Wellington - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
This is a mixed bag, and your happiness with schools may depend entirely on where you're assigned to live. Check with the CLO or your sponsor for the latest advice, and stay on top of your housing assignment so you can reach out to find the public school nearest you. Also, many schools require kids to wear the full Brit-style uniforms, which can cost up to US$1000 for an initial issue. The majority of schools in Wellington are single-gender. Academics are a crapshoot, and many parents find that the curriculum is less challenging than in the U.S. Most schools require parents to sign blanket authorizations for spontaneous field trips during the school day. Lesson plans and schedules are seen as more like rough guidelines. - Mar 2016
No international school, and we used St. Marks because it was co-ed. They do not teach at the same pace or educational structure as you would find in the U.S. Your child starts Kindergarten when they turn 5 (on the day, if it's a weekday), and the Kindergarten is a much more relaxed and playful pace than you'll find in the U.S. Getting your children to and from the different private schools can be very inconvenient as well. They're not located where most of our housing is - so most are on the other side of the city. Factor in the commute times, uniform and supply prices when choosing. I had three children in school, and it cost us thousands, even though tuition was paid and we ordered the minimum supplies. The schools are friendly and well-meaning. I never met anyone over the moon with their choice, and I know we struggled (and in one case were set back a grade) because of the slower, less structured pace of the lesson plans. We kept U.S. grade-level books to work on through the summers, and my children still had a lot of catching up to do. - Apr 2015
There are no international schools. There are a few private schools that offer the IB program and most are not coed. Our girls attend Queen Margaret College near the embassy. We chose it because at the time it was the only one that offered IB. I know of at least 2 others now that offer it (one that is an all-boys school and one that is coed). We have been pleased with the school so far and have no complaints other than the cost of the school uniform! - Aug 2011
No International school nor American School. Your child goes either to a Girl's private school or a Boy's private school or ...the public school system. There are good to excellent public schools, but long waiting lists and also depending the area where you live in...They work with bounderies and if you happen to live in the - Aug 2008
