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Wellington education providers
Wellington has an international reputation for quality education.
General education information
From early childhood, primary and secondary schools, through to world-ranked universities and technical institutes, Wellington provides a full range of education facilities.
Your child can attend primary and secondary schools as a domestic student if they are:
- a New Zealand resident or permanent resident
- a New Zealand citizen (includes Tokelauans, Cook Islanders and Niueans), or
- a student visa holder based on your temporary work visa.
Students who are not eligible to enrol as domestic students may be able to enrol as international students.
Eligibility to enrol in New Zealand schools | Ministry of Education
Explore visa options to study | Immigration New Zealand
Early childhood education
There are more than 400 options for early childhood education in the Wellington Region.
There are many different types of early childhood services, including teacher-led and parent-led services.
The Ministry of Education has a guide for parents explaining the differences between the various ECE styles.
Early childhood education providers are listed on the Education Counts website.
Different kinds of early learning services | Ministry of Education
Find Early Learning Services Wellington Region | Education Counts
Playgroups
Playgroups are informal sessions where caregivers and children aged 0-5 meet together in a relaxed environment. In a playgroup, parents and caregivers stay to interact with the other adults and to play with the children.
Playgroups are usually set up and run by parents and caregivers, with children choosing from a range of activities. Activities at playgroup are either free or low cost, and may include music and singing, imaginative play, outdoor and free play, or arts and crafts.
Playgroups in Wellington Region | Citizens Advice Bureau
Primary and secondary school
Schooling is compulsory from age 6–16.
The education system for schools is made up of 13 Year levels. Primary education starts at Year 1 and goes to Year 8 (around 5–12 years of age). Secondary education goes from Year 9 to Year 13 (around 13–17 years of age).
Find a school
There are 246 primary and secondary schools in the Wellington Region.
Children usually attend a school in the area where they live, this is called a 'zone'. Many schools in New Zealand limit enrolments to students who live in their zone. However, some school don't have zones.
You can find information about the schools in the region, a link to their Education Review Office report, and their zone on the Education Counts website.
You can also search for specific requirements, including if a school is single sex or co-educational, or has boarding facilities for students.
Find a school in Wellington Region | Education Counts
Tertiary education
There are a number of tertiary education providers in the Wellington Region, including:
- universities
- institutes of technology and polytechnics, and
- wānanga (holistic education guided by Māori principles)
Study on the Wellington campus | Massey University
Home | Victoria University of Wellington
University of Otago Wellington | University of Otago
Study Programmes | Whitireia New Zealand WelTec
Our locations | Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
Home | New Zealand School of Dance
Home | Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School
Search for a course or training provider Wellington region | careers.govt.nz
Adult Community Education
There are several options for community education in Wellington, including those run at Wellington High School and Tawa College.
Home | Tawa College Adult and Community Education