General Information

General Attendance
You must notify the school immediately if your son is absent for any reason.  Please either complete the online form, email attendance@nelson.school.nz or call the attendance line on (03) 548 3099 (ext 2).  Please leave your son’s name, the reason for his absence and, if known, how long he will be absent for.  If returning to school during the day please collect a absence slip from the Attendance Officer (upstairs by the Deans Office).

Absences
All students are expected to be in their timetabled class.  This will be monitored and parents contacted when students are not present.  All absences from class should be explained and parents should provide their sons with an explanatory note.  Failure to provide a note will result in the student being disciplined and the parents contacted.

Full Student Absence Procedure policy can be found HERE.

Leave for non-school related Activities:
Parents who wish to take their sons on holiday during term time need to contact their son’s dean.
Year 9: Andrew Nyhoff
Year 10: Samme Hippolite
Year 11: Dan Moon
Year 12: John Glazier
Year 13: Richard Townsend

Email at least two weeks prior to the start of leave. Please give the dates of absence from school and the purpose of the leave.

Appointments
Please don’t make appointments during school time.  However, if this is unavoidable students should bring a written request for leave at the start of the day to the Attendance Office for a absence slip which they then show to their teachers.

Sick/Illness
Students are not to leave school if they are feeling unwell without permission. Students who feel sick during the day should inform the classroom teacher and then report to the reception.  If a student needs to go home reception will contact the student’s parent/caregiver.  DO NOT JUST LEAVE SCHOOL.

Off Site
It is a College rule that no pupil leaves the College grounds at lunchtime unless they have the permission of the Deputy Headmasters.  A note from home would be accepted.
The neighbouring dairy and bakery are out of bounds during interval and lunchtime.

	Rāhina Monday	Rātū Tuesday	Rāapa Wednesday	Rāpare Thursday	Rāmere Friday
Period 1	8.50 am	8.50 am	8.50 am	8.50 am	8.50 am
Period 2	9.45 am	9.50 am	9.45 am	9.45 am	9.50 am
	10.40 am Ārahi		10.40 am Ārahi	10.40 am Assembly
Interval	11.05 am	10.50 am	11.05 am	11.05 am	10.50 am
Period 3	11.25 am	11.15 am	11.25 am	11.25 am	11.15 am
Period 4	12.20 pm	12.15 pm	12.20 pm	12.20 pm	12.15 pm
Lunch	1.15 pm	1.15 pm	1.15 pm	1.15 pm	1.15 pm
Period 5	2.10 pm	2.10 pm	2.10 pm	2.10 pm	2.10 pm
End of Day	3.10 pm	3.10 pm	3.10 pm	3.10 pm	3.10 pm

Bikes
There is a bicycle compound at the college for safe keeping of bikes during the school day.  This is located behind the Technology block.  It’s locked at the start of period 1 (period 2 on Fridays) and opened again before the end of period 5.  Boys must lock their bikes as well as putting them in the compound in order to minimise the possibility of theft.

Scooters & Skateboards
Students may ride scooters and skateboards to school, but must leave them in the bicycle compound.  Boys must provide their own lock.  Students may not carry or use them during the day.  

Cars & Motorbikes
Students may bring a vehicle to and from school.  They must not park on school grounds and must follow all relevant laws at all times.  Students may not access their vehicles during the school day.

There are a number of buses for students to travel to school each day. You can view the bus timetable as an indication of bus times.

Full School Bus Timetable

Ministry funded bus routes (Atawhai to Hira) are free and do not require a ticket.

Public bus tickets (SBL and NBus) Bee Cards can be purchased at the NCC, Public Libraries and Nelson SBL bus depot. Bee Card FAQ: Nelson’s new electronic bus card explained – Our Nelson

Nelson Coachlines routes (Motueka, Mapua, Wakefield, Brightwater) Smartcards can be purchased from the Nelson College Finance Office and topped up via the Smartcard app.

Risk management of scooters, skateboards, bags and other items on school buses

Nelson Coachlines Code of Conduct

Nelson College is set in spacious park-like grounds only a 10 minute walk from Nelson’s CBD and a 10 minute drive from Nelson Airport. Panoramic views over Nelson city and a variety of contemporary facilities.

Accommodation available for hire all year round.

A facility for your sports teams or conference members, with comfortable and affordable accommodation with the added bonus of on-site Catering Services.

Nelson College Accommodation Facilities

Our facilities include:
– Three separate boarding hostels with a mixture of rooms from dormitory cubicles to single rooms which can accommodate up to 225. Of these, Fell House is available all year round
– Private rooms and dormitory-style accommodation with full bedding
– Lounge areas with TV, pool table
– Kitchen areas in each wing with tea-making facilities
– Large separate toilet and shower blocks
– Well-equipped laundry with three washing machines in each hostel including a large drying room
– Separate commercial dining room offering catering services for breakfast, lunch and dinner
– Off-street parking

Other Facilities

– Large assembly hall
– Staffroom with kitchen facilities
– Classrooms
– Gymnasiums
– Swimming Pool

Hostel Hire Application Form

Facility Hire Brochure

School Donations

Nelson College is part of the Ministry of Education Schools Donations Scheme and therefore the school does not ask parents or caregivers for a contribution towards the provision of additional support and resources for students.

Voluntary Donations

Families still have the option to make voluntary tax-deductible donations to the school. Further information is available from the Nelson College finance office.

Other Fees

Contributions towards the cost of overnight camps or optional activities beyond the standard curriculum offered should be paid for as requested. Some subjects that require such fees are Physical Education, Outdoor Education, Science, Technology, and the Year 10 Mataki Camp.

Sports and Extra-Curricular Activities

Fees for optional activities such as sport/extra-curricular activities are a direct reflection of the cost for participating in that sport or event. Payment continues to be required for these items and needs to be paid prior to participation.

library.nelsoncollege.school.nz

There are a limited number of lockers available for purchase at a cost of $15.00 for the year from the finance office.  We would encourage your son to bring his own lock for extra security.

Cell phones are to be turned off and out of sight in class. Texting is not permitted during class time.

Phones will be confiscated and handed to the Deputy Principals if these rules are not followed.

1^st Offence – confiscation and returned at the end of the day.
2^nd Offence – confiscation for 2 school days.
3^rd Offence – confiscation indefinitely with parents uplifting the phone.

Regulations governing confiscation of communication technologies and the use of technology within the College campus are stipulated in the College Mobile Phone Management Policy and its associated acceptable use protocols.

• Complaints Procedure
• Personnel Policies
• Finance and Property Policies
• Health & Safety Policies
• Mobile Phone Use Policy

Stationery lists will be available online on the college website and from two suppliers, Paper Plus or Office Max.  Stationery lists will also be held in store at these two suppliers.  Both websites can be found below for ordering online:

2025 Stationery

• Year 9
• Year 10
• Year 11
• Year 12
• Year 13

Paper Plus:  https://www.paperplus.co.nz/school-lists?SchoolId=294 (click and collect option available)

Office Max:     https://www.myschool.co.nz/nelsoncollege

The use of computers is necessary for all students at Nelson College. Students are required to have access to their own device at school. It is recommended that students bring devices to school each day for use in classes and to enable a smooth transition between school and home learning.

Whilst there are a number of devices available to students, students are strongly encouraged to bring their own device (BYOD), this enables the use of devices in every class as well as at home. BYOD is embedded into our curriculum where students use devices to access their education in a range of subjects to develop knowledge and skills.

Digital fluency is one of these skills and is a key skill for the 21st century and enables students effectively use technology through productivity tools in the form of apps and programs, as well as develop higher order thinking skills in terms of critical thinking, problem solving and computational thinking (programming).

For more information on BYOD at Nelson College such as device recommendations, where to buy, finance, security and FREE Microsoft Office 365 go to Technology in the Classroom

The Nelson College canteen is run by two friendly catering staff members. We offer a delightful selection of fresh sandwiches made on-site each day, alongside a variety of delicious baked goods, hot meals, fresh fruit, and healthy drinks—all at reasonable prices. We strive to provide tasty and nutritious options for every student. Payment methods include EFTPOS, cash, and PayWave.

Open morning interval and lunch

• 11.00am to 11.25am
• 1.15pm to 2.10pm (dining room has finished at 2pm)

See full Tuck Shop menu

Dining room lunch meals available each school day for $8.00

• Meal tickets must be purchased from the finance office prior to lunch
• Hot item of the day, pasta dish, salads, cold meat platters, fruit

Term Dates for 2025

Nelson College is adopting a new uniform in 2025. Year 7 and Year 9 students are to purchase and wear the new uniform, they will not be able to purchase and wear second hand uniform.

The new uniform will be worn by all students from 2026.

The Board of Trustees and College community have affirmed in a recent review of uniform that Nelson College is a College that wants a uniform and that it should be worn well.

Uniform helps instill a sense of identity and purpose. Self-esteem is enhanced by wearing a uniform with pride.

Where to buy

Nelson College no longer has a uniform shop onsite. Uniforms can be purchased at:

NZ Uniforms Nelson
8/38 Estuary Place
Richmond

Phone: 03 928 0757
Email: nelson@nzuniforms.com
Website: NZ Uniforms

Opening Hours

Monday – Friday
9.00am – 5.00pm

Saturday
9.00am – 1.00pm