Learn With Us

Your child must be between two and six years old and meet one of the following eligibility criteria.

• Distance 
• You live more than six kilometres from your nearest licenced early childhood centre.
• Inaccessibility 
• You live behind a geographic barrier that prevents you from travelling to a licenced early childhood centre. 
• A letter from a local authority (e.g. police, fire service, school principal) is needed to verify the details of the geographic barrier. 
• Itinerancy 
• You are travelling for at least six months of the year and would need to change early childhood centre at least once a term. 
• The itinerary for your travels in required for six month or longer. 
• High health needs 
• Your child has a long-term illness or medical condition that prevents them attending an early childhood centre. 
• A medical certificate or a referral letter is required.
• Special developmental needs 
• Your child has special developmental needs that are not catered for at their local early childhood centre.
• A Ministry of Education report is required. 
• Special circumstances 
• There are special circumstances that prevent attendance at a local early childhood centre. This includes a caregiver or siblings with a medical condition that prevents the child from attending an early childhood centre.

Your child is able to attend a licensed early childhood centre for up to twelve hours per week and still be enrolled in our programme.

If your child doesn't meet the eligibility criteria but you're keen for your child to enrol with Te Kura, you can apply to your local Ministry of Education office.

All students who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents and living overseas need to send proof of citizenship status with their application. This includes fee-paying students.

If you are eligible under Ministry of Education requirements, we need a letter from your parent’s or guardian’s employer. The letter must state that:

• there is no employee subsidy for education
• the family will be returning to New Zealand
• no suitable education is available locally.

If the student is not a New Zealand citizen, proof of New Zealand permanent residency or verified domestic student status must be sent with the application.

Isolation 

We will check your eligibility using the address listed on your application. Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu is the distance confirming agency.

Inaccessibility

We need a letter from a local authority (e.g. local police, fire service, school principal) verifying the details of the geographic barrier you live behind.

If you are travelling and applying under the itinerancy category, please complete the itinerary section of the enrolment form showing the dates and the locality of your movements over the next six months.

Provide details of locations to be visited, dates and duration of stay.

If you are applying under the elite athlete/dancer/musician/sports/performer category, you will need to provide a letter of attestation from the formally constituted and recognised national body for your sport or artistic form. It should say:

• you are likely to represent New Zealand or be in the top grade for your age group
• your programme is appropriate and prevents regular attendance at a regular school
• how long you are going to be enrolled.

The national body letter should include an educational profile from your previous school.

Pregnant

We need a medical or midwife’s certificate on letterhead, which gives the baby’s expected due date, or a letter from Work and Income. 

Primary caregiver

If you are applying under the primary caregiver category, we need a copy of your child's birth certificate. We may also accept hospital discharge papers or letters of support from youth workers. 

Students under the custody and/or guardianship of Ministry for Children, Oranga Tamariki (MCOT) will need to provide a letter signed by a MCOT manager.

It should state:

• the student is in MCOT custody or guardianship
• the likely length of enrolment before a review is taken
• the nominated MCOT contact person
• the supervision arrangements for study.

Students with learning support needs need a Ministry of Education referral stating that that no local service can meet their needs.

Students who are over 16 can enrol up until the end of the year they turn 19.

Not available to students who are enrolled in a Youth Guarantee or fees free course.

Students who are turning 20 or older.

Adult students pay an administration tuition fee per course (excluding Te Kura's Te Reo and Kaupapa Māori courses).

• For students aged between 6 and 15 years old, send us a copy of your exemption to home school.
• If you are a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or verified domestic student, please send proof of your citizenship status. If you are not a New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or verified domestic student, and are not enrolled with another school, you cannot enrol with us.
• If you are a current school student enrolling in an extra class that is unfunded, you need to send us a letter of support from your school principal.