An introduction to state-integrated schools

State-integrated schools occupy a unique place in New Zealand’s education system. 

Like all state schools, they are publicly funded and governed by a school board.  

However, they also have a proprietor whose role is to protect the special character that makes their school distinctive.  

What is a state-integrated school?

State-integrated schools make up about 13% (335 schools) of the schooling network.

They are former private schools that have joined the state school system under the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975open_in_new.

This legislation allows these schools to retain their special character (often religious or philosophical), while receiving government funding for operations and building maintenance.

The land and buildings remain privately owned by the proprietor, who must maintain them to a standard set by the Ministry of Education.

All schools operate under the Education and Training Act 2020, but  Schedule 6open_in_new specifically sets out the provisions that govern the operation of state-integrated schools. 

A proprietor is the organisation, usually a church, trust, or other approved body, that owns the land and buildings of a state-integrated school and safeguards its special character. 

The proprietor is responsible for ensuring school property is maintained and upgraded to required standards, while preserving the values, philosophy, or religious tradition that define the school.

The proprietor works in partnership with your board, supporting the school’s strategic direction and character while enabling it to operate within New Zealand’s state education system and receive government funding. 

School boards in state-integrated schools have the same core governance responsibilities as boards in other state schools.

This includes governing the school, setting strategic direction, overseeing educational performance, managing resources, monitoring risk, ensuring compliance, and employing and supporting the principal. 

One of the biggest differences between governing a state school and a state-integrated school is the presence of a proprietor. 

While your board remains the governing body of the school, the proprietor has specific legal rights and responsibilities. 

At the centre of this relationship is the Integration Agreement.  

It is the foundation document that guides many of the governance decisions made by both the proprietor and your board. 

What is the Integration Agreement?

The Integration Agreementopen_in_new is the legal contract between the school proprietor and the Minister of Education that enables a private school to be part of New Zealand’s state education system. 

It sets out the terms and conditions of integration, including the school’s special character, the property to be integrated, the maximum roll, the year levels offered, and the respective responsibilities of the proprietor and the Crown.

Every state-integrated school board should be familiar with its own integration agreement because it sets out the school’s special character and defines the partnership between the proprietor and the Crown.