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New Zealand’s first dedicated sports school will open its doors in Term 1 2026, giving young athletes a chance to combine elite training with academic study.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour today confirmed the launch of the New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa (NZPAA), which will operate as a charter school based at the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) in Upper Hutt.
The school will cater to students with serious sporting ambitions, offering high-performance training alongside a full academic programme.
Its first intakes will specialise in football, through a partnership with the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy, and rugby union, with more sports to be added over time.
“Students will no longer have to sacrifice their education in pursuit of sporting dreams, or vice versa,” Seymour said.
“If this school was open when I was growing up, I would have been an All Black.”
The academy will teach a nationally recognised curriculum while providing world-class coaching, flexible timetables, and lessons in leadership, wellbeing, and nutrition.
NZCIS will support the school with specialist facilities and training expertise.
Seymour said the initiative reflects the Government’s commitment to expanding charter schools, giving communities greater flexibility in return for measured results.
NZPAA joins three new charter schools also due to open in 2026, bringing the total to 15 nationwide.
“This is just the beginning,” Seymour said.
“I hope to see many more charter schools opening, and state or state-integrated schools choosing to convert.”
