Enrolment Info

The following information will help you to enrol. It will also help you during your time at RELA. Many of our policies and procedures are explained below.

How to Enrol

Fill in the enrolment form 

1. When we accept your enrolment, we will send you the following:
   ● a letter offering a place.
   ● an invoice telling you how much you need to pay in fees.
   ● information on insurance.
   ● telegraphic transfer details.
2. Send us the money for your fees (including the money for homestay and insurance, if you want this), the correct account details will be on the bottom of your invoice.
3. When we receive your fees we will send you:
   ● A receipt for your payment
   ● A letter of acceptance and guarantee of place
   ● Details of your Homestay family or other accommodation arrangements will be sent to you as soon as possible.
4. Arrange your visa.
   The most up-to-date information about visas can be found on the Immigration New Zealand website.
   You can come to New Zealand to study with a Visitor Visa, a Student Visa or a Working Holiday Visa. If you are only planning to study for 3 months or less, you need only apply for a Visitor Visa or a Working Holiday Visa. For more information, check https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/work/thinking-about-coming-to-new-zealand-to-work/working-holiday-visa and https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/visit If you are planning to study for more than 3 months, you will need to apply for a Student Visa. For more information, check https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/options/study
5.  As soon as you have made your travel bookings:
   Send us the flight number, date and time of your arrival.
   If you paid us for transport, we will meet you at Auckland International Airport and bring you to RELA.

Entry Requirements And Assessment Of Prospective International Students

• RELA offers courses at multiple levels. Students may be asked to take a short test as part of the application process. After enrolment and payment of fees we will send an online placement test. For most students this will be the Oxford Online Placement test https://www.oxfordenglishtesting.com/ If a student does not complete this test before arrival at the school, they will do it on their first morning. This test, along with a short interview on arrival at the school, will help us find the correct class for each student.
• RELA will accept students over 16 years at all times of the year, if they meet our enrolment conditions. 
• It is important that younger students understand that they will likely be in classes with adults, and will be expected to behave accordingly, and show respect to other students and to staff. All students aged under 18 will need to sign our Rules for RELA (Under 18s)
• Students under the age of 18 may need to provide evidence of their school record to prove that their academic standards and attitude to study are good enough to complete a RELA course. Students already studying in New Zealand may also need to provide a progress report before their enrolment is accepted. .
• Students wishing to take examination courses have to show that they can meet the demands of the course. They may be asked to take a pre-entry test.

To apply to study at RELA, fill in our enrolment form, which is easy to understand and simple to fill in.

If your course is for 12 weeks or less, you can study with a visitor’s visa or a working holiday visa. If your course is longer than 12 weeks, you must apply for a student visa before you come to New Zealand.

Full details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through Immigration New Zealand, and can be viewed on their website at http://www.immigration.govt.nz/.

In order for us to process your enrolment registration, please fill in ALL FIELDS within this form. A detailed Accommodation Form should be completed before arrival in New Zealand if you want RELA to arrange a homestay for you.

When we receive your registration, we will contact you to confirm your placement.

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Conditions Of Enrolment

1. Enrolments
1.1 Enrolment is subject to the following conditions and becomes a legal contract on acceptance of a student by Rotorua English Language Academy (RELA).
1.2 Enrolment is confirmed when RELA receives full payment of fees.
1.3 RELA reserves the right to modify its course arrangements and to alter its specifications and fees without prior notice.
1.4 The minimum enrolment is 2 weeks for tuition and 1 week for homestay.
1.5 Enrolment at RELA is subject to the school having a class at the appropriate level for the student. RELA reserves the right to cancel courses and services which do not meet the minimum student number.

2. Fees
2.1 All fees must be received by RELA 14 days before the course commences.
2.2 Non-payment or not having proof of payment may result in withholding of services by RELA.
2.3 In the event of absence or early departure from the course, no refund is possible, unless the conditions of RELA’s Refund Policy are met.
2.4 Students pay for their own textbooks.
2.5 Exam fees for IELTS, TOEIC and Cambridge examinations are an extra cost.
2.6 All tuition fees include the New Zealand Government Goods and Services Tax (GST) – 15%. Any changes to this tax would affect the quoted fees.
2.7 The usual weekly tuition rates apply for weeks where the dates fall on Public Holidays.

 

3. Homestay Accommodation
3.1 Homestay accommodation includes morning and evening meals from Monday to Friday and all meals on weekends and Public Holidays.
3.2 Any requests for cancellations or changes to homestay accommodation must be made to RELA at least 7 days before the cancellation or change. Failure to allow this amount of time may mean an extra payment of 7 days accommodation fee.
3.3 Homestay fees are paid to RELA at the time of enrolment.
3.4. A fee of NZ$30.00 per week is payable to the homestay family to reserve accommodation during a period of absence.
3.5 In arranging homestays RELA acts only as an agent. The student is responsible for providing insurance to cover accident, illness or damage to property which may happen during the student’s stay with the host family.

4. School Rules – see below for a full list of the school rules.
4.1 The rules of RELA are to help the Academy run smoothly and students must keep to these rules as a contractual condition of enrolment.
4.2 Should a student not comply with the Academy rules and the laws of New Zealand, the school reserves the right to expel the student. A student can be expelled because of unacceptable conduct, an unsatisfactory attitude towards work or poor attendance. Any expelled student may forfeit all tuition fees.
4.3 Immigration New Zealand will be informed if a student on a student visa is expelled.

5. Assessment of prospective international students
5.1 RELA offers courses at multiple levels. Students may be asked to take a short test as part of the application process. After enrolment and payment of fees we will send an online placement test. For most students this will be the Oxford Online Placement test https://www.oxfordenglishtesting.com/ If a student does not complete this test before arrival at the school, they will do it on their first morning. This test, along with a short interview on arrival at the school, will help us find the correct class for each student.
5.2 RELA will accept students over 16 years at all times of the year, if they meet our enrolment conditions.
5.3 It is important that younger students understand that they will likely be in classes with adults, and will be expected to behave accordingly, and show respect to other students and to staff. All students aged under 18 will need to sign our Rules for RELA (Under 18s))
5.4 Students under the age of 18 may need to provide evidence of their school record to prove that their academic standards and attitude to study are good enough to complete a RELA course.
5.5 All students already studying in New Zealand may also need to provide a progress report before their enrolment is accepted.
5.6 Students wishing to take examination courses have to show that they can meet the demands of the course. They may be asked to take a pre-entry test.

6. Liability and Insurance
6.1 RELA shall not be liable if the services contracted for cannot be provided for reasons beyond its control.
6.2 RELA reserves the right to change its courses if deemed necessary.
6.3 RELA is not liable for any damage, loss or injury to students or property, however caused, except where this liability is imposed by New Zealand law.
6.4 Students must have suitable Medical and Travel Insurance during their time in New Zealand. The insurance must be supplied by a reputable and established insurer with a credit rating no lower than ‘A’ from Standard and Poors or B+ from AM Best. RELA can purchase for the student from Uni-care insurance suitable for New Zealand circumstances.

7. Minors
RELA recognises that students under 18 need special care and supervision after school. Host families will be asked to provide this.

8. School Closing Dates
RELA is open all year except for New Zealand Public Holidays and the weeks of Christmas and New Year. Please contact the school for the exact dates.

9. School Hours
Morning Classes: 8.30am – 12noon. Monday to Friday
Afternoon Classes: 1.00pm – 3.00pm. Monday to Thursday
Friday 1.00pm – 3.00pm. Students may join the school activity, have free time or do self-study.

10. Change of address
Students must inform the school if they change where they live. Students under 18 must inform the school if their parents’ address changes.

11. Non-disclosure
Students must provide RELA with full information about health, behaviour and learning problems. Failure to do so may result in the termination of the student’s contract to study at RELA.

12. By accepting the conditions of enrolment the student agrees to the free use of their image and written references in RELA promotional material. 

13. Validity
These conditions take effect from 21-08-23 and remain valid until revised by RELA.

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Refund and Fee Protection Policy

Refunds of tuition fees

1. For courses up to and including four weeks and six days
   • Where an international student withdraws within the first two days of the course RELA may keep up to 50 percent of the full amount of any payments made by the student to the school; and must refund the balance to the student
2. For courses of five weeks or more but less than three months
   • Where an international student withdraws within the first five days of the course RELA may keep up to 25 percent of the full amount of any payments made by the student to the PTE for the course; and must refund the balance to the student.
3. For courses of three months or more
   • International students
     • For courses of 3 months or longer, students withdrawing within the first 10 working days of the course will be refunded in full less a deduction for costs incurred by the PTE, up to a maximum of 25% of the fee total paid. RELA will provide to you details of the cost components for the purpose of working out the maximum deductible percentage. In the event of a dispute over the cost component deducted, you can refer the matter to the International Education Appeal Authority
   • Domestic students
     • For courses of 3 months or longer, withdrawals made within the first 8 calendar days of the course will be refunded in full less a deduction of 10% or $500 payable to the PTE, whichever is the lower amount
       
4. Students who withdraw before the course commences will also be subject to the above criteria. That is they will be entitled to a refund less any amounts allowed to be retained by RELA as noted above.
5. If you are under 18, then we will discuss with you, your parents and agent the best way of refunding this money, so that all parties agree.
6. In 1, 2 and 3 above, “withdrawal” means stopping a course totally. If you wish to leave early for personal reasons, or if you are absent, you will receive no refund. If there are compassionate reasons, the Directors may use their discretion. Usually only if a close family member dies, or if you, or a close family member, are seriously ill.
7. You may have extra holidays if the Directors agree. We do not usually agree to holidays in the first three months of the course. We do not refund fees, but the Directors may agree to extend the course by the number of days missed.
8. We do not refund fees for New Zealand public holidays.
9. We do not refund fees if you are asked to leave the school because of misbehaviour or poor attendance.
10. If your student visa is declined, we will refund your fees, less a $250 administration fee.
11. Fees cannot be transferred to any other institution or student.
12. When a refund is made Immigration New Zealand will be informed that you are finishing early. This may affect your visa.

Refund of Homestay Fees

1. If you move out of your Homestay before the end of your contract, the portion of your Homestay fees not already used will be returned to you. The Homestay Placement Fee of $250 cannot be refunded.
2. To have your Homestay Fees returned, you must write to the Directors giving one week’s notice, or pay one week’s fees in lieu of notice.
3. If you cancel your Homestay contract before you move into the Homestay, your fees will be refunded in full, less the Homestay Placement Fee of $250.

Fee Protection Policy

a) Rotorua English Language Academy provides its students with protection against the loss of their fees in the event of insolvency, closure, voluntary withdrawal of a course by RELA or withdrawal of school accreditation.

b) The Academy protects student fees by depositing them in the Trust Account managed by the Public Trust. This is a New Zealand Government guaranteed Student Fee Trust Account, with progressive withdrawal of fees by the school during the student’s course. On arrival in New Zealand, the student is asked to sign an acknowledgment of the operation of his or her Student Fee Trust Account.

In the situations described in a) above, RELA will

1. refund the amount in question to the student (or the student’s parent or legal guardian); or
2. if directed by the student or the Code administrator or the agency responsible for fee protection mechanisms, transfer the amount to another signatory as agreed with the student (or the student’s parent or legal guardian)

This refund policy may be changed by RELA at any time, for example, following changes in NZQA requirements.

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Code Of Practice

The Rotorua English Language Academy (RELA) has agreed to observe and be bound by The Tertiary and International Learners Code of Practice administered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). Copies of the Code are available on request from this institution or from the NZQA website at https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/tertiary-and-international-learners-code/

Immigration :
Full details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through the New Zealand Immigration Service, and can be viewed on their website at www.immigration.govt.nz.

Eligibility for health services :
Most international students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. If you receive medical treatment during your visit, you may be liable for the full costs of that treatment. Full details on entitlements to publicly-funded health services are available through the Ministry of Health, and can be viewed on their website at www.moh.govt.nz.

Accident Insurance :
The Accident Compensation Corporation provides accident insurance for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand, but you may still be liable for all other medical and related costs. Further information can be viewed on the ACC website at www.acc.co.nz.

Medical and Travel Insurance :
International students must have appropriate and current medical and travel insurance while studying in New Zealand

A summary of RELA’s annual review of the Code can be found at 2024 Annual Review Code of Practice.

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RELA Attendance Policy

1. All students are required to be at school for 100% of the hours that they have enrolled for.
2. If students are late for school, they will be marked as late in the attendance register.
3. If students arrive after 10.30am, they will be marked as absent.
4. If students leave school at 10.30am, they will be marked as absent.
5. In the afternoons, if a student arrives or leaves at 2.00pm, they will be marked as absent.
6. All students who wish to be absent must phone or come to the office.
7. if you miss class because you are sick, you will be marked as absent unless you get a signed medical certificate from a New Zealand registered GP.
8. If students want to take a holiday, they must first come to the office and ask permission. If they do not, they will be marked as absent.
   • If students are under 18, they must get written permission from their parents to take a holiday.
   • Students on a student visa can only take a holiday after they have studied for more than 12 weeks. They can then only take two weeks holiday for every 12 weeks they have studied.
9. If your attendance falls below 90%, you will receive an Attendance Warning Letter.
10. If your attendance does not improve, you will receive a First Warning Letter, followed by a Second Warning Letter.
11. If your attendance continues to be unacceptable, you will receive an Expulsion Notice. If this happens, you will be withdrawn from your course and will need to leave the school and your homestay. If you are on a Student Visa, Immigration NZ will be notified. Your visa may be cancelled.

 

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RELA’s School Rules

We want all of you to have an incredible time at RELA, to do well in your studies and to make new friends from all around the world. The following rules will help us achieve these goals and also help to make the school a pleasant place for everyone to study in. All of our rules are based upon the concept of showing respect for everyone, including you!

1. Respect for others – All students need to respect other students’ personal and religious beliefs and cultural differences, and their right to study
2. Attendance – RELA requires 100% attendance for ALL students regardless of the visa they hold. If you don’t come to class, you can’t learn. If you repeatedly fail to come to class, you will be issued with a warning. If you have a student visa, Immigration New Zealand will be advised. Your actual attendance is printed on your Leaving Report.
3. Punctuality – Be ready to start your classes on time. It is very disruptive to your classmates and teachers (and to your learning) if you arrive late for class. If you know you are going to be late or absent, please phone the school on 07 349 0473 so we know where you are and that you are okay.
4. Leaving Class – It is not okay to leave class part way through. It disrupts the lesson for everyone involved. If you do need to leave the class for a reason, you need to leave your phone on the table.
5. Use English – You need to make an effort to use English at all times in your classroom and in the student room. If you need to speak your own language outside of the classroom, please go outside.
6. Phones – All phones must be put on the table in front of you during class time. They must be switched to silent and you should not answer your phone if it rings, send/check text messages, or use Facebook or any other form of social media. Phones can only be used as a dictionary during class time and you must be ready to prove to your teacher and your classmates that it is the dictionary you are using. You cannot engage with the people in your class if you are distracted by your phone.
7. Homework – All homework given in class needs to be completed before class the next day. This is part of your student contract. If you do not do your homework, you won’t be able to contribute to the follow-up pair or group work and discussion the following day.
8. Food and Drink – Please do not eat in the classrooms. If you need to have a drink it needs to be in a cup with a lid or in a drink bottle. In the student room and outside, after eating, please put your food and other waste in the bins provided. Do your own dishes and tidy up after you.
9. Smoking/Vaping: – You can only smoke/vape in the smoking area. Please put cigarette butts in the bins provided. Do not throw them on the ground. If you are smoking in your car and get out, please do not throw your butt on the ground. This is littering and very offensive. Please wash your hands with soap before going back to class.
10. Respect for the school – Please look after the school grounds and buildings. Don’t intentionally damage the property and please don’t litter. This includes NOT swinging on your chair, which can damage chairs, tables and walls and cause accidents.
11. New Zealand Laws – You need to follow all New Zealand laws. If you don’t, then you may be asked to leave the school.
12. Driving – All students who have a car/motorbike must come to the office and fill in the Student Cars form. No student aged under 18 can buy/drive or hire a vehicle while a student at RELA

Most importantly, all students need to respect the class community and the learning process. Following these rules will help you do this. You need to contribute your ideas and your attention to your classmates and teachers at all times.

Please note: Senior school management have the right to make the final decision about the interpretation of any of the school rules and act accordingly.

Please note that there are extra  Rules for Students aged Under 18 

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Complaints Procedure

If you have a complaint or a problem, here are some of the things you can do:

If you have a problem, please let us know. You can talk to your teacher, or one of our office staff. You can also talk to the School Director, Chris.

A complaint can be about pastoral care, your class, the premises, your teachers or your homestay. Whatever the complaint, RELA will try to respond to it quickly and effectively. We will keep you informed with what is happening with the complaint.

A summary of complaints received will be published on our website at the end of each year. A copy of this can be requested in writing from english@rela.co.nz

Our school is a member of English New Zealand. If you have a complaint we haven’t been able to resolve, you may wish to write to our professional body and ask for assistance using admin@englishnewzealand.co.nz

If English New Zealand is unable to resolve your problem, or if you do not think your complaint has been dealt with adequately, you can contact the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). You can find more information at https://www2.nzqa.nz/about-us/contact-us/complaint/education-provider/#e10734_heading 1 

If your complaint relates to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021, you can complete an online form at https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/contact-us/complaint/code-of-pastoral-care/ 

If it is a financial or contractual dispute, more information is available from Study Complaints| Ngā amuamu tauira, the combined student contract dispute resolution scheme www.studycomplaints.org.nz  Email: help@studycomplaints.org.nz  Free phone 0800 00 66 75.

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School Counsellors

We have school counsellors available to speak to you in your own language. If you need to talk to one, please come to the office and ask for your counsellor’s phone number.

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Medical Insurance

We require all students to take out Medical and Travel Insurance. RELA staff can arrange this for students through Uni-Care www.uni-care.org.

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Public Holidays

RELA closes on the following Public Holidays. The school will also be closed for 1 – 2 weeks over Christmas and New Year (please contact the school for dates):

2024
New Year’s Day	Monday 01 January
Day Following	Tuesday 02 January
Anniversary Day	Monday 29 January
Waitangi Day	Tuesday 06 February
Good Friday	Friday 29 March
Easter Monday	Monday 01 April
ANZAC Day	Thursday 25 April
King’s Birthday	Monday 03 June
Matariki	Friday 28 June
Labour Day	Monday 28 October
Christmas Day	Wednesday 25 December
Boxing Day	Thursday 26 December

 

2025
New Year’s Day	Wednesday 01 January
Day Following	Thursday 02 January
Anniversary Day	Monday 27 January
Waitangi Day	Thursday 06 February
Good Friday	Friday 18 April
Easter Monday	Monday 21 April
ANZAC Day	Friday 25 April
King’s Birthday	Monday 02 June
Matariki	Friday 20 June
Labour Day	Monday 27 October
Christmas Day	Thursday 25 December
Boxing Day	Friday 26 December

 

2026
New Year’s Day	Thursday 01 January
Day Following	Friday 02 January
Anniversary Day	Monday 26 January
Waitangi Day	Friday 06 February
Good Friday	Friday 03 April
Easter Monday	Monday 06 April
ANZAC Day	Monday 27 April (observed)
King’s Birthday	Monday 01 June
Matariki	Friday 10 July
Labour Day	Monday 26 October
Christmas Day	Friday 25 December
Boxing Day	Monday 28 December (observed)

 The minimum enrolment period is two weeks. All students enrolled for more than 2 weeks must pay for full weeks. This includes students who pay weekly. If you pay weekly, you need to pay for Public Holidays if you choose to be at school that week. This policy applies to each separate occasion a student enrols at RELA. We have this policy so that we can be fair to all students. Long-term students all pay for Public Holidays.