johnht

From what I've heard and read the NZ school system is more flexible with the age of children in a school year class, e.g. they can repeat a year if the school doesn't think they're ready to move up. But I would guess there must be some 'default' age vs school year standard. So my question is either what age would you expect a child to be starting year 9, or if a child was 13 in June in which year would he start the following February (when he is 13y7m)?
Thanks John.

rossojo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_New_Zealand
this may help

johnht

Thanks Rossojo, that kind of helps, especially the bit ..."The last year of primary schooling is Year 8, and students must vacate Year 8 by the end of the school year after their 14th birthday (although most students are 12-13 when they transition to secondary school). " Though that still seems to me to be a range of at least two years, say, 12 and a half to 14 and a half. My oldest will be just over 13 and a half next Feb, so would probably start year 9, though he might be old enough for year 10.
I'm wondering how to tie our moving date in with school term dates, I'm not sure it would be a good idea if say we were to emigrate in September and he'd then have a term or so at an intermediate school followed by a change to secondary, however if he was old enough then a September move would let him get settled in a year 9 class before starting year 10 in Feb.
John.

Lejamez

Johnht,

If you have in an idea of the area and possible school he will attend, just email the school, giving DOB and his current year, and ask any questions you have. I have found that any of the ones I've contacted have been quick and very helpful.

P18PPS

My advise would be don't over-think when to come based on academic years as children tend to find their feet quicker than adults. Although children can repeat years and there are more composite years (certainly in the primary area), the general rule is April is cut off for the academic year. Children born in May onwards will go into a year zero class as they reach their 5th birthday for the remainder of that year (ie until December), then in February they start in year 1.

Children born in Dec, Jan, Feb, March and April normally don't get any time in a year zero class and will join the year 1 class the day they turn 5 (although these are the children who are most likely be held back a year by their parents who think they would benefit from the extra time in year zero)..... but they will get extra time in a 4 year old programme at a pre-school or kindie.

I've had children go through the uk system and the nz - personally I really like the set up over here as it gives children plenty of time to settle in and they are only the "new kid" for the few days it takes for the next 5 year old to join.

The transition of primary/intermediate to college is a big one - we've gone through it this year, and it is a steep learning curve for everyone. It's worth noting that there are a lot of "primary" schools who have a combined "intermediate" years onsite, from our experience if you can find a true intermediate school for your child to go to then this is a huge benefit and certainly makes the giant leap to college more tolerable.

simonsi

Didn't work for us as the intermediate was 1500 kids - and only Yrs 7 & 8...I-m sure 1/2 the kids were permanently educationally lost, they couldn't have whole school assemblies for example...

bourbon-biscuit

Yes, I don't agree with those comments about 'full primaries' v 'intermediates' for preparing kids for college/high school. I've got experience with full primaries and I think they offer kids the chance to do a lot of maturing in a supportive environment and I think this better prepares them for high school- socially and emotionally as well as academically.

Intermediates can be odd environments with all the kids just two years apart in those formative adolescent years with no older role models and no opportunities to take leadership roles with younger kids. I think kids do well when they have the opportunity to mix with kids of many ages and intermediates don't offer this- they can even feel like holding pens for high school. The full primaries round here often take in the casualties of the intermediate schools- the kids who have been bullied or are just overwhelmed by the issues of peer groups of that age without the context of older and younger kids. I've only seen kids do really well transitioning to high from full primaries, apart from one very bright kid who was academically a little bored but in fairness that probably would have been the case at any school and at least she had minimal opportunity to go off the rails and hang with the wrong crowd, which would be more likely at a large impersonal intermediate.

Just my 2c

P18PPS

Interesting - my experience was one of surprise when ours reached year 7 and she was being bussed off-site to the nearest intermediate school twice a week in order to make use of their facilities. We found that the primary school only catered for classroom based learning and all the specialist subjects - technology, woodwork, metal, cookery etc had to be done off-site, which meant loosing around 2 hours a week just being transported from each site. By comparison the intermediates seem to be a good introduction into the college way of doing things. We encountered all sorts of problems when we entered college - with the benefit of hindsight some of which were a direct cause of being in a "fluffy loving primary" environment - it was just too much of a shock to go from this onto college. It's worth noting also that, for us, the idea of school assembly is abandoned anyway by the time they're at college - they have a year group assembly but not the whole school.

bourbon-biscuit

Yes, it's common for them to be bussed to local intermediates/colleges for technology, which includes 'cooking' in old style tech. One of the primaries I worked in this did mean a 35min each way bus journey but the kids didn't just learn 'technology' while there- they also learned how to cope with the differing demands of a range of teaching staff as well as how to conduct themselves as a group in a different environment and how to manage small things like finding classrooms on a large campus. It also gave them the opportunity to make links with kids from other full primaries as they shared the sessions, as well as presenting leadership roles for those tasked with being bus monitors etc. Lots of non-curriculum learning happened on those mornings I always thought.

The full primary I'm involved in now is part of a 'cluster' which get together for sports days etc. Also the local high has a very good initiative whereby the kids in the full primaries come in to the high school one day per term for years 7 & 8 (so they get 8 days) and rotate around different faculties- so they have a sports day, a science day, a languages day etc. This gives the kids valuable insight into college life and to build links with the teaching staff, something that is not offered the local intermediate kids. At our primary the yr 8 house captains run the weekly celebration assembly in its entirety in front of the whole school, staff and parents.

I'm sorry your kid found it hard- I think for some kids it just is, but I don't think that's down to intermediates preparing kids for high school/college better than full primaries; I think the best option for each child depends on both the child and the local provision. The decision I made for my older daughter may not be the one I make for her younger sister- I will wait and see what seems best at the time.

johnht

I'm hoping our oldest will go into yr10 from Feb (at 13yrs 7mth) and maybe have a term of yr9 first, depending on when we arrive. As he's already made the transition to a UK grammar school almost two years ago it would be strange putting him down into a year 8 at intermediate, just to change schools the next term again.
John.

Psychopandy

This may help, may not but i will give you the benefit of my experience anyway x
We arrived in Jan 2010 with 2 boys - our oldest had turned 12 in the december just before we left. he had started high school in the Uk (year 7) and had completed one full term in a good, large (1,200 pupils) catholic high school (we arent religious though) and he had thrived there. Then we moved !!
He is a bright lad and we were unsure which year group he would move into when we arrived - wasnt sure of the school year age grouping (think thats your problem also) but on arrival he went into year 8. This was down to his birthdate - in the UK he was amongst the oldest but here he is among the youngest. We had considered trying to 'bump him up' but in the end decided this wasnt going to be a good move long term.
On arrival we settled in Cambridge and he attended the middle school there - no alternatives unless you used the 1 (out of town) primary that accommodates years 7 & 8 or paid to go privately to St Peters. We looked into the primary route but he felt like it was taking a step back - like going back to primary school and he didnt want to do that.
So he went to the middle school. This was a better environment for him than the primary setting but was a world away from the high school he had just left - and was the one thing that i had panic attack about after we had arrived - 'oh my god what have we done to him, ruined his life.... ' you will understand haha x and unfortunately Cambridge middle didnt do anything to change my feelings and my lad even said that he wasnt getting any stimulation from the school - basically he wanted to learn and they werent teaching him anything - that was heartbreaking.
Then in July last year - we moved to Tauranga - major upheaval again, another school, house, friends. More worries over whether it was the right thing to do right time to do it etc. but we did - we didnt have anything to loose really.
So he went to Tauranga intermediate for the second half of year 8. the intermediate school here is amongst the largest in NZ and is a highly regarded school. They have programmes to help clever kids aswell as the not so clever - and this was a boon for my lad as he, at last, felt like he was learning again. After some confusion to start with we got him tested and he was admitted onto the gifted and talented programme and was in a class with other kids that he could relate to and who 'understood' him - that may sound odd but when you have a kid who is bright, to have other kids who are their intelectual equal in a class with them - they thrive off each other. and he did. He was happy and settled and despite my many initial concerns made new friends and was content.
In February this year (age 13 and 2 months) he moved into the Tauranga Boys College Accelerate programme (year 9) with a group of lads he had been at the Intermediate with. He is now back in an environment like he had before we left the UK.
I can understand your concerns and worries and they will not go away for a while i promise you but speak with the schools in the area that you are hoping to settle in. If you arent forced to - dont make any decisions until you are on the ground - and then go pay them all a visit, meet the principal, teachers if possible, take a walk through the school - we managed to visit all the schools (primary and middle) during the christmas holidays so we had the chance to make a decision and go buy uniform, stationery etc so the boys were ready at the start of the february term.
If your lad is a bright one, ask what they can do to promote that, dont just take whats on offer - ask - it doesnt hurt! lots of schools have gifted programmes or digital classes (leaning via computers) - Cambridge middle had neither.
But also be aware that most of the schools here are very sporty. If you put your young man in a class that is a year above where he is in age because academically he needs to be - he may always be on the back foot on the sports field - as his peers will be bigger than him - not an issue for my lad as they are all bigger than him even in the year group he should be haha.
I asked him a couple of weeks ago - as he had done almost the same amount of time at the boys college as at the high school in the UK, which he thought would give him the best education in the end - his answer:-
" well i wont be able to learn the languages like i could in the UK (they just dont seem to get it here that not the whole world speaks english or Maori) but the science is good and i enjoy it - and i will definately be a lot fitter when i leave this school than the one in the UK" bless him xx

Hope this helps xx
Best of luck with the move and try not to lose to much sleep over it, it will drive you mental if you do.

Psycho xx

bourbon-biscuit

Not quite- there is also St Peters Catholic in town that takes yr 7&8. The school you refer to out of town isn't the only out of town 'full primary' in the area either.


Erm, again, not sure where you get this from! Cambridge middle has TWO digital classes, a GATE pod and an Arts Academy Class! I know several very G&T students well catered for there.


Our local high- Cambridge High- offers Maori, French, German and Japanese right through to NCEA levels.

FWIW, I don't use Cambridge Middle or Cambridge High for my own reasons but they are both highly regarded schools and I think you've really misrepresented them here. I'm very glad you found somewhere that suits your son though, that's the important thing in the end!

Psychopandy

As my son actually went to the school and we spoke with the principal we were told that while there HAD been digital classes - they didn't offer them anymore and the gate programme was none existent - you must have different sources to the principal there. I am only telling MY experiences and that of MY son - I didn't say it was a rubbish school - just that in comparison to what we had before and after - both MY son and I found it lacking in lots of ways- not all, but enough!!

Sorry you took offence - but then someone on here always does!

bourbon-biscuit

I didn't take offence. I corrected you on some misinformation (or out of date) you were feeding forward. I bore you no grudge and wished you well, there's no need for the narky reply psycho.

P18PPS

There are def pros and cons to every decision you make and nothing will ever be a perfect scenario when arriving and integrating into a new school system.

Don't make your decision to come over purely based on what you perceive to be the best time for your child - they really do eventually find their feet.

Research all options once you get here - don't just rely on heresay and rumours - by all means ask the locals what they do with their kids, but don't do what we did and became a bit of a sheep following the local community and what they perceived to be best - investigate EVERYTHING.