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What ESOL funding is for
State and state-integrated schools can apply for ESOL funding. It is for primary, intermediate and secondary school students who live in New Zealand and whose first language is not English or te reo Māori. It is not for fee-paying international students.
Students must be one of the following:
- Migrants to New Zealand.
- Former refugees.
- New Zealand-born students with at least 1 parent of migrant or refugee background, where a language other than English is usually spoken at home.
Your school may use funding to:
- employ a specialist ESOL teacher, teacher's aide or language assistant, or bilingual resource person
- buy resources specifically designed for English language learners.
Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) has information about English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programmes and professional development in schools.
ESOL funding rates
ESOL funding is paid in addition to your school's operations grant:
- Primary and intermediate students – $780 per year.
- Secondary students – $1,000 per year.
All funding amounts are GST exclusive.
When to apply
There are 2 funding rounds each year. You must apply by 1 March and 1 August.
You must re-apply for funding every funding round. The student you are applying for must also continue to meet our eligibility requirements.
How long students are funded for
Funding entitlements are:
- Migrant and former refugee students – up to 5 years (20 terms).
- New Zealand-born students of migrant or refugee parents – up to 3 years (12 terms).
Schools can decide at which year level to start a student’s ESOL funding.
Former refugee students can get additional support.
How we assess students for funding
We assess ESOL funding needs using the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP). This scores language acquisition in listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will fill in ELLP records of progress as part of the application process.
Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) has information about how to use it.
Apply for funding
There are different processes depending on whether your school received funding in the last funding round.
Keep records
Keep all the records relating to a student’s ESOL funding and assessments, as these may be needed for our verification. If an ESOL-funded student leaves your school, make sure all these records go with their file to their new school.
ESOL verifier visits
An ESOL verifier will visit or phone your school about every 3 years to discuss:
- how you identify eligible students and assess their learning needs
- the support programmes your school provides
- the assessment records that support the funding application.
They'll also help you with information about ESOL resources and training available.
Find information about English language learners in ENROL
You can see information about your English language learners in ENROL (the school student enrolment register).
