INTERNATIONAL ENROLMENTS

Nau mai haere mai ki te Kura Pokapū o Whakatū

Nelson Central School welcomes enrolments from International Students from all around the world

Our school is a special place in the heart of one of the sunniest cities in New Zealand, Nelson City, and holds the distinction of being the oldest school in New Zealand still operating on its original site. The grounds feature the historic 1930s main building and Renwick House, which dates to the 1860s. The origins of education in Nelson go back to the early days of its settlement in the 1840s. Nelson is the second-oldest settled city in the country, established in 1841, becoming a city by British Royal Charter in 1858.

The iconic facade from the 1930 rebuild remains today and is recognized as a Category II Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. The grounds are also home to an old bougainvillea vine affectionately called the "Crinkum Crankum” tree. This vine provided visual inspiration for illustrator Robyn Belton, who worked on the beloved children's stories by Margaret Mahy.

One of the major resources for the school is the city itself. We are within walking distance of the city library; the waterfront, Matai River, and Queen’s Gardens; theatres, Suter Art Gallery, Nelson Provincial Museum, and Nelson Cathedral. Many other places of interest can be reached with a short ride by public transport. The tertiary provider NMIT is over the road from us.

Whakatū Nelson is on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay at the top of the South Island. Nelson is well known for its thriving local arts and crafts scene, and has a vast array of activities, both indoors and outdoors. Many mountain biking trails are accessible from the city centre. The city is a great base for exploring the Abel Tasman, Kahurangi, and Nelson Lakes National Parks, and the Great Taste Trail, and popular walks such as the Abel Tasman Coast Track, and Heaphy Track.

Nelson Central School is a large contributing school, offering both English and Māori medium streams of learning. We cater to new school starters at five years of age through to year 6 students (approx. 11 years old). Our tamariki move onto either a local intermediate school, mostly Nelson Intermediate, or preparatory school at one of the Nelson Colleges.

We see ourselves as whānau and have a strong school community, with many opportunities for families to be involved in both day-to-day learning and in wider school life. Community events take place as both occasions for fundraising and in building the relationship day-to-day - so important to allowing our children to flourish.

Our staff are friendly and highly skilled, and you can be assured that they will go the extra mile to ensure that children are safe and thriving in a stimulating and engaging learning culture. We live and breathe our vision of empowering each other to flourish in our learning and in our world through the lenses of equity, excellence and belonging. Our school motto, Aim High- Ki Runga Rawa, encapsulates this.

Details for Enrolling an International Student*

Nelson Central School is approved for the enrolment of international students. We are signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021.

We welcome applications for children aged from 5 to around 11 years (Year 1 to Year 6) for periods from 10 weeks to 6 years.

How to Apply

The application and enrolment process is online and involves these 5 steps:

  1. Complete our online Enrolment Application form and transfer the non-refundable Administration Fee to us (payment details below). We also need a recent passport photograph, and copies of the parent/legal guardian and child's passports. Please email these to admin@nelsoncentral.school.nz

  2. If your application is successful, we'll send you a letter offering your child/ren a provisional place along with the invoice for Tuition Fees. When we receive your payment, we will email you a receipt.

  3. Please email the completed Tuition Agreement and Parental Declaration forms to us.

  4. You then need to apply for the appropriate visas, organise travel & medical insurance and arrange accommodation. We need to know where you will be living in Nelson and require proof of this (for example, a tenancy agreement). International Students must live with a parent, or legal guardian, for the entire duration of their enrolment. We also need a copy of your child/ren’s immunisation record.

  5. We would like to know about yourselves. Please feel free to write us a letter (which would be passed onto your child/ren’s class teacher). We would love to hear about where you live, what your child/ren enjoy doing at school, what you do in your spare time, and why you’re coming all the way to Nelson to spend some time with us.

Fees & Expenses* (per child)

  1. Administration Fee: $300 (non-refundable)

  2. Tuition Fees: $300 per week (or part thereof, including GST). The school year is approximately 40 weeks in duration.

  3. You will need to plan for other school expenses, such as sport and school camp charges. There will also be insurance and visa costs.

Our bank details are:

  • Bank: ASB

  • Branch: Nelson

  • Address: P O Box 35, Shortland Street, Auckland 1140

  • Account Number: 12 3165 0192390 00

  • Account Name: Nelson Central School Board of Trustees

  • Swift code: ASBBNZ2A

  • Reference: [child’s name]

Student Visas

International students studying in New Zealand require a visa allowing them to study here. You must have an offer of a place from an approved education provider. Full details of visas are available through Immigration New Zealand and can be viewed on their website at https://www.immigration.govt.nz/

Health and Travel Insurance

If you are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand, and you receive medical treatment during your visit, you will be liable for the full costs of that treatment. You will also need to be able to cover the cost of dental treatment. All International students must have health and travel Insurance for the duration of their stay here. Proof of cover will be required as part of the enrolment process. We also strongly recommend that you obtain insurance to cover your travel to and from New Zealand.

Other charges you may include specialist services, for example, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Psychological Services.

Requirements:

1. Payment of fees (as above):

  • Administration Fee/s when you initially apply

  • Tuition Fee/s when you have been offered a provisional place, by the due date as notified

2. Forms you need to complete:

3. Documents you will need to submit:

  • Passports (student & parent/legal guardian)

  • A recent photograph of the child/ren

  • Appropriate visa/s

  • Travel & Health Insurance certificate

  • Proof of address for the student/s and their parent/legal guardian, in Nelson, for the period the child/ren is enrolled.

  • Student/s vaccination record

  • Student/family letter

Copies of these documents can be emailed to us, however you will need to bring passports into the school office prior to your child/ren’s first day.

Contact

If you would like more information, please contact the School Administrator by email admin@nelsoncentral.school.nz.

* Please Note: fees, and other details, are reviewed regularly and may change at short notice.

We look forward to welcoming you to our community

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