GuidesThe guide, part 6 of 9

How do I choose a school?

What the Ministry of Education, the Education Review Office and Govt.nz suggest parents and whānau look at, ask and do when choosing a school, in their own words.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: Education Counts (Ministry of Education), Education Review Office, Govt.nz and Ministry of Education.

Start with what matters to your child

If you have more than one option, choosing the right local school or kura is important and can make a big difference to your child's happiness and wellbeing, and to how well they do at school.¹ Your priorities will depend on your child's needs and preferences and on your circumstances, so it helps to work out your child's must-haves and what you could compromise on.²

The Education Review Office (ERO) makes a similar point. Different families will value some areas of a school more than others; for example, if your child has experienced bullying, engagement and belonging might be a top priority.³

The practical questions

The Ministry of Education suggests asking yourself some practical questions. Ask yourself how your child will get to and from school, whether the school provides before- and after-school supervision for children aged 14 and under, whether it has a uniform, whether it has a donations scheme, and whether you live in its enrolment zone.⁴

Zoning is one of those practical questions. If you live in a school's zone, your child is guaranteed a place there; you can apply to a school outside your zone, but your child might not get in.⁵ ERO suggests checking that your child lives in the school's zone before visiting, because some schools have enrolment rules based on where you live.⁶

Priorities you might weigh up

The Ministry gives examples of priorities you might see as important.

Support: the school's approach to supporting children with special education needs or talents.⁷
Transport: every child should be able to get to and from school safely.⁸
Languages: whether the school teaches in te reo Māori or has a unit that does, and whether it has a Pacific bilingual and immersion unit or programme, where a Pacific language is the language of instruction for at least half of the time.⁹
Culture: whether the school has particular education philosophies or principles; some schools have a special or designated character, such as a religious, cultural or teaching philosophy.¹⁰
Curriculum: whether there is a strong emphasis on an area your child is interested in, such as music or sport, and whether senior subjects on offer support their interests and possible career path.¹¹

The kind of school also matters. Most New Zealand schools are state schools, owned and funded by the government; they teach the national curriculum and are non-religious.¹² State-integrated schools are owned by a private entity such as a church or trust, are government-funded, teach the national curriculum, and have their own special character, values and philosophy, often based on a religion.¹³ Private schools get some government funding but mostly rely on fees paid by parents, and do not have to follow the national curriculum.¹⁴

Make a shortlist

Make a list of schools near your home and any others you might want to consider.¹⁵ The Ministry suggests its Find Your Nearest School tool on Education Counts as a good place to start: you can search for a school or by your address, and filter by school type (based on year level), school authority (private or integrated), whether te reo Māori or a Pacific language is used to teach, and whether a school is co-educational or single-sex.¹⁶

Read the school's ERO report

ERO says that to learn about a school, its ERO report is the best place to start, because the reports only talk about what the evidence shows, not what people think or hope about a school.¹⁷ ERO reports are public: go to the ERO website and search for the school's name.¹⁸ ERO has a national team of expert school reviewers, and every three or four years members of the team visit a school to do a review.¹⁹

What a report contains: A report sets out how well the school is doing in 14 areas (16 if the school has bilingual provision), with a clear judgement on a four-point scale for each.²⁰ The report shows what is going well and where improvements are needed, to help you make choices about your child's school and talk to its teachers and leaders.²¹ Reports also give important context, such as whether the school has a bilingual curriculum or is a special character school.²²

Older and newer reports: ERO is using its new style of report for all schools it visits from Term 2, 2026 onwards.²³ An older-style ERO report will still have useful information; it will look a bit different and cover many of the same things, though they might not be as clearly labelled.²⁴

What ERO says matters most, and some common misunderstandings

ERO says the evidence is clear about the 14 areas of school that matter most for students to learn and thrive.²⁵ ERO says there are some reliable ways to find out about the quality of a school: its School Reports are a great foundation, giving information about the 14 areas that matter most, and parents and whānau can build on what they read by asking questions and visiting the school.²⁶

Overall achievement rates can sometimes be unhelpful on their own; ERO suggests looking at both achievement and progress to understand how much value a school is adding.²⁷
Progress is a better way to tell whether teaching is good than achievement rates alone.²⁸
Like achievement rates, attendance rates need an extra look: good schools do everything they can to keep students engaged and attending every day.²⁹
Differences in achievement or attendance between groups of students show that some groups are not getting the support they need; good schools are alert and deliberate about preventing and responding to these inequities.³⁰

About the Equity Index: The Equity Index (EQI), which replaced the decile system from 2023 to determine how much equity funding a school gets, is not a measure of school quality.³¹

Visiting a school

You can build on what you learn from a school's ERO report by looking around the school and talking with staff, which is a great way to learn about its teaching, learning and culture and to ask questions about your child.³² All schools welcome visits from new families if you get in touch and find a suitable time, and secondary schools often have open days.³³

ERO's tips for arranging a visit, gathered from school leaders and teachers:

Don't turn up out of the blue: call or email the school to make a time for them to show you around, and check the school website for upcoming open days or evenings.³⁴
If your child attends an early learning service, connect with it about visits; some have relationships with local schools or arrange group visits.³⁵
Think ahead about the sorts of questions you'd like to ask.³⁶
Don't rely on social media for information about a school; it's better to visit.³⁷
It's okay to ask questions: school leaders and teachers know students achieve better when parents and whānau are actively involved and interested.³⁸

The Ministry and Govt.nz add a few more ideas. The Ministry suggests talking to other families whose children go to the schools, meeting principals (and possibly your child's potential teachers), visiting at different times of the day including a break or lunchtime, going to open days or evenings, and checking each school's ERO report.³⁹ Govt.nz suggests asking if it's okay to visit with your child, talking to the staff or principal, and visiting several schools to compare them.⁴⁰

While you are there, ERO suggests looking out for signs of engagement and belonging. Good signs include students looking focused and interested, students discussing their work with each other, teachers moving around the room talking with students about their tasks, teachers or leaders who want to hear about your child's skills and interests, ways for students to track their own progress on display, and schoolwork that links to students' home lives.⁴¹

Who to talk to

Who to talk to depends on what you'd like to know, but usually a school leader will be able to answer most questions.⁴²

School leaders know how teaching and learning works at the school and its approach to supporting students to learn and engage.⁴³
Teachers know about students' progress, achievement and wellbeing, and can answer more specific questions about your child.⁴⁴
Other parents and whānau know about the school community and culture, and how the school and home share information.⁴⁵
The school board knows the big-picture goals the school is working towards and what the school community is like.⁴⁶

School board meetings are open to the public, so ask the school when they are.⁴⁷

Questions ERO suggests asking

Some of ERO's suggested questions, under ERO's own headings. About schoolwork:

What sort of assessment information do parents receive, is it based on a good range of evidence-based assessment tools, and can I see examples of reporting?⁴⁸
How does the school track progress over time, and what would happen if my child isn't progressing as expected?⁴⁹
What is in the curriculum, and does it have a solid focus on reading, writing and mathematics as well as a good range of science, arts, sports and other options?⁵⁰
Are teachers prepared to meet my child's particular needs and strengths, such as giftedness, culture and language, learning difficulties or health needs, and how do you know?⁵¹

About student engagement and belonging:

What are the school's values, and how are they promoted in everyday school life?⁵²
What wellbeing supports does the school have, and do they focus on preventing problems like bullying, schoolwork anxiety and racism as well as responding to them?⁵³
What are your stand-down and suspension rates, and rates of referral to alternative settings, and what did the school do to try to re-engage those students first?⁵⁴

About school staff and structures:

What are the strengths of the teaching team, what are they working to improve, and how consistent is teaching across the school and between classes?⁵⁵
How do you share information with parents, and how would you prefer I approach the school if I have a concern?⁵⁶

About structures in secondary school:

How are timetables structured to avoid clashes that might cut off students' options, and what happens when there is a clash?⁵⁷
What qualifications does the school offer, and how will it work with us so my child gets qualifications that will be useful for their future?⁵⁸
How many students stay until Year 13, how is this encouraged, and what vocational pathways are offered?⁵⁹

Once you have decided

When you've decided on a school, contact it for an enrolment package and to find out about its enrolment process.⁶⁰ Enrol early to help the school plan for the year.⁶¹ A school may need documents such as a birth certificate or passport as proof of age, medical information, legal documents and contact information.⁶²

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.

“If you have more than one option to choose from, choosing the right local school or kura for your child is important and can make a big difference in their happiness and wellbeing as well as how well they do at school.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“These priorities will depend on your child’s needs and preferences, and your circumstances. What are your child’s must-haves and what could you compromise on?”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Different families and whānau will value some areas more than others. For example, if your child has experienced bullying, the ‘engagement and belonging’ area might be a top priority for you.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Ask yourself these questions: How will your child get to and from school? Does the school you’re considering provide supervision for children aged 14 and under, before and after school? Does the school have a uniform? Does the school have a donations scheme? Do you live in the enrolment zone?”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“If you live in a school’s zone, your child is guaranteed a place at that school. You can apply to go to a school that’s outside your zone, but your child might not get in.”
Govt.nz · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Do check that your child lives in the school’s zone before visiting – some schools have enrolment rules based on where you live.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Support The school or kura’s approach to supporting children with special education needs or talents.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Transport Every child should be able to get to and from school safely.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Languages Does the school or kura teach in te reo Māori or have a unit that does? Does the school have a Pacific bilingual and immersion unit or programme, where a Pacific language is used as the language of instruction for at least half of the time?”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Culture Does the school or kura have particular education philosophies or principles? Some schools have their own special or designated character. These schools have a character that differs in some specific ways and cater for students whose parents want them to get such an education. Examples include religious, cultural, and teaching philosophies.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Curriculum Is there a strong emphasis on a particular curriculum area of interest to your child, such as music or sport? Are there particular subjects offered at a senior level that will support your child's interests and possible career path?”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Most schools in New Zealand are state schools, which are owned and funded by the government. They teach the national curriculum and are non-religious.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“State-integrated schools are owned by a private entity, such as a church or trust. They are funded by the government and teach the national curriculum. These schools have their own special character, values, and philosophy, often based on a religion.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Private schools get some government funding but mostly rely on school fees paid by parents. They create their own learning programmes and do not have to follow the national curriculum.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Make a list of schools near your home and any others you might want to consider.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“To see what schools are available, a good place to start is our Find Your Nearest School tool on Education Counts. You can search for a specific school or kura, or by your address to find nearby schools. You can also use filters to search for specific schools or kura, including school types (based on year level), school authority (private vs. integrated); if te reo Māori or a Pacific language is used to teach; and whether the school or kura is co-educational or single-sex.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“To learn about a school, their ERO report is the best place to start. This is because our reports only talk about what the evidence shows – not what people think or hope about a school.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Our reports are public for anyone to see. Just go to our website www.ero.govt.nz and search for the name of the school.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“ERO has a national team of expert school reviewers. Every three or four years, members of the team will visit the school to do a review.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“A school report will set out how well the school is doing on 14 different areas. (Or 16, if the school has a bilingual provision.) For each of these areas, there is a clear judgement on a four-point scale.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“The report lets you see what is going well and where improvements are needed. This will help you to make choices about your child’s school and to talk to teachers and leaders there.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“They tell you some important context information, like whether the school has a bilingual curriculum or is a special character school.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“We’ll be using our new reports for all schools that are visited by ERO from Term 2, 2026 onwards.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“If a school has an older style of ERO report: it will still have useful information it will look a bit different it will talk about a lot of the same things – but they might not be as clearly labelled.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“The evidence is clear about the 14 areas of school that matter the most for students to learn and thrive.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“There are some reliable ways to find out about the quality of a school. ERO’s School Reports are a great foundation – they give you information about the 14 areas that matter most. Parents and whānau can build on what they read in ERO reports by asking questions and visiting the school.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Overall achievement rates and statements about achievement can sometimes be unhelpful by themselves. It’s a good idea to look at student achievement AND student progress, to get a better understanding of how much value a school is adding.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Progress is a better way to tell whether teaching is good, than achievement rates alone.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“A bit like achievement rates, attendance rates need an extra look. Good schools know that attendance matters for students’ futures, and they do everything they can to keep students engaged and attending every day.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Differences in student achievement or school attendance highlight to parents and whānau that certain groups of students are not receiving the support they need to learn and thrive at school. Good schools are alert and deliberate about preventing and responding to inequities.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“From 2023 , the Equity Index ( EQI ) replaced the decile system to determine the amount of equity funding a school gets. The EQI is not a measure of school quality”
Govt.nz · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/school-zo… ↑
“Parents and whānau can build on what you learn from a school’s ERO report by having a look around the school and talking with staff. This is a great way to learn more about the teaching, learning, and culture there – and to ask specific questions about your child.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“All schools welcome visits from new families if you get in touch and find a suitable time. Secondary schools often have open days.”
Govt.nz · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Don’t turn up out of the blue. — Call or email the school to make a time for them to show you around and have a chat. — Look at the school website to see if there are open days or evenings coming up.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Do connect with your early learning service about this, if your child attends one. Some early learning services have relationships with local schools, or make arrangements for group visits.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Do think ahead, about the sorts of questions you’d like to ask.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Don’t rely on social media for your information about a school – it’s better to visit.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“It’s okay to ask questions. School leaders and teachers know that students achieve better at school when parents and whānau are actively involved and interested.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Talk to other families whose children go to those schools. - Make appointments to visit your nearest schools or kura and meet with the principals, and possibly your child’s potential teacher(s). - Visit the schools or kura at different times of the day, to observe class time and visit during a break or lunchtime. - Go to open days or evenings - Check out the Education Review Office (ERO) Report for the schools you are considering.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/things-to-think-a… ↑
“Ask if it’s okay to visit the school with your child. Talk to the staff or principal about the school or your child. Have a play at the school in the weekend. Visit multiple schools to compare them.”
Govt.nz · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“Good signs about engagement and belonging to look out for are… Students looking focused and interested in their work Students discussing their work and ideas with one another Teachers moving around the classroom to talk with students about their learning tasks Teachers or leaders who want to hear about your child’s skills and interests Ways that students can track their own progress (for example, ‘success criteria’ or ‘learning objectives’) on display in classrooms. Schoolwork that links to students’ home lives.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“This depends on what you’d like to know. Usually, a school leader will be able to answer most questions.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“School leaders will know about how teaching and learning works at the school, and the school’s approach to supporting students to learn and engage.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Teachers will know about the progress, achievement, and wellbeing of students. They can answer more specific questions about your child’s learning and achievement.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Other parents and whānau at the school will know about the school community and culture, and the relationships and information-sharing that happens between school and home.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“The school board will know about big-picture goals that the school is working towards and what the school community is like.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“School board meetings are open to the public – ask the school about when these are.”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What sort of assessment information do parents and whānau receive? Will this be based on a good range of evidence-based assessment tools? Can I see examples of reporting?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“How does the school track progress over time? What would happen if my child isn’t progressing as expected?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What is in the curriculum? Does it have a solid focus on reading, writing, and mathematics, as well as a good range of science, arts, sports, and other options?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“Are teachers prepared to meet my child’s particular needs and strengths to help them learn – e.g. giftedness, culture and language contexts, learning difficulties, health needs? How do you know?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What are the school’s values, and how are they promoted in everyday life at school?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What wellbeing supports are within the school? Do these focus on preventing problems like bullying, schoolwork anxiety, and racism, as well as responding to them?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What are your stand-down and suspension rates, and rates of referrals to alternative settings like activity centres? What actions did the school take to try and reengage those students before making that decision?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What are the strengths of the teaching team, and what areas of teaching are they currently working to improve? How consistent is teaching practice – across the school and between different classes?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“How do you share information with parents and whānau? How can I stay up-to date with assessments, news, and events at the school? How would you prefer that I approach the school, if I have a concern?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“How are your timetables structured to avoid clashes that might cut off students’ options? How do you respond when there is a clash?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“What qualifications are offered at the school? How will the school work with us to make sure that my child achieves qualifications that will be useful for their future?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“How many students stay until Year 13? How is this encouraged? What vocational pathways are offered to students?”
Education Review Office · evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/guide-to-schools-for-parents-and-wh… ↑
“When you have decided on a school for your child, contact the school for an enrolment package and to find out about their enrolment process.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/Choose-a-School/enrolling ↑
“Make sure you enrol early to help the school plan for the year.”
Govt.nz · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑
“A school may need information or documents such as: a birth certificate or passport as proof of age medical information legal documents contact information.”
Govt.nz · govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/how-to-en… ↑