Education and Schooling in Nelson New Zealand

Nelson and Marlborough have strong traditions in education. Modern, well resourced facilities offer core and specialist subjects, while the superb lifestyle ensures the retention of top quality professional staff. School Listings and information specific to Education in the Nelson and Marlborough region.

Nelson has a wealth of educational resources, from our primary and pre-schools, through to intermediate and secondary education, and even our own local polytechnic. Supporting these resources are additional organisations, each providing valuable assistance to improve the quality of education in the Nelson region.

Education begins at an early age with the various creches, kindergartens and other pre-school groups. Parents are actively encouraged to get involved with the teaching process, allowing them to also provide guidance and assistance to the qualified teachers, and relieving some of the responsibility of managing very young children.

Usually around the age of 5 years, children begin attending primary school. This takes them through Primers 1 through 4 and through Standards 1 through 4, before they reach their early teens and start Intermediate or Preparatory School at Form 1, continuing through Form 2.

Secondary School, or College, takes teenagers through Forms 3 through 7, finishing with academic qualifications suitable for entrance into higher education facilities - Polytechnic or University. Again, throughout this process parents are encouraged to get involved with local Parent/Teacher Associations or through membership in school trusts or similar community groups.

On another level, education is available for all ages, not just reserved for the domain of the young. Nelson's local polytechnic provides higher education for school-leavers and adults alike, with a varied professional curriculum. Other groups cater for education at an even older level. The local Senior Net Group, for example, provides computer training services for Nelson's older citizens, ensuring everyone is given the opportunity to learn how to harness technology for personal or business use.

Educational support is widely available at varying levels. These pages contain contact details for many of the schools and education support organisations in the Nelson, Tasman and Golden Bay regions.