ISNZ Member Schools

Independent schools are subject to ERO reviews; however, these are different in scope to state and state-integrated schools. For independent schools, ERO will only report on whether a school is meeting the registration criteria as legislated in the Education and Training Act 2020. As a result, ERO reports for independent schools look very different to ERO reports for state and state-integrated schools. Further information can be found here.

In 2023, 64% of independent school members were Co-educational, and 28% were single-sex, with 41 different cultural backgrounds represented across ISNZ member schools.

All teachers at independent schools must be registered with the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand. The criteria for registration are the same across all state, state-integrated and independent schools.

Independent schools are private entities, each with its unique governance structure, employing their staff under their own contractual terms and setting their own tuition fees. They are not part of the state schools sector. 

They are not bound by National Education Guidelines (NEGs) or National Administration Guidelines (NAGs). As such, they have significantly more freedom to operate their schools as they see fit, provided they meet the criteria for registration of private schools as set out in the Education and Training Act 2020. 

This allows greater flexibility on matters such as curriculum, resourcing, staffing, facilities, and procurement. Managers of private schools must have regard for the National Education Learning Priorities (NELPs) in the operation of their school and ensure that the school’s principal and staff have regard for the NELP when developing and delivering the curriculum.

People are sometimes confused between independent schools and state-integrated schools. State-integrated schools are former private schools that have become part of the state system, such as Catholic Schools. They are controlled, managed, and operated in all respects as if they were a state school. The key difference is that their buildings and land are owned by a private entity (the ‘proprietor’), and they are allowed to charge attendance dues to support improvements to school buildings or facilities.

Charter schools | kura hourua are another type of state-funded school, providing educators and parents with more choice. Charter schools have a high level of independence around how they teach your child and what they can spend their funding on to educate your child. They are held to targets for achievement and attendance, as agreed in their contracts, and will face interventions if they do not meet these targets. The name kura hourua draws on waka hourua, meaning double-hulled canoe. It signifies the partnership between charter school operators and the government, and between charter schools and their communities. Charter schools can be new, or state and state-integrated schools can convert to become charter schools.  

For more information, visit education.govt.nz/news/charter-schools