Associate Education Minister David Seymour has announced Mastery Schools New Zealand - Arapaki, a partner school of Mastery Schools Australia (MSA), will open its doors at the beginning of term one.
"This announcement is a significant step in the government's efforts to lift educational achievement in New Zealand," he said.
"Charter schools will make New Zealand's education system more flexible and responsive to family and student needs."
Seymour said MSA provided another option for students who were disengaged from the state system, and "the results speak for themselves".
"Student achievement in reading, mathematics and spelling occurred considerably faster than average. Attendance was 82 percent averaged across all campuses while students progressed faster than average in reading, mathematics and spelling."
The Charter School Authorisiation Board oversaw 78 applications in the first round.
"This is just the beginning. I hope to see many more new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting to become charter schools," Seymour said.
Discussions with other charter school applicants are continuing and more schools are expected to be announced shortly.
Schools which will not be among the first to open will have an opportunity to be reconsidered next year, Seymour said.
MSA has opened five campuses since 2021.
The new one in Christchurch will be a full-time school for year one to eight students who have various learning difficulties and were disengaged from mainstream schooling, Seymour said.
ACT introduced charter schools to New Zealand in 2014 under the then-John Key National government.
They were abolished when Labour came to power in 2017 and became 'special character' state schools.
