New Charter School Te Whare Kounga to Open in Wairoa Term 3 2026

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that Te Whare Kounga will open as a new charter school in Term 3 2026.

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in ways which are more specific to their needs. Today’s announcement demonstrates the innovation enabled by the charter school model, Mr Seymour says.

Te Papatipu Matihiko (the school sponsor) have been operating an alternative education programme in Wairoa for the last two years. That programme was a huge success. Students and schools were lining up to take part once space opened up. The charter school model has allowed them to meet some of this demand.

Wairoa has one of the highest rates in the country of young people not in employment, education or training. Te Whare Kounga recognises that mainstream education is failing these kids.

Te Whare Kounga will ensure children in Wairoa have access to all the opportunities associated with an education. That is what they deserve.

Students will be met where they’re at and taught in ways that resonate with them. The curriculum will be hands-on and deeply local. Students may explore science through things like water quality testing, math’s through food production data, or literacy through Māori storytelling. Students will work towards NCEA.

To create a stronger sense of community and leadership, non NCEA subjects will be taught in mixed-age groups.

Charter schools show education can be different if we let communities bring their ideas to the table.

These schools have more flexibility in return for strictly measured results.

The charter school equation is: the same funding as state schools, plus greater flexibility plus stricter accountability for results, equals student success.

There are more ideas in the communities of New Zealand than there are in the Government. That’s why we open ideas to the wider community, then apply strict performance standards to the best ones.

It will join the five new charter schools announced in the last couple of weeks which will open in 2026. This takes the total number of charter schools to 18. We expect more new charter schools to be announced before the end of the year, along with the first state schools to convert.

I want to thank the Charter School Agency and Authorisation Board for the work they have done getting charters open. They considered 52 applicants for new charter schools. This year they tell me the choices were very difficult.

This is just the beginning. I hope to see many more new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting to become charter schools.