The Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 is the Code that sets out the requirements for the safety and well-being of international students in New Zealand. When students come to study in New Zealand, education providers have an important responsibility to ensure that those students are well-informed, safe and properly cared for. Chelsea School is a signatory to the Code. It is available to read at The Code

The Code states that international students require appropriate insurance coverage from the day they leave their home country to the day they depart New Zealand to return home. The reason this is so important as we want to effectively manage risk to the safety and well-being of an international learner embarking on study in New Zealand. Your agent can advise you on how to obtain insurance.

We love working with our Agents. They provide a range of services such as visa advice, support during the application process, accommodation advice, and translation support and they know our school.

Sometimes there will be issues and we aim to resolve these as soon as we know about them. Always approach either the classroom teacher or the International Student Manager if you have a concern or you want something clarified. There may be an issue that requires additional support and in this instance, the school Principal would be involved to assist with a resolution.

Some issues may also be referred to the Board for consideration. Significant complaints once resolved are recorded in a register and are stored securely and confidentially. Please click here to search for the Chelsea School Complaints Process

In addition there is external support that can help. If an internal resolution can not be achieved you can contact Study Complaints (www.studycomplaints.org.nz). This organisation helps international students and their families resolve disputes with their education providers and is the Disputes Resolution Scheme’s current operator. Click here for a copy of the International Student Contract Dispute Resolution Scheme Rules 2016.

The refund policy is included in the application form and contract of enrolment and your Agent will be able to translate this for you. Our policy outlines clear reasons when a refund is applicable. It is always best to inform the International Student Manager as soon as there is any change about to occur with the study period to ensure you can be advised how to apply for a refund and if a refund is applicable.

Yes all international students must hold a valid visa to study in New Zealand and adhere to their visa conditions. Visit the Immigration New Zealand website for more information on student visas and talk with your Agent.

Your child will be in a modern learning environment. The classroom will be open plan and your child will move between two main spaces. There are a variety of table and chair configurations so that your child can choose what works for them. In each “Hub” there will be at least two teachers.

Your child will be in a mainstream classroom. There is a “buddy” system which will provide some peer support and often this buddy will speak the same language. The ESOL Team will assess your child and will provide a combination of in-class and withdrawal support.

The average class size varies by year group and we aim to have smaller junior class size compared with senior. An average year 1 class would be between 18 and 20 students while a senior class would be between 25 and 28.

At Chelsea School we welcome students from a diverse range of cultures including China, India, Latin America and South East Asia.

Yes we have a school uniform which can be purchased from Yarntons in Birkenhead. You can wear any shoes that are dark in colour and are comfortable for school activities.

There is no lunchroom at Chelsea School. You need to pack a small piece of fruit for brain snack time at 10am and another snack for morning tea at 11am plus a lunch for 1.10pm. You can do a lunch order online with Kindo and that will be delivered to the school in time for lunch. If you do a lunch order you still need to provide a brain snack and morning tea. A water bottle is also required.

A few after-school activities are currently available on-site, such as skateboarding, robotics, and art lessons. In addition, Kelly Club provides before- and after-school care with a range of activities and holiday programmes (Kelly Club is situated on the school grounds). The local area has a wide range of other options, including music and sport.

Throughout the year there will be live reporting on HERO which you can check at any time. Learning stories about your child will be published each term. Teachers can be approached at school and there are formal parent/teacher conferences at specific points of the year.

We are keen to know your child’s interests so please do let the International Student Manager or classroom teacher know. There may be opportunities at school to utilise those skills such as the Chelsea School’s Got Talent event or school sports teams.

8.30am – students start arriving
8.55am – school bell rings and school starts
11am – morning tea
11.20am – classes start again
12.30pm – lunch play
1.10pm – lunch eating
1.20pm – classes start again
3pm – school bell rings and school finishes

Each child will be assigned a house (Pohutukawa, Kauri, Nikau, KŌwhai).  Each “House” has students from all year levels, and it provides an opportunity to mix across all age levels and for older students to have leadership opportunities.  Students can earn house points at sporting and cultural events.

There are many ways you may wish to communicate with the school.

• Phone
• Email
• Face to face
• WeChat/KakaoTalk
• Hero

We want you and your child to have the best time at Chelsea School so if something is not going well please talk to either the classroom teacher or the International Student Manager.