With nearly half a thousand primary schools in Auckland urban area, finding the best school for your child can be quite frustrating. However, given the importance of quality learning and education – from the ground up; it is of basic necessity to get your children up and running in a school where they can be nurtured and developed in a safe and stimulating environment, to become future leaders, critical thinkers, and independent learners.
Schooling in Auckland is fun…and yes, I can say that a thousand times! Aucklanders including foreign internationals who are eligible for a permanent residence permit to live permanently in New Zealand are entitled to a free primary level education. However, in the quest to building a literacy-driven society where the majority of the citizens are educated, primary education is made compulsory for children between the ages of 6 through 16. Therefore, children who fall within these age ranges must attend primary and secondary schools which are the two most essential levels of education in Auckland.
Check Also: Top 10 Best High Schools in Auckland
Also, many, if not most, of the primary schools in Auckland offer some form of early childhood education—this can be beneficial for overall childhood development. Depending on your preference, you might want to get you kid enrolled in a school that provides daycare programs, such as Playcenter—mainly for age 1 kids; or Kindergarten—caters for children between the age of 3 to 5. However, as we rightly pointed out early in this paragraph, your decision whether or not to enroll your child in an early childhood education boil down to personal preference and needs. That said, the list of top 10 primary schools in Auckland below comprises schools with early learning facilities.
As always, parents often find themselves in a very tight corner, brainstorming where and where-not to send their child for primary education. It’s a common phenomenon to start searching for a perfect school once your child clocks the appropriate school age. We’re aware of the challenges faced by parents looking to send their children to the best primary schools. And we’re optimistic that this article will help answer that question, and presents you with a plethora of schools to choose from.
Top 10 Best Primary Schools in Auckland
1. Campbells Bay School
Campbells Bay School is a state, co-educational primary school located on Aberdeen Road, Castor Bay, Auckland. Founded in 1925, it is serving children between the ages of 5 to 11 who live within the school’s enrollment zone. Presently, the school has a roll of approximately 1,000 students from Year 1 to Year 6. Campbells’ vision is to grow learners who would turn out to be self-managers, thinkers, citizens who strive for excellence, and effective communicators.
Campbells Bay School is in total compliance with the Ministry of Education (MoE) enrollment rules, which enforces the implementation of the enrollment schemes. This rule is aimed to curtail overcrowding. However, to apply for enrollment at Campbells’ either as a citizen or international student, it is recommended to visit the school website to find out whether your location falls within the approved enrollment zones.
Campbells Bay School is a state school, and it’s totally free for the citizens. However, international students will have to pay a one-off administration fee of $300, and a school fee of $12,000 per year.
2. Albany Primary School
Albany Primary School is a state school catering for over 800 students from Year 1 to Year 6. Opened in 1866, it is situated in Albany, North Shore City, Auckland. Over 150 years since it was established, it still prides itself on providing quality primary level education.
Albany Primary School’s vision is to make the students feel the energy, hear the excitement of discovery, and see the learning that is filled with curiosity, creativity, and success. For this reason, it is steadily integrating the use of the 21st-century teaching facilities and technologies into its syllabus.
For parents who would like to enroll their children at Albany Primary School—unarguably one of the best primary schools in Auckland—it is important to know that only children who reside within the enrollment zone would be considered. In other words, you must be residing within the enrollment zone to be eligible to apply.
3. Chelsea Primary School
At the hearing of the name “Chelsea”, one thing comes to mind: the Chelsea Football Club. But we’re not discussing football here. Chelsea Primary School is a state school located on Onetaunga Road & Balmain Road, Chatswood, Auckland, and it is catering for approximately 400 pupils from Year 1 to Year 6. It was established in 1981 to provide quality education for children who live within the Auckland’s North Shore.
Chelsea Primary School is known for its long track record of academic excellence, and resilience in providing the best possible education in a safe, and friendly environment.
As a state primary school, it teaches from the New Zealand Curriculum, hence, Reading, Spelling, Mathematics, Science, Technology, and Oral & Written language are all core subjects. In addition, students can also participate in sporting and other school activities.
Chelsea Primary School accepts and welcomes international families who are keen to send their children to the school. However, the international fee per Term is $3,557, or $13,195 per year including GST.
4. Ponsonby Primary School
Ponsonby Primary School is a state-funded, co-educational school located on Curran Road. It was established in 1873 to cater to the increasing Herne Bay’s population. It had an initial roll of approximately 174 students. Presently, however, there are over 400 students on the school roll.
Ponsonby Primary School is popularly known for its exceptional, and stimulating learning community. The close co-operation between parents and teachers ensures that each child is provided an opportunity to thrive and achieve success.
That said, if you are keen to send your child to a school where programs are structured and tweaked to match with the needs of each learner, then Ponsonby Primary School should get the nod. The school works hand-in-hand with pupils to ensure that they are well nurtured and develop to their full potential.
5. Glamorgan School
Glamorgan School is a vibrant, state, co-educational primary school situated in the East Coast Bays on Auckland’s North Shore, New Zealand. The school began to open its doors to students soon after it was established in 1972. Presently, it caters to approximately 560 pupils from Year 1 to Year 6. The learning community is passionate and committed to providing relevant learning opportunities in order to help each student achieve their personal objectives.
Glamorgan School has an enrollment scheme in place. With this, every child who lives within the school’s enrollment zone has an automatic entitlement to attend. However, children who live outside the catchment area can also apply for enrollment through a ballot system.
6. Devonport Primary School
Devonport Primary School is a high performing public school catering for more than 300 students from Year 1 to Year 6. The school is located located in Devonport, Auckland, and it is one of the oldest schools in the country. It offers learners with rich educational programs through a comprehensive curriculum. The school environment and facilities are second to none, and its extension program for talented children makes it stands out from other primary schools in Auckland.
At Devonport Primary School, your child(ren) would be nurtured, developed, and well taught by enthusiastic staff members. In addition to developing the whole child, the school stresses the need of achieving personal excellence in sporting, academic, cultural, and recreational activities.
7. Birkenhead Primary School
Birkenhead Primary School is a state, co-educational, primary school located on Mokoia Road, Birkenhead, Auckland. It was founded in 1919 as a learning community to encourage children to reach their full potential. More often than not, the school rolls are kept relatively low, at approximately 500 students. This relatively small population promotes a close student-teacher relationship, and further create an environment where everybody knows everybody. This is quite fundamental for children’s development.
As a state primary school, students are taught the New Zealand curriculum, and they are encouraged to take part in various extra-curricular activities—during, and after normal school hours.
8. Balmoral School
Balmoral School is one of the high-achieving state primary schools in Auckland. And one of the most outstanding facets of this school is the establishment of an intermediate school on the same campus as the primary school. This makes the transition from Year 6 to 7, and 8 even smoother!
Balmoral pride itself as a forward-thinking school, hence, the need to improve the school’s curriculum to ensure that students are challenged and engaged is imminent.
If you would like to send your child where he/she can obtain a quality education, then Balmoral School is highly recommended. But first, ensure you’re living in the accepted enrollment zone.
9. Remuera Primary School
Remuera Primary School is a large, co-educational, urban school situated on Dromorne Road, Remuera, Auckland. It was founded in 1906 and had an initial roll of 439 students. However, much has changed over the past few years, as the school now has a staggering roll of over 700 students across the six primary levels (Year 1 to Year 6).
Remuera Primary School has a long and rich historical background. And despite the astonishing student roll, the school is a place where students from different backgrounds and cultures come together to be actively involved in their education.
Another fascinating thing about the school is the open door policy it has in place. This allows parents and children the opportunity to visit the school and even participate in any of the school activities at any time.
10. Hauraki Primary School
Hauraki Primary School is a co-educational, state school situated in Takapuna on Auckland’s North Shore. The school has a roll of over 500 students and 45 staff. Its vision focuses on achieving academic excellence, and this is underpinned by following the New Zealand National Curriculum which is basically the standard used across all state schools in the country.
Like many state schools in Auckland, Hauraki accepts enrollment applications from non-resident international students. However, it is always recommended to visit the school in-person, that’s if you would like to have a tour of the school. Alternatively, you can find all the information regarding enrollment via the school website.
This is the last in our list of top 10 best primary schools in Auckland, New Zealand.
Conclusion
Having read through the list of best primary schools in Auckland, it’s important to factor in the school’s location, including the school enrollment zones. With this, you can figure out whether your child is eligible for schooling in the area. Also, being that there are three main types of primary schools in Auckland: state/public primary schools, state-integrated primary schools, and private primary schools; only state (public) primary schools offer free education. However, if you don’t mind spilling out a few thousand bucks, then a state-integrated or private school might be an ideal option.
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