Westlake Girls High School（西湖女子高级中学）is a state girls’ school in Takapuna, on Auckland’s North Shore in New Zealand. Its international student pages welcome students from all over the world for stays ranging from a few months to several years. This guide walks international families through what matters most when planning an application: what the school is like, how the academic pathway works, what is required to get in, what it costs, and how accommodation, care and insurance are arranged. Every fact below comes from the school’s official international website (international.westlakegirls.school.nz) and its official PDFs, accessed on August 5, 2026; anything the school does not publish is stated as such rather than guessed.
About Westlake Girls High School
Westlake Girls High School describes itself as a single-sex school focused on empowering young women, helping students build confidence, take on leadership roles and achieve strong academic results. Its main site’s motto, Te Mana Wāhine, translates roughly as “education for empowerment.” The school’s own pages emphasise a diverse student body with girls from many countries and a long list of activities beyond the classroom: robotics, drama, environmental clubs, music, art and leadership programmes, plus nearly 40 sports. The school runs a “Big Sister, Little Sister” programme in which senior students guide and support younger newcomers, and the International Department supports students both at school and in their homestays. The campus sits at 2 Wairau Road, Takapuna, Auckland, on the North Shore.
Academic Programmes: The NCEA Pathway
Westlake Girls High School teaches the New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), the qualification used by state schools nationwide. NCEA has three levels, usually taken in Year 11 (Level 1), Year 12 (Level 2) and Year 13 (Level 3), and University Entrance is achieved in Year 13 through the NCEA pathway. Assessment combines internally marked assignments with externally marked portfolios and examinations. Each level can be awarded as Achieved, Merit or Excellence, and individual courses carry their own endorsements as well. High-achieving students can sit Scholarship examinations, which the school’s curriculum page notes are recognised by universities and employers in New Zealand and internationally. For international students, the key point is that there is no separate track: students join the same year levels and classes as domestic students, and English develops through daily lessons, clubs, sport and homestay life rather than a separate language stream.
Entry Requirements and How to Apply
Applications to Westlake Girls High School begin with the online sign-up form on the international site; once received, the school guides applicants through the enrolment document process, with an International Student Handbook and an application process PDF provided on the website. The documents requested are: a current passport, a portrait photo, school reports for the last two years (with English translation), a vaccination certificate if available (with English translation) and an insurance certificate if available (with English translation). Long-term students take an online interview, or as arranged by the school, and the school reserves the right to contact an applicant’s previous schools. Successful applicants receive an offer of place and an invoice with payment details; once the full fees are received, the school sends a receipt of payment and a further copy of the offer of place, both of which are needed for the student visa application — the visa must be obtained before entering New Zealand. After booking flights, families tell the school the arrival details so airport pickup in Auckland can be arranged.
Application Deadlines
Westlake Girls High School fixes its application deadlines annually and applies them consistently each term: for Term One, applications close 1 October and payment is due 20 October; for Term Two, 1 February and 20 February; for Term Three, 1 May and 20 May; for Term Four, 1 August and 20 August. The deadlines PDF notes that both applications and payments must be submitted by these dates and recommends early application to secure a place.
Fees for 2026 and 2027
The official fee schedule published by Westlake Girls High School is in New Zealand dollars and includes GST, with a note that prices may change. The 2026 schedule lists tuition of NZ$23,000, an administration fee of NZ$2,500, a homestay placement fee of NZ$450, a designated caregiver monitoring fee of NZ$300, homestay of NZ$18,000 per year (45 weeks at NZ$400 per week), a contingency fee of NZ$1,900, health insurance of NZ$633 per year when arranged through the school (Southern Cross), a room holding fee of NZ$100 per week (applicable only during the Christmas vacation), school uniform of approximately NZ$700, and special diet costs of NZ$30 per week. The 2027 schedule raises tuition to NZ$25,000, keeps the administration fee at NZ$2,500 and the homestay placement fee at NZ$450, raises the designated caregiver monitoring fee to NZ$450, sets homestay at NZ$20,250 per year (45 weeks at NZ$450 per week), the contingency fee at NZ$2,000, health insurance at NZ$699 per year (Student Safe when arranged through the school), the room holding fee at NZ$150 per week, uniform at approximately NZ$800 and special diet costs at NZ$40 per week. Several additional charges are listed explicitly: a government-set fee of NZ$383.30 per year for students studying NCEA Levels 1–3, invoiced once courses are confirmed; Scholarship examinations at NZ$102.20 per subject; NZ$50 to send school records and NZ$10 per extra copy; and possible extra costs for some courses or sports such as equipment or activity fees. The minimum enrolment period is two terms.
Homestay, Care and Insurance
Most international students at Westlake Girls High School live with host families — the school’s homestay pages describe this as living with a local New Zealand family, which helps students practise English and experience local culture. Host families are selected and regularly checked by the international team, and all are police-checked. Students receive a handbook on acceptance and attend an orientation day when they start; the International Department and host families work closely together. Each year the school chooses three International Prefects to help international students connect with people and opportunities. On the regulatory side, the school states it follows the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, New Zealand’s official framework for the care of international students. Insurance is mandatory: most international students are not entitled to publicly funded health services in New Zealand and may be liable for the full cost of treatment, ACC accident cover is limited, and valid medical and travel insurance must be held for the whole period of study — the school can arrange it.
Settling In: Orientation and School Life
The services listed in the International Student Handbook for Westlake Girls High School include an orientation programme, 24-hour emergency contact, pastoral care, academic support, airport transfers, homestay placement, online visa renewal and student insurance policies. New students are advised to attend international orientation every day in their first weeks to complete enrolment, have their ID photo taken, choose subjects and tour the school; the international office team is on duty before school, at interval, lunchtime and after school until 4.30pm for questions. Attendance policy is strict — students are expected to attend 100% of their programme, and any absence must be reported by the caregiver to the International Department. Only Year 13 students may leave the grounds at lunchtime. The 2026 term dates are: Term One, 27 January to 2 April; Term Two, 20 April to 3 July; Term Three, 20 July to 25 September; Term Four, 12 October to 7 December — the school notes these dates can change for reasons beyond its control and advises confirming before making decisions.
All information in this guide reflects the official international website of Westlake Girls High Schooland its official documents as of August 5, 2026; fees and dates may change, so check the latest versions before applying. Every family’s situation differs — the year level, English stage, accommodation choice and budget all shape the plan — so it is worth discussing your specific circumstances with our advisors to sort out the programme path, application timeline and cost picture in one go.