Choosing a school for your child can be difficult. One of the best ways to start your search is by simply looking at some kind of ranking or table of the schools in your area.
If you're in Wellington, here are some of the best schools in the area according to Crimson Education's Top 50 New Zealand Schools 2023 For Gaining Entry to Top Universities and some other sources.
High-Ranking Secondary Schools in Wellington
The Top 50 report was dominated by schools in Auckland, with 31 of the 50 top schools being in or around the city, but there were several high-performing schools in Wellington, too.
Here are the schools that made the grade.
Chilton Saint James School
Chilton Saint James School is an all-girls private day school in Lower Hutt. While it didn't make the Crimson Education's rankings, it also featured in Edarabia's “6 Best Schools in Wellington”.
The school offers education from years 0 to 13 and charges tuition fees of NZ$4,628 per term for years 7 and 8 and NZ$4,989 for years 9 to 13.
Remember that term dates for state and state-integrated schools are set by the government while private schools have more freedom and may have different holidays.
Hutt International Boys' School
Hutt International Boys' School is a state-integrated secondary school. State-integrated means that this is a state school that retains certain special characteristics, often a religious denomination.
In the case of Hutt International Boys' School, this denomination is Anglican, but the school calls itself multi-denominational.
While still ranking 41st nationally, the school did drop from 26th in the previous year. However, it's still 6th in the Wellington region.
Wellington College
Wellington College is an all-boys state school in Mount Victoria, Wellington. In 36th place nationally (down from 31st in 2022), it's only one place behind the girls' school in Wellington, but two places behind in the national rankings.
Like a lot of high-performing state schools around the country, Wellington College accepts fee-paying international students.
Have a look at the best schools in the country.
Wellington Girls' College
Wellington Girls' College, as the name suggests, is a girls' school. It's the sister school of Wellington College and is located in Thorndon, Wellington. In 2023, it ranked 35th (down one place from 34th) in the country and 4th in Wellington for top university admissions.
Unlike a lot of the other schools in the top 50, especially the highest-ranking schools in Wellington, Wellington Girls' College is a state school, though it does accept fee-paying international students.
Scots College
Scots College is a private Presbyterian school in Strathmore Park, Wellington. It was ranked the third-best school in Wellington for top university admissions in 2023 and 27th in the country (down from 24th).
The annual fees for years 7 through 10 are NZ$26,300 and for Years 11 through 13 are NZ$27,400.
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School
Samuel Marsden Collegiate School ranked 20th in New Zealand and second in the rankings for Wellington.
This is a private girls' school in Karori, Wellington, that offers classes for Years 1-13. For secondary school students (Years 7-13), the tuition fees are NZ$6,289 per term.
Queen Margaret College
The highest-ranked school in Wellington took 12th place in the 2023 rankings, moving down from 9th place in 2022.
While the pre-school is mixed, the rest is a girls' school for years 1 through 13. This is also a Presbyterian school.
The tuition fees for Queen Margaret College for secondary school students range between NZ$25,380 and NZ$26,660 for the year according to the student's age.
Wellington's Top Schools at a Glance
| School | Type | Years | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilton Saint James School | Private | 1-13 | Girls |
| Hutt International Boys' School | State-integrated | 7-13 | Boys |
| Wellington College | State | 9-13 | Boys |
| Wellington Girls' College | State | 9-13 | Girls |
| Scots College | Private | 1-13 | Coed |
| Samuel Marsden Collegiate School | Private | 1-13 | Girls |
| Queen Margaret College | Private | 1-13 | Girls (mixed preschool) |
Things to Consider When Choosing a School for Your Child
Looking at the rankings of schools is a good place to start to point you in the right direction of “good” schools, but it's not the only factor that you should consider.
After all, the #1 school mightn't be the right choice for your child. Different children respond to different kinds of academic environments and the very top school mightn't be right for them.
Beyond the rankings, here are some of the other things you might want to consider when looking at schools for your children.
Class Sizes
The best way to teach anyone is in a way that works best for them. Teachers have limited time and resources, but the fewer students they have to teach, the more they can tailor their teaching to their students.
The very best version of this is with one-on-one tuition, but other than private tutoring, most schools, even private schools, can't offer this.
Read about the best schools in Christchurch.
Cost
If you look at a lot of the top schools in Wellington by socioeconomic decile or socioeconomic decile band, you'll see that most of them tend to take students from the most affluent areas and while there's certainly a correlation between the two, it doesn't necessarily indicate causation.
However, the average family in New Zealand can't afford to spend somewhere upwards of NZ$20,000 on their child's education, no matter how much they'd like to. In some cases, the cost of a “good” school will make the decision for you.
Culture and Values
Education for some families is the only thing that matters when it comes to schools. However, there are moral or religious considerations that some families need to take into account.
While there are plenty of private schools for more religious education options, state-integrated schools also tend to provide options for religious families.
Discover the best secondary schools in Tauranga.
Discipline
Children (and many adults) need a better understanding of discipline and while parents will certainly attempt to instil a sense of discipline in their children, they spend a lot of time at school and this is where they'll pick up a lot of their morals and understanding of the world.
For some parents, a school's approach to discipline will be very important. This doesn't mean that all parents are looking for the strictest schools possible. In some cases, they may prefer academic environments where their child is given more freedom to express themselves.
Diversity and Inclusion
New Zealand is a diverse place, but you wouldn't necessarily think it when you look at some of the “best” schools in the country.
Certain private schools and state-integrated schools are naturally going to be less diverse, especially if they're single-sex or religious, but the diversity in certain private schools is very low amongst domestic students.
Extracurricular
Schools should offer more than just the classes that your child has to attend. The best schools will nurture children's interests and allow them to pursue artistic, sporting, and other miscellaneous extracurricular activities. Just like the calendar for the exams, good schools will likely feature a calendar full of extracurriculars.
Facilities
Don't take the school's word for it! If you can visit a school before sending your child there, it's a good idea to see what state the building and the facilities are in.
Facilities don't automatically equate to better education, but they do help teachers work more effectively.
Location
Your child will have to get to school or maybe you'll have to take them. Whether it's the neighbourhood the school's in or how you'll get there during the week, you need to consider where the school is.
Opportunities
Your time at school is important, but it's only really a small part of your child's time. In addition to thinking about how good the school is while your child is studying there, think about the kinds of opportunities that the school can provide.
Think about university admissions, work opportunities, and the kinds of academic, professional, and even social opportunities the school can offer your child.
Reputation
A school's reputation is earned over a long time and can quickly be tarnished so schools with a good reputation are likely to be better.
Reputation can be a double-edged sword, though, and some schools may cover up some of the cracks with a longstanding reputation of being a good school.
Remember to look at a school's recent history as much as its past and reputation.
Resources
What resources does the school use to teach students? High-quality resources can make teaching more effective, but you might also want to think about which resources are being used.
Are they using outdated teaching methods and approaches or cutting-edge academic resources?
Safety
No parent should have to worry about their child's well-being while they attend school. Consider how safe the school is, how they deal with issues like bullying, and even what the crime is like in the local area.
Special Programmes
For certain children, special programmes might be a non-negotiable criterion for the school. Whether it's programmes for gifted students or special kinds of classes for children with special educational needs, these are something every parent should think about.
Learn about Hamilton's best secondary schools.
Teachers
Last but certainly not least, the teachers are the backbone of any educational establishment. School websites may boast about the facilities and the programmes, but it's the teaching staff who'll be spending the most time educating them.
In any case, you can always get extra educational support for your child with a private tutor. On the Superprof site, there are tutors for almost anything you can think of.
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