About Us

Why Choose Canterbury College?

Canterbury College

Canterbury College is a private training establishment founded in 1988 that provides education of the highest quality in a supportive and professional environment. Our two multi-cultural, international campuses are located in Christchurch; one in Westfield Riccarton Mall and the other in the Central City.

Canterbury College is a Category 2 Training Provider.

Canterbury College Code of Practice Review – Please click here

We Teach English

Why Canterbury College?

Learn English online and face-to-face

Over 30 years experience

Learn in Small groups

Very experienced Trainers

Free for New Zealand Residents & Citizens

Support for learners with refugee or Migrant Backgrounds

Domestic Students

Traditionally, international students have come to New Zealand to study at our friendly campuses and reach their goals with help from qualified and experienced staff, in student-centred classes. 

However, we have recently recalibrated our focus towards providing quality education, valuable skills, and opportunities to the domestic market, especially people of a refugee or migrant background.

Experienced Teachers

Our teachers and support staff are highly qualified, and many hold internationally-recognised qualifications in teaching English as a foreign language and our business diploma tutors offer expert knowledge in their fields.

Our members of staff are culturally diverse and have a wealth of experience internationally in a wide variety of disciplines. With these skills and experience, our team has created a safe and supportive learning environment, ensuring students receive ample emotional, spiritual, and physical welfare, while progressing in their studies.

Canterbury College Mission statement

“Canterbury College is a high-quality provider of learner-centred education and training for learners of English as an additional language, which actively promotes positive outcomes both for international learners and for under-served local communities, and enhances multi-cultural harmony amongst ākonga, kaiako & kaimahi within the multi-cultural kaupapa of Aotearoa New Zealand.”

“Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou

Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing

Canterbury College

Strategic Goals:

Your Dream. Our Vision for Learner success .

We Believe In Success for Our Learners

Canterbury College places the learner at the centre of its activities in a socially & culturally safe and inclusive environment for which all stakeholders are responsible. The college aspires to support learners to achieve their full potential in terms of their successful resettlement and integration into Aotearoa New Zealand society via the promotion of the acquisition of skills, particularly English language, whilst promoting and advocating for their own diverse identities so as to enhance mutual understanding and celebrate difference.
Strategic Goals for learner success

Canterbury College will ensure that:

    • the ākonga/learner voice is always seen as central to informing Canterbury College’s strategic direction and day-to-day operations
    • it offers a safe and inclusive environment for all stakeholders primarily ākonga, and understands, respects and celebrates diversity and is free from racism, discrimination and bullying and other forms of prejudice
    • it actively encourages the culture of co-governance and understands that by placing Ti Tiriti o Waitangi at the centre of its relationships with stakeholders it can embed mātauranga Māori in order to support learner health and wellbeing
    • it works with all stakeholders including and primarily ākonga to reduce any barriers to learning, including digital barriers, and to provide robust foundation skills for life and learning, including language, literacy/oracy and numeracy
    • it has high aspirations for all of its ākonga, both in terms of their learning and career aims and their cultural and spiritual wellbeing and safety
    • kaimahi/staff will continue to develop their teaching and leadership and intercultural competency in order to support ākonga to achieve their full potential.

Canterbury College:
Free Study is Available for NZ Residents

Meet Our Partners

we Work Closely With The Following

Canterbury College is closely working with a number of government and non-profit organisations.