FAQs
What do you mean by 'Christian' school?
A Christian school is a school that recognizes that God is at the centre of education. This is true, not just in the sense that He is the most important part of the education process, but that as the creator of all things, He is the one who gives things purpose and definition. As such, a Christian school seeks to teach a worldview which upholds the Bible as the highest authority in all of life’s pursuits.
Because mankind is made in His image, students in a Christian school must be taught to love Him and love their neighbors. They also recognize that God has planned good works for them to walk in (Eph 2:10) and they are called to use the gifts He has given them for His glory.
You can see our Statement of Faith here.
Is this a church school?
A ‘church school’ is usually a school that is run by a particular local church or denomination (such as Roman Catholic). Covenant Christian Academy is not intended to be such an entity. Our desire is not to tie the school into one church but to have the school serve the community of New Plymouth as a Christian school.
Do we have to be Christians to send our children?
The short answer to this question is no. But there’s a longer answer:
Because this school is a Christian school, it is important that we maintain a Christian ethos and worldview. At this stage we envisage for the longer term to have at least 70% of our students to come from homes of practicing Christian families. Initially this percentage may be higher.
If you aren’t a practicing Christian and attending a local church, your children may still be accepted if there are spaces available. However, it is important for you to know that the education we deliver is explicitly Christian. This isn’t something that we will be negotiating. All parents (and children) will be asked explicitly whether they are willing to work with us towards this goal. If you cannot do so then this is not the school for you.
Why do you need to be a private school?
This is an important question, especially given the fees for private education.
Being private enables us to have liberty over the curriculum we use. We have significant freedom to fashion and mold a framework which will prepare our students for engaging with the world as they prepare not just for senior school (yr 11-13) but their future after school.
Cambridge is also grounded in a traditional educational philosophy which values content driven learning and academic excellence. Cambridge has a very high reputation internationally even among leading tertiary institutions. Our goal is to pursue excellence–and NCEA is not providing that.
We are also concerned with the ideology and the various agendas which are being pushed in the public education system. Private education means that we can deliver a quality education while providing a safe learning environment for our children.
Are you only starting a Primary school?
No. Our goal is to establish a fully fledged Primary and Secondary school, offering a high quality of Christian education from Year 1 through to Year 13. We are beginning with a Primary school in the hope that as we grow and gain stability in the community we can add further year levels.
Bear in mind that a Secondary school also requires a larger range of subject experts. It will be easier to progress to this point if we have an existing foundation to spring from.
Why are the fees so high?
Good education costs money. In this country most schools use taxpayer dollars to heavily subsidize this cost for parents. Data from 2022 shows that the government provides over $10,000 for a Year 1 student in a public school (educationcounts.govt.nz). This is why international students are charged so highly… because they don’t get taxpayer-funded education subsidies.
Compared to this cost, we are already looking to charge a lot less per student: in 2025 our starting fees will be $7950 per year. Covenant Christian Academy is not being run to make a profit.
Nevertheless, as you can imagine, to get good quality staff we need to pay good salaries… to build quality facilities and provide a quality education for your children we need a certain level of funding. Bear in mind that even the cost of land (before buildings are placed) can be in excess of $1.5 million dollars.
But the old saying is true: Good things are worth investing in.
Will a Cambridge qualification give University entrance?
Absolutely. Cambridge is internationally recognized in its ability to promote a very high quality of education. It has this reputation based on over 160 years of experience. As such, it is a sought after qualification for tertiary providers all over the world, including the top universities and colleges in the UK and America.
Will you provide scholarships for families in need?
This is certainly a desire of ours. Unfortunately this is not something we can make any promises on… especially in the beginning.
Be aware that scholarships aren’t truly free education. Instead, they rely on other people’s generosity to donate to the school so that families in need might get be supported. Now it’s certainly true that there are many generous people who contribute in such ways. But any scholarships we do offer will come out of additional donations rather than normal school fees. As such, we will need to monitor this as we go forward.