Nelson College (Prep Dept)
Waimea Road, Nelson · Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast
Composite score
Established
Above median
Rank #742 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Nelson College (Prep Dept) is a private intermediate school serving 96 students in Nelson. An ERO special review in March 2021 confirmed the school meets all registration criteria under the Education Act 1989. The school has suitable premises, appropriate staffing for the age range, suitable equipment, and regularly reviewed policies to ensure student safety.
Best suited for
Students aged 11-13 in Nelson looking for an independent setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Nelson College (Prep Dept) a good school?
Nelson College (Prep Dept) scores 76/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Suitable premises meeting registration criteria
- Appropriate staffing for age range and curriculum delivery
- Suitable equipment for curriculum being delivered
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
ERO review not in our dataset
We don't yet have a parsed ERO composite for Nelson College (Prep Dept), so the ERO axis below uses the national-average ERO score (75/100) as a placeholder. The composite shown above incorporates that estimate. When we ingest a real ERO review for this school, the score will refresh and may move materially in either direction.
If you've spotted a recent ERO report we've missed, let us know — every flagged report gets re-ingested on the next refresh.
no incidents reported · top 10% of band (n=26) · why? ▼ hide
-4.1% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · bottom quartile of band (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
75/100 — national average (no ERO review in our dataset) · bottom 10% of band (n=96) · why? ▼ hide
Latest ERO review
2021-03-12 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region - Te Tai Tini
- The school meets all eight criteria for registration as a private school under the Education Act 1989
- Premises, staffing, and equipment are suitable for the age range and curriculum being delivered
- The school has regularly reviewed policies and procedures to provide for a physically and emotionally safe place for students
- School managers have attested they comply with provisions of section 35G regarding being fit and proper persons
- The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 and complies with all aspects
"The school's managers have attested that they comply with the provisions of section 35G in respect to their being fit and proper persons to manage the school."
Audited financials
Year ended 2016 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$0.06M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$42k
Net assets / equity
$1.32M
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$0.09M
Per-student funding · 2022
$936
2018
$0.1M
2019
$0.1M
2020
$0.1M
2021
$0.1M
2022
$0.1M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 07 48
- Year 08 46
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 91.7%
- Māori 8.3%
- Asian 7.3%
- Other / MELAA 3.1%
- International 3.1%
- Pacific 1.0%
Location
Waimea Road, Nelson. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Nelson College (Prep Dept).
Nelson College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0km · 949 roll
60
-16 vs this
Hampden Street School
Contributing · 0.2km · 449 roll
72
-4 vs this
Victory Primary School
Contributing · 0.6km · 371 roll
73
-3 vs this
Nelson Intermediate
Intermediate · 0.8km · 409 roll
42
-34 vs this
Nelson College For Girls Prep School
Intermediate · 0.9km · 96 roll
83
+7 vs this
Nelson College For Girls
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.9km · 921 roll
76
0 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Nelson College (Prep Dept) a good school?
Nelson College (Prep Dept) scores 76/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2021-03 review identified 6 key findings. The school meets all eight criteria for registration as a private school under the Education Act 1989
How do I enrol my child at Nelson College (Prep Dept)?
Contact the school directly on 03-5483099, email excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz, or visit www.nelsoncollege.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Nelson College (Prep Dept) is a private school. Tuition fees are set by the school — contact them directly for current rates.
What is the roll size?
Nelson College (Prep Dept) has 96 students. It is a boys school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Nelson College (Prep Dept) in 2021-03, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 2 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- web.archive.org
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz