Thames High School

What Thames High School does

Thames High School is a New Zealand state secondary school located at 300 Sealey Street, Thames, on the Coromandel Peninsula. Established in 1880 and governed by the Thames High School Board of Trustees under the New Zealand Ministry of Education, the school delivers the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) to students in Years 9 through 13. The institution is staffed by 42 employees and operates from a single campus. Its core product is a comprehensive secondary education programme built on the New Zealand Curriculum, with co-curricular offerings including more than 30 sporting codes, outdoor education (kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, white water rafting), cultural activities (music, drama, Kapa Haka, debating), the Gateway vocational programme, and ESOL support.

The school operates a dual go-to-market: direct enrollment for domestic New Zealand families and a dedicated international student programme marketed globally via a separate enrollment portal. International student tuition is structured into four tiered packages (1 to 4 terms) ranging from NZD 9,155 to NZD 34,040 inclusive of tuition, administration, homestay accommodation at NZD 320 per week, and a personal school account. Recruited international cohorts have included students from Germany, China, Japan, Vietnam, Colombia, and Chile. Pastoral services are provided by an International Programme Manager (Pauline Managh) and a Homestay Coordinator (Justina Lardner-Burke), with airport collection, homestay placement, buddy tutoring, and orientation support.

The business model is non-commercial: revenue is derived primarily from Ministry of Education operational grants with international student fees as a secondary stream. No financial figures are publicly disclosed. Marketing is conducted through the official website, Facebook ('Thames-High-School-Events-and-Celebrations'), Instagram ('thameshighinternational'), email newsletters (Pānui), and the Education Review Office (ERO) public reports. The technology stack is described as standard New Zealand secondary school infrastructure with no proprietary features, APIs, integrations, or AI capabilities.

Name

Thames High School

Legal name

Thames High School Board of Trustees

Website

https://thameshigh.school.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Thames High School is a New Zealand state secondary school in Thames, Coromandel Peninsula, delivering NCEA-based education to Years 9-13 domestic students and a tiered international student programme with homestay and ESOL support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Overseas Boarding School Enrollment & Placement (EDAIAHAA), Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• NCEA qualification
• International student program
• Outdoor education
• Boarding and homestay

Headquarters

HQ city

Thames

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Thames High School is a New Zealand state secondary school delivering full-time secondary education for Years 9-13, including the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualification across Levels 1-3. Its offering combines academic curriculum with co-curricular programmes such as 30+ sporting codes, outdoor education in the Coromandel Peninsula, cultural activities (music, drama, Kapa Haka, debating), and an International Student Programme with ESOL support, homestay accommodation, and pastoral care for overseas students.

Product overview

Thames High School offers a comprehensive secondary education programme as a single unified educational service spanning Years 9-13. The core offering consists of the NCEA qualification programme (Levels 1-3), supplemented by specialised tracks including the International Student Programme with ESOL support, the Outdoor Education Programme featuring adventure activities in the Coromandel Peninsula, and the Gateway Programme for vocational learning. The school also provides extensive co-curricular activities through its 30+ sporting codes and cultural programme (music, drama, Kapa Haka, debating, art). Students can prepare for NCEA qualifications alongside participation in sports, outdoor education, and cultural activities as integrated components of the overall educational experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education Programme (Years 9-13) Full secondary education programme for students in Years 9 through 13, following the New Zealand Curriculum and preparing students for NCEA qualifications.
• NCEA Qualification Programme National Certificate of Educational Achievement (Levels 1-3) programme, a globally recognised secondary school qualification, along with National Certificate of Employment Skills and National Certificate of Computer Studies.
• International Student Programme Comprehensive programme for international students including ESOL support, buddy tuition programme, airport collection, homestay placement, and orientation services for students from around the world.
• Gateway Programme Vocational programme providing workplace learning opportunities and industry connections for senior students.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ACG (Academic Colleges Group): Major NZ private education group operating multiple schools across Auckland offering Cambridge and IB curricula. Comparable in targeting international students in NZ, but at significantly larger scale and with broader curriculum offerings.
• Scots College: Established Wellington private school offering both NCEA and Cambridge curricula with international boarding. Comparable international education offering but as a private institution with boarding infrastructure that Thames High School's homestay model lacks.

Others

• IDP Education: Global education placement agency that places international students (including from NZ's source markets) into overseas schools. Relevant as an upstream channel partner/intermediary that influences Thames High School's international student pipeline rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Auckland Grammar School: Large New Zealand state secondary school for boys with a long-established international student programme. Directly comparable to Thames High School in offering NCEA to international students with homestay and pastoral support, but at much larger scale.
• Westlake Boys High School: Large Auckland state secondary school with a substantial international student programme. Comparable in operating model and NCEA delivery, though competing in an urban catchment with stronger brand recognition than Thames High School.
• Hamilton Boys' High School: Large NZ state secondary school with an established international programme including ESOL and homestay. Comparable to Thames High School in product (NCEA + international student packages) but with broader resources and a Waikato-based catchment.
• Rotorua Boys' High School: Regional NZ state secondary school with a long-standing international student programme attracting students primarily from Asia and Latin America. Directly comparable in scale and in combining NCEA delivery with international recruitment and homestay services.
• Lynfield College: Auckland-based coeducational state secondary school with an active international student programme and ESOL support. Comparable to Thames High School in serving international and domestic students through NCEA, though with a larger urban catchment.
• Mount Maunganui College: NZ state coeducational secondary school in the Bay of Plenty region offering NCEA and a well-established international student programme with homestay. Closely comparable in operating model (state school + international fees) but in a higher-growth coastal catchment.
• Tauranga Boys' College: NZ state secondary school in the Bay of Plenty with international student offerings. Comparable as a regional NZ state school competing for the same international student pool Thames High School targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Thames-High-School-Events-and-Celebrations-1470217159904108
• Instagraminstagram.com/thameshighinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thames-high-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thames High School