Glossary · New Zealand
Homeschool glossary
The words you'll meet when you start homeschooling in New Zealand, explained in plain English, with links to our full guides.
- "As regularly and as well as"
- The test for an exemption: the Ministry must be satisfied the child will be taught at least as regularly and as well as in a registered school. Learn more →
- Charlotte Mason
- An approach based on the ideas of the 19th-century British educator Charlotte Mason: short lessons, "living books", narration, nature study and the arts. Learn more →
- Classical education
- An approach built around three stages — grammar, logic and rhetoric — with a strong emphasis on history, literature and writing. Learn more →
- Co-op
- A group of homeschooling families who share teaching, classes, activities or costs, often meeting weekly. Learn more →
- Deschooling
- A settling-in period after leaving school, when families slow down and let a child adjust before starting structured learning at home.
- Eclectic homeschooling
- Mixing methods and resources — for example a structured maths program with interest-led projects — to suit each child. Learn more →
- ERO
- The Education Review Office, which the Ministry can ask to review a home education programme if it has concerns. Learn more →
- Exemption from enrolment
- A certificate from the Ministry of Education that allows a child to be home educated instead of enrolled at a registered school. Learn more →
- Montessori
- A child-led, hands-on approach based on the work of Maria Montessori, most often used in the early and primary years. Learn more →
- NCEA
- The National Certificate of Educational Achievement, New Zealand's main secondary qualification. Home-educated students generally need a link school or provider to enter. Learn more →
- Portfolio
- A collection of dated work samples, photos and notes that shows a child's learning and progress over time. Learn more →
- Supervision allowance
- A payment to home educators with an exemption, paid in two instalments a year after a declaration that home education is continuing. Learn more →
- Te Kura
- Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, New Zealand's state distance school. Some home-educated students may be able to enrol in certain circumstances. Learn more →
- Unit study
- Teaching several subjects through one theme, such as the ocean or a historical period; popular with families teaching several ages together. Learn more →
- University Entrance
- The minimum requirement to enrol at a New Zealand university; applicants under 20 without it may be able to apply for discretionary entrance. Learn more →
- Unschooling
- Interest-led learning that follows the child's curiosity and everyday life rather than a set curriculum. Learn more →