Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the much-anticipated New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa (NZPAA) will open as a charter school for athletes in Term 1 2026.
The school will serve students with serious sporting aspirations, giving them the skills to ignite a professional career, while ensuring they get the academic education all students need.
“Students will no longer have to sacrifice their education in pursuit of sporting dreams, or vice versa,” Mr Seymour says.
“There is absolutely no doubt that if this school was open when I was growing up, I would have been an All Black.
“The academy will initially offer elite football training, leveraging the expertise of the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy, and rugby union training. Other sports will be added over time based on the needs of students.”
The academy will be based at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) in Upper Hutt, a state-of-the-art facility designed to support high-performance sports. NZCIS will also partner with the school to provide specialised sports training.
“The school will teach a nationally recognised curriculum and world class-athletic development. For example, students will be taught key skills such as leadership, how to build healthy relationships, how to look after their mental health, and nutrition. Students will also have access to flexible scheduling, personalised support, and top-tier coaching and facilities,” Mr Seymour says.
“When it comes to education, one size does not fit all.
“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 three new charter schools announced last week which will open in Term 1 2026. This takes the total number of charter schools to 15. 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.”
