Questions, answered carefully.

Yes — though it's not a barrier to entry. Students can complete a familiar assessment (TOEIC, TOEFL, Oxford English or a similar tool) before arrival. We use the result to match your child to one of our three workbook levels and to brief their New Zealand buddy on the right level of support.

Less than most parents fear. The Fernway Explorer workbook series is designed to support three levels:

• Explorer 1 — beginners and first-time international students: greetings, shopping, directions, school vocabulary, confidence-building.
• Explorer 2 — intermediate learners and returning students: conversation, NZ culture, buddy discussions, practical writing, small presentations.
• Explorer 3 — confident and longer-stay students: leadership, cultural comparison, interviews, reflection, and presentations.

Sample workbook pages can be sent on request.

Placement is based on age-appropriate matching, with structured support to help your child settle in confidently. That includes:

• A prepared buddy in the same classroom to support belonging and day-to-day learning.
• Scaffolded English materials and structured support through the programme workbook.
• Practical immersion activities that build real-world communication skills.
• Optional benchmarking using TOEIC, TOEFL, Oxford English or similar familiar assessments.

We work with a network of welcoming schools across New Zealand. Most placements are likely to be in Auckland, where there is the greatest concentration of partner schools, but placements in other cities may be possible depending on availability and family preferences. Specific school options are confirmed during the matching stage.

Every visiting student is paired with a buddy in the same classroom. Before arrival, buddies and their classes are introduced to your child's home culture — with simple presentations on your family's customs, food, greetings and school life — so that the welcome is genuine, not improvised.

Three things, in our experience, matter most to families:

• Buddy pairing with cultural preparation — every student is paired with a prepared New Zealand buddy, and classrooms are introduced to the visitor's culture before arrival.
• A travelling workbook — level-aligned Fernway Explorer materials that move with the student between classes, with sample copies available to parents in advance.
• The companion app — Fernway Connect keeps parents, students, homestays and schools coordinated through translated messaging and live updates.

Student safety and wellbeing are central to everything we do. Support includes:

• Accredited homestays with clear expectations for care and supervision.
• Pastoral oversight and ongoing check-ins to support wellbeing.
• Emergency communication systems and clear escalation processes.
• Supervisor support throughout the programme.
• The parent communication app with translation functionality, supporting transparency and reassurance.

Full policies and procedures documentation is available to families on request.

Homestays are accredited and briefed before each placement. We meet families, check references, review home environments, and prepare hosts on language support, dietary considerations and cultural sensitivities specific to each visiting student.

Fernway maintains 24/7 contact channels and clear escalation procedures shared with families before departure. Homestays and schools both have direct access to our supervisor team, and parents are kept informed at every step through the companion app.

Both short-term and longer-term immersion pathways are available. Shorter options include holiday camps and themed Innovation Camp weeks; longer-term pathways combine school immersion with cultural and outdoor activities across one or more terms.

Buddy participation is available throughout, so students stay connected even when activities change.

The programme is open to any international student between the ages of 7 and 18, from any country. Whether you're a primary school student stepping into a New Zealand classroom for the first time, or a senior student preparing for university, there's a place for you in the Fernway programme.

Placements consider age, English confidence, school suitability, and the support available through buddies and workbook materials. If you're unsure whether your child is the right fit for a particular pathway — School Immersion, Innovation Camps or Sports Pathways — please get in touch → and we'll advise.

Our Sports Pathways are structured in three stages:

• Readiness — pre-departure English (general and sport-specific), visa guidance, and orientation.
• Settling — orientation in New Zealand, financial literacy, community integration.
• Thriving — housing assistance, employment support, coaching pathways and competition opportunities.

Sports we support include rugby, football, golf, basketball, cricket, tennis, surfing, rowing and netball. If your sport isn't listed, ask — we may still be able to help.