Scots College

The Scots College is located at 1 Monorgan Road, Strathmore Park, Wellington 6022, New Zealand. Strathmore Park is an eastern suburb close to Wellington Airport, and the campus is less than 15 minutes' drive to Wellington's central city. The campus sits on a sizeable site with extensive outdoor space. The College uses Metlink buses and exclusive Tranzit services for transport, with morning services arriving before 8:45am and afternoon services departing around 3:45pm.

Junior School (Year 0–6); Middle School (Year 7–10); Senior School (Year 11–13).

The Scots College is a co-educational school in Wellington for Years 0–13 and offers boarding for Year 9–13 in Gibb House.

Āwhina Learning Support (ALS) provides care and support for students who learn in different ways or who face learning challenges. The ALS team helps with literacy and numeracy, supports learning strategies, adapts curriculum and assessments, and liaises with the Wellbeing team.

New Zealand

Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.

Morning transport arrivals occur before 8:45am; afternoon services depart by 3:45pm. The College offers Metlink buses and Tranzit services to support daily travel.

Metlink buses provide public transport to Scots College, and exclusive Tranzit buses serve Scots College students. Nearly all students use a Snapper card for public buses, with top-up facilities available at the school. Morning services arrive before 8:45am and afternoon services depart by 3:45pm, with routes to Wellington Station, Lambton Quay, Karori, and Crofton Downs; Tranzit services run to Crofton Downs, Khandallah, Ngaio, Churton Park, Island Bay, and the Hutt Valley as exclusive College services.

Scots College offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) across the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP), with a dual senior pathway granting a choice between NCEA and the IB Diploma. The IB programmes were introduced at Scots College in 2008 (PYP and MYP) and the Diploma in 2010, and the Senior School provides Years 12–13 with either NCEA or IB Diploma. Future-Focussed Learning is embedded, with courses aligning NZ Curriculum objectives alongside IB design. The Junior School uses the NZ Curriculum with an inquiry approach and Te Reo Māori is integrated in the programmes. The school emphasises a holistic, future-ready approach across all three schools.

Class sizes: Year 1 – 15; Year 2 – 18; Years 3–6 – 22; Years 7–8 – 24; Years 9–10 – 25. These target sizes are set to maintain manageable learning environments with occasional variation.

Year 11 no longer offers NCEA Level 1; from 2024, NCEA Level 1 is not assessed. Year 12/13 require 80 credits to achieve Levels 2 or 3 (60 at the target level plus 20 Literacy and Numeracy). NZ Scholarship is available for Year 13. University Entrance (UE) is required to qualify for university admission in New Zealand, with a typical UE standard involving 14 Level 3 credits in three subjects, plus English Level 2 and Maths Level 1 credits, though a points-based system now applies and the minimum often equates to higher overall credit attainment. Upon completion, students choose either NCEA or IB Diploma pathway for Years 12–13.

Nearly all students gain University Entrance. University Entrance preliminarily qualifies a student to a place at university in New Zealand, with 14 UE credits at Level 3 in three subjects, plus English and Maths credit requirements, though the final admission depends on a points-based system and university variation. NCEA results are recognized by tertiary institutions and employers, and the Senior School offers pathways through Years 12–13 that can lead to NZ and overseas higher education opportunities.

Able & Ambitious identifies academically able students and provides opportunities to extend beyond the standard curriculum, including enrichment events such as the Ethics Olympiad, ThinkTank, World Scholar's Cup, Tournament of Minds, CRISiSLab, and Model UN/EU, with progress monitored by a designated coordinator.

PERFORM is the wellbeing framework at Scots College, comprising Purpose, Engagement, Relationships, Faith, Organisation, and Resilience, with Maintenance. The framework guides pastoral care, classroom practice, tutorials, and assemblies to promote wellbeing and engagement. Explicit teaching of social skills and values supports relational development, and a restorative approach to behaviour management keeps relationships at the centre of pastoral care. The college promotes healthy relationships through explicit social-emotional learning, a health curriculum, and programs such as the House system and student-led activities. The Wellbeing Centre provides confidential counselling and mental health support, and the Wellbeing Team builds student wellbeing capability with strategies that students can use now and in the future. Staff are trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid to recognise and respond to mental health concerns and connect students with appropriate support.

The Āwhina Learning Support (ALS) Team cares for and supports students who face challenges in learning or who learn in different ways. Some challenges are short-term (physical, mental, or emotional wellbeing) and others are ongoing (neurological, cognitive, auditory, or visual). The team helps students develop literacy and numeracy, learning and study strategies, and self-belief and work ethic. They support teachers by adapting curriculum and assessments to ensure teaching is diverse and inclusive in approach, running classes for a small number of students at the Principals' discretion, and endeavouring to ensure provision of Special Assessment Conditions. They liaise closely with the Scots College Wellbeing team. Valuing every learner, recognising their potential, growing their achievement.

English is the language used as the medium of instruction and communication, with staff acting as liaison with Māori and Pasifika families. Te Reo Māori and NZSL are embraced and used; Te Reo Māori is taught to all Junior School students as an additional language. In Year 7, students experience a language carousel of Te Reo Māori, Spanish, French, and Chinese, and Middle School students select one of those languages or English acquisition (MTLOTE). Continued language study in Senior School is encouraged but not compulsory (except for IB Diploma students). In the IB Diploma years, students may continue to study an additional language and/or literature in a language where there is native or near-native proficiency when possible. The college actively seeks to support MTLOTE and mother-tongue learning for MTLOTE students.

The Wellbeing Centre provides confidential counselling and mental health support and is open on school days, with the Wellbeing Team consisting of the College Counsellor and Director of Wellbeing who oversee counselling and health services for students and staff. The team delivers counselling and mental health nursing in a safe, confidential space to help individuals talk through difficulties and make changes. Appointments can be made via the Scot-E Wellbeing area or by referrals through the online forms. Scots College has implemented key wellbeing initiatives, including the Komodo Wellbeing Application, the Stand-Up Project (SUP), and Youth Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for staff. Five staff members completed MHFA instructor training to train others and build a network of wellbeing support across the community, with a focus on early intervention and connecting students to appropriate support. The MHFA program aims to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma so students feel empowered to seek help.

Scots College has a Child Protection Policy that applies to any student defined as a child under the Children's Act 2014 and uses a framework for student safety. The policy includes provisions for identifying and reporting abuse and neglect, with Abuse Recognition and Reporting details. Guidance aligns with partnership/mahi tahi, protection/kaitiakitanga, and participation/whai wahi, and te Tiriti o Waitangi, with involvement of family/whānau in decision-making. Student welfare is the primary concern, and the college keeps students at the centre of decision-making, with systems to recognise and respond to concerns. A designated child protection person (the child protection coordinator or deputy) is the primary point of contact for concerns about students, and a child protection team may consult with the coordinator, headmaster, principals, and the board. If a wellbeing concern is raised, procedures for Responding to Student Wellbeing Concerns are followed, and information may be shared with external agencies as appropriate. The school may engage with external agencies to address student protection needs and has a process for information sharing and review of child protection matters. For more detail, see Supporting Student Wellbeing and related procedures.

1. Applications for enrolments in 2027 and beyond are open. Junior School applications for enrolment in 2027 close on Tuesday, 31 March 2026. Middle School applications for enrolment in 2027 close on Thursday, 2 April 2026. Senior School enrolments are welcome at any stage throughout the year, with limited places available at each year level. 2. How to apply: Within New Zealand, complete the online enrolment form. For international students, use the enroller.app application. After submitting an application, you will be contacted by staff to inform you of the status of your application and to arrange an interview with the Principal. 3. What happens after I send in an application form: You will be contacted by staff to learn the status of your application and to arrange an interview with the Principal. 4. If capacity is reached, a waitpool system is instituted and you will be notified if your application is in the waitpool. Places are filling faster than in previous years. 5. Do you offer scholarships?: Scholarships are available to students in Years 7 and 9, as well as Senior School students (Years 11–13). Applications for 2027 scholarships are now open.

Middle School (Year 7–10) Scholarships: Year 7 offers Academic, Music, General Excellence, and Sport scholarships. Year 9 offers Academic, Music, General Excellence, Boarding, Pipe Band, Sport, and Scots Collegians Association scholarships. Senior School (Year 11–13) Scholarships: International Baccalaureate (IB) Scholarships; Pipe Band; General Excellence; Boarding; Music; Academic; Hardship/Financial Assistance; Sport; Tup Radford Science Scholarship; Scots Collegians Association Scholarship. Applications for 2027 Scholarships are open for both Middle and Senior School, with deadlines of March 31, 2026 for Year 7–10 scholarships and May 3, 2026 for Senior School scholarships. The College funds scholarships from the Foundation, tuition discounts, and benefactors. Approximately 60% are merit-based and 40% are needs-based; most scholarships cover a portion of tuition fees. Some scholarships are 100% unavailable. Sibling discounts do not apply when one child is awarded a scholarship. External scholarships include Māori Education Trust Scholarships and a Ministry of Education boarding allowance. Scholarships may be awarded based on merit, need, or a combination, and are reviewed annually; Middle School scholarships include an exam component for academic scholarships and a panel/interview process for other categories. External and internal application paths are available. For questions about scholarships, contact the College's Development Team or relevant regional staff.

When capacity is reached, a waitpool system is instituted and applicants are notified if their application is in the waitpool.