School zone checker
Check which schools you're in zone for
BoundFor checks any New Zealand address against school zones nationwide, then compares those schools side by side. It's free and you don't need an account.
Enter the address below. We'll check it against Ministry of Education enrolment-zone boundaries and show the schools you're in zone for, along with nearby options.
We use your address only for zone and travel-time checks. It isn't shared with schools.
Confirm the result with the school before relying on it. Zone boundaries can change or contain errors. BoundFor accepts no liability for enrolment, property or other decisions based on this checker.
1,296 of 2,579 New Zealand schools in BoundFor's current Ministry of Education-derived directory are marked as operating an enrolment scheme, based on data updated October 2026.
Page updated .
Contains information sourced from the New Zealand Ministry of Education, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0).
How do school zones work in NZ?
A state school with an enrolment scheme has a home zone. The Ministry of Education develops the scheme and the school's board operates it. Children who live in the zone are entitled to enrol. Others can apply for out-of-zone places, with a ballot if applications exceed places. State-integrated schools differ: preference for a connection to the school's special character comes first.
Out-of-zone places are offered in priority order, so living outside the zone means you can apply, but a place isn't guaranteed. At state-integrated schools, any geographic priority works within the preference criteria, so an in-zone result here doesn't carry the same entitlement. Check the school's own enrolment scheme.
Schools without an enrolment scheme are open enrolment. Anyone can apply, regardless of address, if the school has space. This checker shows both the schools you're in zone for and nearby schools you can apply to.
Here, “school zone” means an enrolment home zone, not a road speed zone. For traffic rules outside schools, see NZTA's school and kura speed-limit guidance.
How do I check which school zone I'm in?
Enter your full address in the checker at the top of this page. BoundFor compares it with Ministry of Education home-zone boundaries and lists every school whose zone covers the address, plus nearby schools you could apply to. Primary, intermediate and secondary zones can overlap, so expect more than one result. Confirm the result with the school before relying on it.
School zone guides
- School zones in Auckland lets you use the address checker and browse zoned schools by locality.
- School zones in Hamilton covers the address checker plus zoned schools by suburb.
- School zones in Wellington covers the address checker plus zoned schools by suburb.
- School zones in Christchurch covers the address checker plus zoned schools by suburb.
- How school zones work in NZ covers home-zone rights, address evidence and zone changes.
- Out-of-zone enrolment and ballots explains the six priorities, application steps and waiting lists.
- Moving house and school zones explains what happens before and after your child enrols.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child have to change schools if we move out of zone?
No. If your child was genuinely living in zone when they enrolled, they are entitled to remain at the school after you move. A school can investigate an enrolment based on false information or a temporary address used to gain entry.
How far around a school is a school zone?
There is no fixed radius. The Ministry of Education draws each home zone using local school capacity, population, roads and neighbouring schools, so a boundary may follow streets or split nearby addresses.
Keep exploring: explore schools, see a sample report, or check term dates.