School experience / English / Culture · Thames, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
Evakona Thames Parent and Child Course
A family stay combining the child’s local primary-school immersion with optional private English lessons for the parent.
- Ages / grades
- Primary school: 5–13; ages 5 and 13 require consultation
- Duration
- Minimum 2 weeks; 2–4-week examples published
- Attendance
- Parent accompanies
- Language
- English; beginners; Japanese support Teaching language and starting level
Weekly starts · check availability
Current course operates February–November outside New Zealand school holidays. 2026 fees verified; exact placement dates and 2027 rates/intakes require confirmation. Japan’s July–August break can overlap NZ school term, but December–January winter break does not fit this course.
- By arrangement · Feb–Nov school terms; placement dates by arrangement Sources and official information
Overlapping holiday tags help you browse broadly. School breaks vary; check the stated year, actual dates and duration.
Sources checked ·Who can apply
The official family course accepts visiting international families; prior enrolment at the host school or local residence is not required.
Primary school 5–13, with ages 5/13 placed by consultation; minimum 2 weeks in school terms. Parent accompanies and remains responsible outside school; host-school acceptance and suitable insurance are required.
Teaching language and starting level
| Item | Published information |
|---|---|
| Instruction / activity language | Mainstream New Zealand school classes in English; optional individual English lessons for the parent. |
| Required starting proficiency | Little or no English is accepted; teachers may use translation tools and Evakona coordinates first-day and adjustment support. |
| Japanese-language support | Officially offers dedicated Japanese staff throughout the stay, first-day orientation and liaison with the school. This does not mean every school lesson has an interpreter. |
| Chinese-language support | Chinese-speaking staff or interpretation for this course has not been verified. |
| Korean-language support | Korean-speaking staff or interpretation for this course has not been verified. |
A translated website does not establish on-site language support. Reconfirm support tied to particular staff or weeks.
Included costs and the family budget
| Item | Published details |
|---|---|
| Published base price, to confirm | NZD 4,994Approx. ¥442,000 Mandatory extras / tax to confirm |
| People covered | 1 parent + 1 primary child; ages 5 and 13 require consultation |
| Duration and edition | 2 weeks · 2026 published estimate; not a 2027 quote |
| Accommodation | Lodging included |
| Included in this amount | Parent English, materials, child school placement/registration/tuition, family support, accommodation arrangement and two-person homestay with three meals daily, per the matching itemized 2026 sheet. |
| Extra / to confirm | Flights, insurance, local transport and spending; airport taxi NZ$400 (Approx. ¥35,000) each way per family of up to three, plus applicable surcharges. Teacher aide and dietary supplements may add costs. |
| Fee source | Evakona · official 2026 family estimate2026-10-04 |
Verified refundable deposits are separate from programme fees. They are not the same as booking deposits or non-refundable registration charges.
Additional fee notes
2026 published estimate: NZ$4,994 (Approx. ¥442,000) for one parent and one primary-school child, two weeks with homestay; NZ$3,294 (Approx. ¥291,000) with no accommodation arrangement. Flights, insurance, transfers and conditional extras remain additional. An agent-hosted provider itemization reconciles exactly to NZ$4,994 (Approx. ¥442,000).
JPY estimates use 2 October 2026 reference rates, normally rounded to ¥1,000, with whole-yen values near filter boundaries. Payment rates and fees differ. Rates and sources
What the days look like
Local school approximately 8:55 am–3 pm, around 20–30 children per class. Parents may take 5 or 10 private lessons weekly, 55 minutes each.
Parents, accommodation and transport
Parent and child can share a homestay; self-contained units or independently arranged motel/cottage stays are alternatives. The quoted two-week option includes homestay. From Tokyo, allow a long-haul journey to Auckland and onward ground travel to Thames.
Why it is in this guide
The parent and child have different learning settings, then share everyday life with a host family.
Who it may suit
Families able to spend at least two weeks abroad, particularly children who would benefit from local classroom experience with Japanese-language coordination.
What to weigh up
This is term-time school experience. School holidays, host availability and the child’s support needs constrain dates. The cited total is an estimate.
Operating history and evidence
A recent provider-selected parent story supports actual primary-age participation. The independent parent account located concerns a different campus, infants and a 2019 stay, so current Thames primary-course review evidence is sparse.
Read participant accounts
Operator-published account · Published / experience date: 2026-09-04
Father with two primary-school sons
Describes local school participation and family homestay, including communication with hosts despite limited English.
Selected and published by Evakona; no independent verification or exact travel dates.
Read the sourceIndependent account · Published / experience date: 2020-03-19
Asahi GLOBE+ parent’s first-person account
A mother describes studying at Evakona and relying on a host who also provided childcare.
2019 Whitianga stay with infants, not the current Thames primary-school course; unsuitable as a current course rating.
Read the sourceIndependent account · Published / experience date: 2020-04-30
Asahi GLOBE+ follow-up on homestay difficulties
The same parent describes a required host change after childcare expectations strained the arrangement.
One historical infant-family experience, updated 13 May 2020; illustrates why care boundaries need agreement, not a current failure-rate claim.
Read the sourceBefore you book
Confirm school, dates, placement conditions and any teacher-aide charge before travel. Medical/travel insurance is required. Under-10 international school pupils must live with a parent/legal guardian unless in an approved school hostel. Visitor-visa school study can be limited to one period of up to three months per calendar year; verify the family’s own visa position.
Cancellation and refunds
Evakona requires written cancellation. Before commencement: NZ$500 cancellation plus non-refundable NZ$300 registration and confirmed arrangements. For courses up to 12 weeks, withdrawal within the first five days also loses first-week tuition; later withdrawal has no cash refund, with unused tuition credited for two years. The child’s host school has its own conditions. Homestay changes require 14 days’ notice; unapproved early departure is non-refundable.
Sources and official information
Sources checked ·
- Evakona · current Parent and Child Course
- Evakona · official 2026 family estimate, linked from provider price page
- Evakona · price page linking public fee folder
- Evakona-branded itemized 2026 fees, May 2025 revision (agent-hosted)
- Evakona · general conditions
- NZQA · under-10 school accommodation rule
- Immigration NZ · short-term school study
- NZ Ministry of Education · term dates and holidays
- Father with two primary-school sons
- Asahi GLOBE+ parent’s first-person account
- Asahi GLOBE+ follow-up on homestay difficulties
An editorial comparison based on official information and attributed agency or media sources, not first-hand reviews, rankings or a safety guarantee. Match the school calendar, language needs, independence and the adults’ plans together.