Summer School

Te Kura accepts short-term enrolments over the summer break for students to earn additional credits or specific internal standards in NCEA.

You may be enrolling to gain credits to get into a tertiary course, training, employment or higher level of NCEA the following year. We don't want a few missed credits to hold someone back from continuing on their journey.

We have a team of qualified teachers supporting students to achieve from a range of internal standards at NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3 selected as suitable for this shorter study time-frame. Subjects offered include Maths, English, Science and more. The standards and subjects offered can be viewed on our website shortly before enrolments open.

Courses are delivered online so, with access to a computer and the internet, you can learn anywhere and anytime.  

“The teachers were so supportive and dedicated to helping me reach my goals. Summer School at Te Kura was by far the best decision I ever made.” – Summer School student.

“It was daunting at first because I had been out of school for a long time. My teacher was amazing at keeping me on track” – Summer School student.

Top tips for Summer School success

Summer School is over a short time period, and it’s all online. It’s amazing what you can get done at your own pace and at your own place when you set your mind to it.

You will have subject teachers to answer questions and assess your work and they are really committed to helping you achieve your goals but, unlike our regular school year, you don’t have a learning advisor to oversee your learning.

So, to achieve at Summer School you need to …

  • Be focussed, motivated and responsible for your own learning.
  • Communicate with your teachers. We want you to succeed, so if you have any questions or issues stay in touch.
  • Make sure you are clear about what you need to achieve and that you are doing the right courses.
  • Do the study. You can’t resubmit a piece of work that didn’t pass at your last school. You can only use planning that you did towards an uncompleted piece of work – your work needs to be original and your own.
  • Be realistic about what you can achieve. A general rule of thumb is each credit takes 10 hours of work.
  • Know the dates you need to get assessment in. Also factor in time to make any changes from feedback from your teachers.
  • If you have someone who can support you make the most of that and get them involved.

Some questions and answers about Summer School

When is Summer School?

Enrolments for Summer School usually open in November, and courses usually run from early December through to February. We will confirm exact dates closer to the end of the year. 

Who can enrol?

To enrol with Te Kura for free you must be:

  • a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident living in New Zealand
  • aged 16 to 19 (Students turning 20 years or older in the upcoming year can enrol but will be charged an administration fee)

How do I enrol?

When enrolments open, you will be able to enrol online via our website or by contacting our enrolment team on 0800 65 99 88 option 1.

What subjects can I study?

We will publish the standards and the subject they are available in when we open for enrolment. These are subject to student demand and staff availability – we do try and offer the greatest range possible at NCEA levels 1,2 and 3 to help you achieve your learning goals.

How will my course be delivered?

Learning materials for Summer School courses will be available through Te Kura’s online teaching and learning environment, so you will need access to a computer with internet connectivity. Read more about getting started with Te Kura

What support will I receive?

Teachers will be available online to answer any questions and to assess your work. If you need help with online learning, you can contact our Student and Whānau Service Hub during working hours for assistance - call 0800 65 99 88 extension 8712 or email hub@tekura.school.nz . Please read the section "Top Tips for Summer School success" above.

What if I don’t finish my assessments in time? 

If you don't manage to meet the Summer School deadlines, you can always find out about staying on with Te Kura to complete your learning goals. You just need to let us know you'd like to enrol for Term 1 before Summer School finishes. You will be automatically withdrawn from Te Kura’s roll at the end of Summer School unless you notify us beforehand.

What should I do once I've gained my Summer School results?

Email ncea.payment@tekura.school.nz confirming you have finished gaining all your Summer School results. Include your name, Te Kura ID, each standard number and result. We will need to verify these against the results in our student database.

What happens with my results if I was enrolled with another school this year?

If you were enrolled at another secondary school in 2019, and you gain your Summer School credits in time to have the results included in your 2019 NZQA Record of Achievement, the school you were enrolled with during 2019 will need to report them to NZQA on our behalf. 

Email ncea.payment@tekura.school.nz confirming you have finished gaining all your Summer School results. Include your name, Te Kura ID, each standard number and result. We will need to verify these against the results in our student database.

After you have emailed ncea.payment@tekura.school.nz, we will send one email detailing your Summer School results to your 2019 school (and copy you into that email so you know when that happens). It is your responsibility to follow up with your 2019 school if your results do not appear in your Record of Achievement within five working days.

If you have not paid your 2019 NCEA fee you will need to pay this to NZQA through your NZQA student login page.