GuidesThe guide, part 3 of 9

Year levels and types of school

How New Zealand numbers its school years, and the different shapes a school can take: contributing, full primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and specialist schools, plus Māori-medium schooling and distance learning.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: Ministry of Education, NZQA, Education Counts (Ministry of Education) and Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation).

How are school years numbered?

Schooling is made up of 13 year levels.¹

Primary education runs from Year 1 to Year 8, around ages 5 to 12.²
Secondary education runs from Year 9 to Year 13, around ages 13 to 17.³

Primary school takes children from Year 0 or Year 1 (age 5) up to Year 6 or Year 8, depending on the school.⁴

Compare NZQA's wording: NZQA describes secondary school as running from Year 9 (around 12 to 14 years old) to Year 13 (around 16 to 18 years old).⁵

What does a child's year level actually mean?

A student's current year level is the year level of their class, and the level at which they spend most of their time at school.⁶

The funding year level counts how many years of schooling a student has had, and for most students is based on the date they first started school.⁷ So a contributing school can have students in funding year level 7, and a secondary school whose classes finish at Year 13 can have students in funding year level 14 or 15.⁸

When does a child start in the first year?

Traditionally, New Zealand children have started school on or shortly after their fifth birthday.⁹ In most schools, a child can start on the day they turn five, without waiting for the start of a new school year.¹⁰

At schools using cohort entry, children can start on one of eight set dates through the year, at the beginning and middle of each term.¹¹ The start dates are set by the Minister of Education, and cohort entry schools cannot change them.¹² Not all schools use cohort entry, so check with the school when you enrol.¹³

Cohort entry does not replace the legal requirement that a child start school at age six, and parents can still choose not to enrol their child before then.¹⁴

What are the types of primary school?

A school's type is based on the levels students are taught at.¹⁵

Contributing school: offers education to students in Years 1 to 6.¹⁶
Full primary school: offers education to students in Years 1 to 8.¹⁷
Intermediate school: offers education to students in Years 7 and 8 only.¹⁸ Intermediate schools are for children whose primary school does not go to Years 7 and 8.¹⁹

Between July 2024 and July 2025, seven schools changed type: four full primary schools became composite schools, and three contributing schools became full primary schools.²⁰

What are secondary and composite schools?

Secondary school: offers education to students in any of Years 9 to 13.²¹
Composite school: offers education to students in any of Years 1 to 8 and in any of Years 9 to 13.²²

Year levels each kind of school can teach, as the law defines them

Contributing¹⁶

Full primary¹⁷

Intermediate¹⁸

Secondary²¹

Composite²²

Specialist²³

The Ministry's school directory defines school types including Composite (Year 1–10), Composite (Year 1–15), Restricted Composite (Year 7–10), and Secondary schools covering Years 7–10, 7–15 or 11–15.²⁴

Secondary students learn a broad and balanced curriculum, with some specialisation possible in Years 11 to 13.²⁵

Depending on the schools in your area, you may be able to choose between single-sex and co-educational schools.²⁶

What are specialist schools?

Under the Education and Training Act 2020, special schools are now called specialist schools.²⁷ A specialist school offers special education to students in any of Years 1 to 13.²³

Specialist schools are an option for children who need more support.²⁸ To go to a specialist school, your child needs a specialist education agreement in place with the Ministry.²⁹

Day specialist schools are for children who have high or complex learning support needs or qualify for the Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS).³⁰
Many specialist schools run satellite classes in local schools, where students enrolled with the specialist school attend classes at a local school.³¹
There are three residential specialist schools in New Zealand, for students aged 8 to 15.³²
Regional health schools give short-term education support to children who cannot attend their local school for health reasons, until they can return.³³

All children can be supported to learn in their local school or kura.³⁴

What is Māori-medium schooling?

In Māori-medium education, students are taught in the Māori language for at least 51% of the time, known as Māori language immersion levels 1–2.³⁵ In English-medium schools, students may learn te reo Māori as a subject or be taught in Māori for up to 50% of the time, known as immersion levels 3–5.³⁶

Māori-medium schools (kura kaupapa Māori) use Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, a curriculum based on Māori philosophies.³⁷ When establishing a state school, the Minister may designate it as a Kura Kaupapa Māori.³⁸

What about learning from a distance?

If attending a school is not the best option, for example because you live a long way from the nearest school, your child can learn with Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura).³⁹ Te Kura teaches early childhood, primary, secondary and special needs students using multimedia and online learning.⁴⁰

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.

“The education system for schools is made up of 13-year levels.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“Your child's primary education starts at Year 1 and goes to Year 8. This is around 5–12 years of age.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“Your child's secondary education goes from Year 9 to Year 13. This is around 13–17 years of age.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“takes children from year 0 or 1 (age 5) to year 6 or year 8, depending on the school.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/international/study-nz-quals/nz-education-sys… ↑
“Secondary education runs from Year 9 (around 12 to 14 years old) up to Year 13 (around 16 to 18 years old).”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/international/study-nz-quals/nz-education-sys… ↑
“Here the year level is current year level, which is the year level of the student's class cohort and the level at which the student spends most of their time at school.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/definitions ↑
“The funding year level measures the number of years of schooling a student has received and provides the Ministry of Education with a method of counting students for funding and staffing purposes. The funding year level for most students is based on the date they first started school.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/definitions ↑
“It is therefore possible for a contributing school (year 1-6 current year levels) to have students in funding year level 7, or secondary schools that finish at learning current year level 13 to have students in funding year level 14 or 15.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/definitions ↑
“Traditionally in New Zealand, children have started school on or shortly after their fifth birthday.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“In the majority of schools, your child can start school on the day they turn 5 years old. That means they don't have to wait until the start of a new school year.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“At schools using cohort entry, children can start on one of 8 set dates throughout the year. Once your child turns 5 you can choose any of the dates below. They can’t start before they turn 5 but must start by the time they turn 6. There are start dates at the beginning and middle of each school term.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“The start dates are set by the Minister of Education. Schools using cohort entry must use these dates and cannot change them.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Not all schools use cohort entry, so you'll need to check with the school when you enrol your child about when they can start.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Cohort entry does not replace the legal requirement that a child start school at age 6. Parents, caregivers and whānau can still choose to not enrol their student before then.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/definitions ↑
“The type of school is based on the levels students are taught at, for example, Full Primary School (Year 1-8), Contributing School (Year 1-6).”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/definitions ↑
“contributing school means a school that offers education to students in years 1 to 6”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“full primary school means a school that offers education to students in years 1 to 8”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“intermediate school means a school that offers education to students in years 7 and 8 only”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“Intermediate school is for children in years 7 and 8, where their primary school does not go to this level.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/international/study-nz-quals/nz-education-sys… ↑
“Between 1 July 2024 and 1 July 2025, 7 schools changed type: four Full Primary schools to Composite schools, and three Contributing Primary schools to Full Primary schools.”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/number-of-schools ↑
“secondary school means a school that offers education to students in any of years 9 to 13”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“composite school means a school that offers education to students in any of years 1 to 8 and in any of years 9 to 13”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“specialist school means a school that offers special education to students in any of years 1 to 13”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“Composite (Year 1-10) Composite (Year 1-15) Contributing (Year 1-6) Correspondence School Full Primary (Year 1-8) Intermediate (Year 7 & 8) Restricted Composite (Year 7-10) Secondary (Year 11-15) Secondary (Year 7-10) Secondary (Year 7-15)”
Education Counts (Ministry of Education) · educationcounts.govt.nz/directories/list-of-nz-schools ↑
“At secondary school, they'll learn a broad and balanced curriculum with some specialisation possible in Years 11–13.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“Depending on the schools in your area, you can choose between single-sex or co-educational schools.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“The Education and Training Act 2020 changes the name of special schools to "specialist schools".”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/legislation/education-and-training-a… ↑
“Specialist schools are an option for children who need more support.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“For your child to go to a specialist school, you need to have a specialist education agreement in place with us.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“These schools are for children who have high or complex learning support needs or qualify for the Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS).”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Many specialist schools hold classes in local schools. These are called satellite classes. Students are enrolled with a specialist school but attend classes at a local school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“There are 3 residential specialist schools in New Zealand for students aged from 8 to 15 years old.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“If your child can't attend their local school for health reasons, they may be able to get help from a regional health school. These schools provide short-term education support until a child can return to their regular school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“All children can be supported to learn in their local school or kura .”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Māori-medium education is where students are taught in the Māori language for at least 51% of the time. This is known as Māori language immersion levels 1-2.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Māori language in English-medium schools is where students learn te reo Māori as a subject or are taught in Māori for up to 50% of the time, known as Māori language immersion levels 3-5.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/star… ↑
“Māori-medium schools ( kura kaupapa Māori ) use Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (a curriculum based on Māori philosophies).”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“When establishing a State school, the Minister may, by notice in the Gazette , designate the school as a Kura Kaupapa Māori.”
Education and Training Act 2020 (NZ Legislation) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“If attending a school is not the best option (you might live a long way from the nearest school, travel overseas or have other reasons) your child can learn with Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑
“Te Kura teaches early childhood, primary, secondary and special needs students using multimedia and online learning.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/about-us/education-new-zealand/our-e… ↑