Choosing a school

Before your child starts school you may like to consider;

  • schools that are in the area of where you live. Some schools have a zone in place but may accept a percentage of pupils who are out of zone. Information about school zones can be obtained from the school website or from http://www.schoolzones.co.nz
  • the type of school you would like to send your child to; Composite/Area, Contributing (Years 1-6), Full Primary (Years 1-8), Kura Kaupapa Maori, Integrated, Private School
  • if your child attends kindergarten, playcentre or daycare, what school do the children go to once they turn 5 years old?
  • the quality of education the school provides (this can be obtained from ERO reports www.ero.govt.nz). ERO reports are a guide to the schools strengths and weaknesses
  • talking to other parents and most importantly visiting the school and seeing classes in action will help you determine if the school is likely to meet your child’s needs

Ideas of what you may like to ask when visiting a school:

  • what are the school’s strengths?
  • what is the school’s approach to student behaviour and safety?
  • how does the school support children who have academic, social or emotional difficulties?
  • how does the school encourage and monitor student progress?
  • what are the class sizes?
  • how is technology used to support teaching and learning in the class?
  • what extracurricular opportunities (sport teams, music groups, clubs) are available for children?
  • do you have a walking school bus? How do I join my child up for this?
  • is there childcare available before or after school?
  • is there a Parent Committee? You might like to join this to get to know other parents and to support the school

Things to look for when visiting a school:

  • do the classrooms look bright and an exciting place to learn?
  • is the children’s work displayed?
  • does the teacher seem enthusiastic and knowledgeable, asking questions that stimulate children and keep them engaged?
  • does the principal seem confident and interested in interacting with the children, teachers and parents?
  • how do the children behave as they move from class to class or when playing outside?

 

The decile rating of a school

Deciles are a way in which the Ministry of Education allocates funding to schools. The lower the decile rating the more funding is provided for resources and to support students’ learning needs.

The Ministry of Education says “a schools decile rating indicates the extent to which it draws its students from low socio-economic communities.
Decile 1 schools are the 10% of schools with the highest proportion of students from low socio-economic communities, whereas decile 10 schools are the 10% of schools with the lowest proportion of these students. A decile does not indicate the overall socio-economic mix of the students attending a school or measure the standard of education delivered at a school”

“Children learn best at a school where they are happy”