent schools need not request an official document for New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“Eligibility for all other students is required to be checked and updated.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“Teaching and Learning Notes let you know whether there is anything you may wish to discuss with the student's previous school in order to help them transition into your school.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“You need to: confirm the last day of attendance at the school and update the student’s ENROL record update the student's teaching and learning notes flag where any supporting information has been kept on the student's file in your school (the new school must request this information).”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/adm… ↑
“Parents can request copies or corrections of the information held in ENROL about their child. Students can also request information about themselves. Requests can be made to a student's current school or to the Ministry.”
Ministry of Education (Education Circular 2013/21) · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/education-circulars/edu… ↑
“The information stored in ENROL is protected by the Privacy Act.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/enr… ↑
“Students can only have one active secondary school enrolment with NZQA at a time.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-for-teachers-and-schools/managing-n… ↑
“A student’s enrolment, along with any entries and results, remains active with the last school they attended until they transfer to a new school.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-for-teachers-and-schools/managing-n… ↑
“When a student transfers, any entries with results are recorded against the new enrolment, and the previous enrolment is marked as withdrawn.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-for-teachers-and-schools/managing-n… ↑
“When a student leaves a school, the school must make sure the student’s outstanding results are reported so they can be viewed online and the relevant qualifications awarded. To make sure this happens, schools must: report all missing internal assessment results to NZQA withdraw any internal entry that does not or will not have a result recorded against it withdraw all external entries unless the student has said they will sit the examination enter the student leaving date and reason for leaving in the school's student management system continue to update their SMS with any internal results and external entries for the examinations the student intends to sit update ENROL to show they have left school send a full transcript of the student's results to their new school on request, including any results confirmed after the student left.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-for-teachers-and-schools/managing-n… ↑
“Students who transfer schools after 1 September will not have personalised booklets at the new examination centre school. The new school must follow the late entry process, which includes adding the entry details to its data submission.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-for-teachers-and-schools/managing-n… ↑
“If your child has very complex and ongoing support needs, they may qualify for Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) funding. This stays with learners throughout their school life.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑
“Support continues to be available throughout a learner's school journey.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/early-learning/learnin… ↑