Christchurch Boys' High School（基督城男子中学）New Zealand Study Guide: Programs, Entry Requirements, Costs and Student Life

Christchurch Boys' High School（基督城男子中学）is a public boys' secondary school in Christchurch, New Zealand, taking students from Year 9 to Year 13 on the NCEA pathway. The school's official website, checked on 5 August 2026, describes it as founded in 1881 and now located at 71 Straven Road in the Riccarton area, with an international programme supported by ESOL classes, homestay arrangements and a dedicated team. This guide pulls together what the school itself publishes about its programmes, entry requirements, fees and student life, so families can check the official pages with a clear picture of what is and is not stated. ## What kind of school Christchurch Boys' High School is Christchurch Boys' High Schoolis a state boys' school: it enrols boys only, from Year 9 to Year 13, and teaches the New Zealand Curriculum with NCEA as the senior qualification. The official site says the school was founded in 1881, originally on Worcester Street (now the Arts Centre site), and moved to its present Straven Road campus in 1926, on about 28 acres of the Deans' Estate at Riccarton. The school's stated values are commitment, bravery, honour and service, and its motto is Altiora Peto, described as "I Seek Higher Things". Two enrolment systems run in parallel and it is worth keeping them apart: domestic enrolment is governed by the Education and Training Act 2020 and by zone rules (in-zone boys can enrol directly; out-of-zone applications are balloted by priority), while international students use a separate fee-paying channel with limited places set each year by the Board of Trustees in the budget. The school's own description of its international programme covers ESOL support, homestay placement, a dedicated team, and dedicated pages for international enrolment, the prospectus, the student handbook and fees and policies. ## Programs and the NCEA pathway Christchurch Boys' High Schoolstructures its senior years around NCEA. According to the official international programmes page, long-term Year 12 students work towards NCEA Levels 1 and 2, focusing on English language standards and Level 1 literacy standards where needed; Year 13 students focus on NCEA Level 3 and University Entrance literacy, with some students working towards the New Zealand Certificate in English Language (NZCEL) as an alternative to NCEA. For international students, English support is built into the timetable. On arrival, students are assessed against the Ministry of Education's English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP), from Foundation to Stage 4, and placed accordingly: Year 9 and 10 students take 9&10ESL (Foundation to Stage 3 ELLP) for 3 hours per week alongside mainstream English; senior students are placed in 12ESL (Stage 2, 4 hours per week), 12EAP (Stage 3, 4 hours per week) or 13EAP (Stage 4, 4 hours per week) depending on need. The stated goal is to give students the language skills to manage learning within the New Zealand Curriculum. Beyond the classroom, the school publishes a wide sporting programme - winter sports include badminton, basketball, cycling, mountain biking, football, hockey, rugby, squash, table tennis and shooting, and summer sports include athletics, cricket, golf, taekwondo, Ki-o-Rahi, rowing, tennis, volleyball and water polo - and says all students are encouraged to take part regardless of ability, with Physical Education part of the curriculum for all boys until the end of Year 10. ## Entry requirements for international students For international students, Christchurch Boys' High Schooldescribes its application process as straightforward, with the entry point on the official international pages. Two boundaries should be stated honestly. First, the public pages do not publish a single minimum English score or a fixed application deadline for international students; placement into English classes happens after arrival via the ELLP assessment. Second, visa and statutory eligibility conditions are set by New Zealand government rules, not by the school, and the official pages do not summarise them - those are matters to check with the government's official channels rather than estimate here. What the school does state: it offers a limited number of places to international fee-paying students, set annually by the Board of Trustees; international students sign a contract setting out the terms of admission; and the school observes The Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice, administered by NZQA, which provides a national framework for accommodation, welfare and contract rights. There is also useful news on the official site for domestic applicants: the 24 July 2026 notice states that Year 9 enrolment for 2027 has closed, with the out-of-zone ballot held on 29 July 2026, that the school does not offer sports scholarships or preferential enrolment based on sporting ability, and that a decision on out-of-zone places for Years 10 to 13 in 2027 had not yet been made. ## Costs: the 2027 international fee schedule All figures in this section come from the school's official fee policy document published on its hail.to platform (operational 10 September 2024, 2027 rates, GST-inclusive). Tuition at Christchurch Boys' High School, including orientation activities, is 5,250 NZD for one term, 9,900 NZD for two terms, 14,400 NZD for three terms and 19,000 NZD for a full year; full-time students who show proof of IELTS 5.5 or above on enrolment receive 5% off tuition. Administration is 550 NZD per offer (non-refundable). Homestay is 400 NZD per week, or 420 NZD per week for students under 14, with a placement and monitoring fee of 350 NZD per offer. The hostel fee is listed as to be confirmed, with places waitlisted subject to availability. Other charges: NCEA fee (Years 10 to 13) 383.30 NZD; stationery 200 NZD; new uniform (including cleaning) 560 NZD senior and 430 NZD junior, with hire options at 280 NZD (one term) and 315 NZD (two terms) senior and 230 NZD (one term) and 265 NZD (two terms) junior; catered lunches 600 NZD per term; airport pickup or drop-off 50 NZD each way, or 100 NZD before 8am and after 10pm; insurance quoted at approximately 633 NZD for the Southern Cross international student package; activities 250 NZD for one to two terms and 500 NZD for three to four terms (including organised trips such as skiing and Hanmer Springs); and a rugby package at 1,000 NZD for one term, 1,500 NZD for two terms and 1,800 NZD for three terms or the full year. For boarding, Adams House, the school's hostel, charges 19,100 NZD plus a 1,500 NZD non-refundable deposit for 2026, payable by direct debit in two equal instalments in January and June. Fees change each year, so the current official schedule is the operative source. ## Student life and practical details Student life at Christchurch Boys' High Schoolis covered on the official site through sport, culture and support services. Sport is treated as central to the school's values: the site lists the winter and summer sports above, says all boys can play in internal competitions and against other schools, and notes that top teams compete regionally and nationally. Culturally, the school highlights music and drama alongside critical thinking and problem-solving, and lists counsellors among the support available to students. For international students there are named support roles - the international student team, deans and guidance counsellors - and the school's handbook describes homestay as a family membership rather than a lodging arrangement. Boarding is available at Adams House, about a five-minute walk from school, built in 1915-16, housing up to 135 boarders, mainly from rural South Island, on 1.3 hectares bordering the Avon River with a heated pool, tennis courts, cricket nets, a gym and sports fields; boarding applications for Year 9 2028 close on 19 March 2027. The 2026 school year runs in four terms: 27 January to 2 April, 20 April to 3 July, 20 July to 25 September, and 12 October to 11 December, and international students usually align their start with the term dates. This guide was written on 5 August 2026 from the school's official pages as they stood that day; if you are considering Christchurch Boys' High School, you are welcome to consult the advisors on this site with your son's year level, English level and budget to compare against the official information.