qssue

Hi all,
I am new on here and will early in the new year be moving to Auckland with my husband and children aged 3 and 7. I am currently in the process of securing a job in central Auckland and need to sort out a house to rent and a school for the 7 year old. She is very very bright, latest school report showing that she is reading as a 9 year old and in everything else where she should be at the end of next year. Has anyone any advice on schooling, I dont mind a contributory school, but could probably not afford full private fees for both of them. Thank you

Woodlea

The good thing here is that they still stream kids, at least they do around here, so the brighter kids aren't held back by the less bright. Hopefully they do that in Auckland too, good luck

maddalenna

Hi – you should find a good range of options for your daughter in Auckland. The best advice is to visit schools and discuss your daughter’s needs with the Principals. Consider the ethos of the school, their aims and objectives and have a bank of questions ready. Just like the UK you will come across good quality and poor quality in state schools. You should be able to locate a state school that has a programme for gifted and talented children – be very specific with your expectations. Why pay if you don’t have to?
NZ is working to national standards now which has both positive and negative consequences – ask if the school works to the ‘Value Added’ model which reflects upon a child’s individual ability and their individual achievement within the academic year. As a Deputy Head in the UK I was responsible for the Assessment & the Gifted and Talented programmes within our school - the Value Added assessment process respects individual ability and achievement, irrespective of any statutory measure.
My 5 year old son was in a difficult position when we arrived as he had just completed his Reception Year in the UK. He started in a New Entrants class here in NZ and it became very clear that he was at least a year ahead of his peers in relation to Literacy & Numeracy skills. We really had to search for a school that was willing to accommodate his needs. We did find one! If you have any specific questions I will be happy to help if I can. (I have been teaching here 3 years so have a little background knowledge that may help) Good luck.

alanmacc

You can put it down to the style of learning that will be applied as well, my daughters school works on reggio learning, I was skeptical of it at first but now seeing if working I am a great fan of it

Not a fan however of national standards or as they like to call them aspirational standards my daughter is at the top reading level she is allowed to be at for 7 years old and is rereading previous books as they are not actually allowed to move them to a much higher level but now are focusing in the actual comprehension and literacy of the books and how to interpret them ....

Cool rules me out with helping with homework ...

qssue

Thank you both for your advice. I will be contacting you again with further questions if you don't mind of course.

Thanks again

Sue

mattressstx

Hi...I think you have to make a deep investigation on the local schools to choose the best one for your child. Ask your neighbors for the same where their children are going to study and visit the school personally for better understanding. I hope you will get the best one. Best of luck!!!!!

luvwelly

That's ridiculous. You need to raise this with the Headteacher. There are no absolutes in life on issues like this, just individuals who lack imagination and commonsense.
Yes, her comprehension and ability to write written answers about age 7 level texts may still need some work but that is no reason to hold her back from reading at the appropriate (higher) level.

Bev MK

I went to an inner London state primary in the 70s when wacky education theories were rife and my dad was concerned when I came home one day with a note saying that my parents had to go for a parent-teacher meeting about a problem with me. Subject of meeting? That I was reading books that weren't on the school reading list (I'd finished the whole school reading list at 6) and would they please stop me reading extra books! My dad, quite rightly, laughed at them and told them he'd let me read as much as I wanted. The teacher then complained that my dad wasn't supporting my education. Dad politely told them to stuff it and continued to subvert the system by letting me have library books out on his card as the local council was very limiting in what you could have on a child's card - (eg the Hobbit but not the Lord of the Rings but I'd read the Hobbit and wanted to read the sequel) Education departments go through phases of these mad ideas, kids who like reading will still just read what they want and parents will support them in that.