- David Seymour is pleased with the growth of charter schools, but admits conversion challenges for existing schools.
- The 2024 Budget allocated $153 million for new charter schools and conversions, with eighteen schools operating by 2025.
- Opponents argue charter schools divert funds from the state system, advocating for strengthening public education instead.
David Seymour, the minister responsible for charter schools, is pleased with the number of new schools this term, but accepts he miscalculated how easy it would be for existing schools to convert to charter schools.
“I freely admit it has been more challenging than I first anticipated,” said Seymour, the Act leader and Deputy Prime Minister.
However, he believed it could turn into a flood if Act is returned to power after the 2026 election.
“I think once we get a couple of converters, people will look at it ... and if Act is still part of the Government [after the next election] and there’s active converters in place, I think you might see quite a flood.”
Already, the number of charter schools operating in 2025 or approved to operate in 2026 has reached 18 within two years, and Seymour expects the figure will rise to 25, compared with 11 operating in six years of the previous National-led Government.
The 2024 Budget provided $153 million over four years to fund up to 15 new charter schools and up to 35 existing state schools to convert.
“There is enormous demand in the community because people are just disillusioned,” he said, pointing to 78 applications in the first round and 52 in the second round.
Charter schools are privately run, but are funded by the Government under a contract that sets performance targets and gives them greater freedom to determine when, who, what and how they teach.
Opponents argue it uses money that would otherwise be spent on improving the state system and say there is already room for people to set up schools with greater flexibility and autonomy within the special character model.
Under the present Government, eight new charter schools opened in 2025, including one specialising in classical education, one in French, and two that are part of an Australian-based network.
A further 10 have been approved to open in 2026, including a sports-centred school, an online charter school, and one that is being set up by Autism NZ.
Seymour was impressed when he visited Twin Oaks, the school offering classical education, and particularly a conversation he had about the legendary Greek king of Ithaca.
“These kids are talking about Ulysses from 2000 years ago, and I said, ‘Why are you learning about the tales of Ulysses? Is it so you can avoid all the troubles he had’?
“And this girl, who must have been about 12 years old, just looked at me and said: ‘More so that we can deal with challenges better’.
“And I just thought, wow!”
Not surprisingly, he said, the school had 60 places and a waiting list of 200.”
David Seymour is heavily invested in the charter schools policy, given that it is a foundation policy of the Act Party.
“These schools are very much Act’s philosophy,” he said.
“Our view is that there is more knowledge in the community than the bureaucracy and the role of government should be to enable the community to do things their way – rangatiratanga, if you like, self-determination, and it’s working.”
He appointed the authorisation board and is responsible for the policy settings, but he has no say in which schools are approved.
“It’s a bit scarier for the minister, but also better for the model in the long run,” he said.
Communities divided
Changes this time around include less of a focus on establishing schools for disadvantaged students and more on providing a wider range of education options.
He said the authorisation board would assist schools that were interested in converting.
“They are very proactive and encouraging and – I wouldn’t say soliciting – but certainly encouraging and assisting people who would like to convert.”
The issue has divided some communities, such as in Kelston, over the possibility of Kelston Boys’ High School converting.
Seymour said if a significant part of a community did not support its school converting to a charter school, the board would take that into account in its decision.
“There’s always going to be someone who opposes something. But if it’s so divided it can’t work, it’s not in their interest to say yes.
“They don’t want to see a failure and therefore they’ll be asking ... is the level of division viable?”
But from his point of view, a high-performing state school would be “crazy” not to convert because it could continue to hit its metrics, but get less interference from the state and run the school the way it wanted.
Two years ago, Seymour said he expected it to be easy for state schools to convert, but he has since revised that opinion.
One of the challenging policy issues has been working through the process of ownership and liability for property, first when a state school converts, and what happens if it fails.
“But we have worked through those issues.”
Seymour said the performance results of each school would be published, but not quickly.
“We’ve been wary of publishing information in the first year when you’ve got very small numbers of students,” he said.
“Once we’ve got to a steady state from next year, then we will publish the achievement data as contracted.”
‘Waste of money’
Labour has already said it would once again abolish charter schools if it leads the next government and offer them special character status or a return to a state school.
Its education spokeswoman, Willow-Jean Prime, said the main issue was that the Government should be strengthening the state system “as opposed to privatising education”.
“Charter schools are ideologically driven, and it is basically putting public money into private hands, so from my perspective, it is a waste of money and a waste of time.”
Public money needed to stay in public hands.
The special character schools within the state system already allowed for flexibility of approach for groups, including disengaged students.
She acknowledged the education system had not served Māori well historically, and signing up to charter schools was a response by some to the public education system.
“It’s important that we understand what those issues are that Māori groups have with the public education system and what we might be able to do to address those.
“So yes, in some cases it’s that they want more flexibility, more autonomy, more control and say over the special character of their education.”
But that control and special character already existed through kura kaupapa Māori schools and kura a iwi, schools based in tribal areas under tribal curriculum that her own children attended in Northland.
“It is still a state school, it receives public funding and has levels of safeguarding and accountability that comes within that.”
Prime said 97% of Maori children were in mainstream schools and it was important to make improvements to the state schooling system.
“That money that David Seymour is putting towards charter schools, I think, is better spent in our state schooling system.”
All the previous charter schools had become special character schools and she was not aware of any that once again became charter schools.
Charter schools opened in 2025
Name: Te Rito – Te Kura Taiao
Where: Cable Bay, Northland
Type: Primary 1 - 8
Focus: Māori medium, tikanga Māori
Comment: The school sponsor, Te Rito Ltd, already owns and operates three full-immersion early childhood centres in Muriwhenua for more than 120 children.
Name: TIPENE, St Stephen’s School
Where: Bombay, Auckland
Type: Secondary 9 - 10
Focus: Māori and Pasifika boys
Comment: Phasing to Year 13. A holistic approach to education. The former St Stephen’sclosed in 2000 after reports of poor management. The Anglican Church still owns the site and is leased by Te Tuara Trust, the school sponsor, chaired by Te Ururoa Flavell.
Name: Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland
Where: Remuera, Auckland
Type: Primary 1 - 6
Focus: Bilingual, French curriculum
Comment: Phasing to Year 13 by 2029. The first fully accredited French school in NZ. Accredited by the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE).
Name: The Busy School NZ
Where: Auckland Central
Type: Secondary 11 – 13
Focus: Holistic/wellbeing, disengaged learners.
Comment: Already has nine campuses in Australia. Aimed at taking disengaged learners to jobs, apprenticeships, training or education after graduation.
Name: North West College
Where: Henderson, Auckland
Type: Composite 7 – 10
Focus: Creative arts
Comment: Phasing to Year 13 by 2029. Aims to teach foundational academic subjects and offer a range of creative arts subjects each semester such as digital design, music, performing arts and visual arts.
Name: Christchurch North College
Where: Burnside, Christchurch
Type: Secondary 7 – 11
Focus: Disengaged learners
Comment: Phasing to Year 13. Individualised learning plans fostering partnership with families. Uniforms, stationery, technology and meals provided. Will be governed by a board comprising principals of secondary and intermediate schools in the area. Sponsor is Educanz Ltd.
Name: Mastery Schools NZ – Arapaki
Where: Hillsborough, Christchurch
Type: Primary 1 – 8
Focus: Academic, disengaged students, neurodiverse.
Comment: A partner school of Mastery Schools Australia, which has opened five campuses since 2021. Aimed at academically distressed or disengaged children who may have learning difficulties, taught in multi-age core classes.
Name: Twin Oaks Classical School
Where: Greenlane, Auckland
Type: Composite 1 – 13
Focus: Charlotte Mason, classical.
Comment: Opened in July. Two days home based, three days school based. Combines Charlotte Mason homeschooling philosophy and school-based classical education in which studies include liberal arts, logic, classical civilisations, Latin and literature. Offers a US High School Diploma,
Charter schools approved for opening in 2026
Name: The Forest School
Where: Ōrewa, Auckland
Type: Primary, 1 – 8
Focus: Reggio Emilia, outdoor immersion
Comment: Inspired by Reggio Emilia, a child-led experiential approach. Students will spend at least four hours outside each day, year round. Has been running a one-day school for 5 – 12-year-olds since 2016.
Name: Te Kāpehu Whetu – Tāmaki Makaurau
Where: Auckland Central
Type: Secondary, 11 – 13
Focus: Māori-medium kura
Comment: A boarding school for senior students of Tai Tokerau. Builds on other Māori-medium kohanga reo centres, primary and secondary schools also run by He Puna Marama Trust since 2014 in Whangārei, Moerewa and Manurewa.
Name: Tōtara Point School
Where: Epsom, Auckland
Type: Primary, 1 – 6
Focus: Christian values, parental/whanau involvement
Comment: Grounded in the Catholic ethos and will use the Cambridge primary curriculum. A dedicated mentor is assigned to each child and to support parents as its primary educator. Emphasis on development of strong moral character. Sponsor is Tōtara Point Charitable Trust Board.
Name: Altum Academy
Where: Wilton, Wellington
Type: Composite 7 – 9
Focus: Classical academic, Christian values
Comment: Phasing up to Year 13, it is Wellington’s first charter school, with emphasis on traditional technique. Will use trivium model as its foundation. Students will study Latin and te reo Māori. May offer Cambridge qualification in future.
Name: Aotearoa Infinite Academy
Where: Distance
Type: Secondary 9 – 13
Focus: Distance learning
Comment: New Zealand’s first online charter school, its parent company school is Crimson. Students will study in virtual classes of up to 20 students, including specialist subjects that may not be available in their present school. Offers a combination of local and international curriculums.
Name: NZ Performance Academy Aotearoa
Where: Trentham, Upper Hutt
Type: Secondary 11 – 13
Focus: High-performance sports
Comment: The first dedicated sports school in New Zealand, its sporting opportunities will include professional, vocational or academic pursuits, integrated with the NZ curriculum. It will be based at the NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) and initially offer rugby and football and training, using expertise of Phoenix Football Academy, before adding such sports as cricket, golf, basketball, track and sailing.
Name: Sisters United Academy
Where: Manukau, Auckland
Type: Secondary 9 – 13
Focus: Pasifika girls
Comment: Sisters United is an established Pasifika community youth group of more than 32 schools with disengaged students and unemployed young people. Its school will focus on personal growth and academic excellence in a culturally responsive learning environment.
Name: Te Aratika High School
Where: Hastings, Hawke’s Bay
Composite 7 – 13
Focus: Disengaged children, te ao Māori
Comment: The school curriculum and teaching will be based on Māori values to prepare students to follow both academic and non-academic paths post school with a focus on gaining confidence in themselves through pepeha, waiata, kapa haka and mihi.
Name: Autism NZ Education Hub
Where: Avondale, Auckland, and Petone, Wellington
Type: Secondary 9 – 13
Focus: Children with neurodivergent learning challenges
Comment: Both campuses are opening in July. The sponsor, Autism NZ Inc, aims to offer a school for autistic students who have disengaged or are at risk of disengaging from traditional education. Aimed at students who struggle with anxiety, sensory sensitivities and social-emotional challenges
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