the turner family

Hi everybody.

Just a quick question which I am sure loads of people will know the answer to....

Our kids are 5 (last month) and 3 (4 in December), can our eldest go to school as soon as we arrive? I.E mid term or will she have to wait untill the start of term or even school year?

We haven't put her on any school lists as we don't know exactly where we will settle and we are not there yet!

We have got our Perm Residency via the Skilled Migrant scheme and hopefully will be making the move really soon.

Thanks again,

Matt and Andrea

Biddy

I'm not 100% sure on this but think that children start school as soon as they are 5.

We have 3 - Rose 7, Max 5 and William 3. The 2 elder are starting at the local primary in term 4 about 2 weeks after we arrive and William will start a year later as soon as he turns 5. He has his 4th birthday about 4 days after we land.

Lisa T

Hi there,

We were told that our children could start school as soon as they wanted, but they are 8 and 6. When I asked what year they'd be in they looked at me blank. Seemingly the children will be assessed and put in to the year group that suits their ability. I was asked "Why would a child move up a year if they don't understand the work just because they have had a birthday?" and somehow that made sense!

Hope this is of use.
Lisa.

shepslady

All children begin school in NZ when they turn 5. School year starts in late January & finishes in December. Christmas break is usually around 6 weeks. School year is broken up into 4 terms & at the end of each term usually 2 weeks vacation before new term starts. Of course they get all the usual stat holidays too (bank holidays to you Brits I think).

So if you arrive in NZ during the normal school year yes your children 5 & above will be expected to start school asap.

Hope this is of some help to you

Cheers

Shepslady

the turner family

Thanks for that and the other replys. Has anyone ever encountered problems with waiting lists for schools? We are hoping to be in the Howick or Beachlands areas.

Thanks again.

Matt and Andrea

shepslady

As far as I remember as long as you live in the area you should be automatically accepted into your local school. Havent heard of waiting lists except in the case of Single sex high schools etc so it shouldnt be a problem for you. Think most schools in NZ now operate a school zone system to eliminate waiting lists etc.

Lisa T

My brother lives in Howick. One of the better schools (decile 10) is called Point View School (primary). I visited it and was really impressed. By all accounts Pigeon Mountain School, Cockle Bay Primary and Bucklands Beach Primary are very desirable and well thought of.

Some of the schools get very full and falls to catchment area (I think NZ called enrolment zone). They still have middle schools from 9-13 in some places.

I rather liked Howick - especially the old village part with some nice small shops and decent beach and general facilities (schooling, clubs for children, sports etc).

We're out in September if all goes to plan, if not only OH is out in September. We may well end up around Howick at first although if finances allow we did like the Eastern Bays (Mission Bay, Kohimarama, St Heliers). Also there are two single sex grammar schools in Auckland - makes the property very expensive if it is in Grammar Zone but obviously some people like a highly academic approach for their childrens schooling.

Hope this is of use........

Lisa.....

the turner family

Hi Lisa,

I've seen the websites for Cockle Bay and Beachlands schools and they do look really good - I just hope that we can afford a property in the catchment areas. We originally thought that we would arrive in NZ with a decent amount of cash as a deposit, but as time has gone on it has become clear that this will NOT be the case! The cost of the immigration process, the cost of shipping, flights etc have all amounted to double we anticipated, and the drop of our house and car asking prices in order to sell quickly have left us several grand poorer!

Never mind, I'm sure that it'll all be worth it in the end! I suppose that the conclusion is that a smaller house in a good catchment area is better than a larger one which is not close to the good schools.

Thanks for the info.

Andrea

salmey

You have to start school in nz by the time you are 6 legally. Going by my daughters school your son would go in to a reception type class as he is starting in the middle of the year and then move in to year one feb next year - of course this may be different in you area.

shepslady

Legally that may be so but for someone not to start their child in school until 6 would put them behind others the same age. I can honestly say I dont know anyone who kept their children out of school until they turned 6. Personal opinion only but I would think seriously about doing so if I were you.

the turner family

In Spain, the kids can start school the year they are 3, so my son has already had a year of school and is only 3 1/2! It will be a bit of a shame for him to go back to pre-school as he was doing so well. My daughter who is just 5 has already had 2 years of school and is top of her class - despite she is the only English one amongst them!

I think that the legal age here for children to start school is 6 also, but no one in their right mind would leave it so long before sending them.

My two are such bright little buttons - maybe they could go straight to middle school!!

Andrea

shepslady

I suggest you go talk to the school you are hoping for them to attend. I do know it is possible to start them earlier than 5 so maybe once they know how advanced your children are they will place them in the grades accordingly so as not to hold them back or make them repeat things they already know. Certainly worth a try anyhow because I seriously doubt they would benefit from repeating anything they have already learnt.
spain sounds like a great place to educate children because so many of them these days are really ready for school at an earlier age & can only benefit from being educated at an earlier age. Lucky you wish I had been in your shoes when my sons were younger. Id have had them enrolled real early too.

annaerb

Hi Andrea,

Yes, your daughter can start school when she arrives. In my area the children go to morning Kindy until 12pm M-F. When they are nearing School age they have a few school visits to get them used to the idea. There is no need to enrol, just go and have a look at several schools. The Term dates are as follows: Term 2 ends 8th July - 25th July, Term 3: ends 23 Sept- 10 Oct, Term 4: 20th Dec - Jan 28 (Approx). If your child is gifted or needs help the schools do recognise this.

We had a similar experiance when we came back to NZ. Our eldest was 7 and youngest was 4 when we came back to NZ. They had been going to an International school in Indonesia. Our youngest had been at school 1 year and eldest 5 years. They put the eldest into a class for her age and to be honest we found that she needed help with reading and sent her to tutouring for awhile. She was so upset at first as she went from a class of 9 kids to a class of 30 . She adjusted well and is now at College and is doing great.

carol

sunshine_and_rain

Hi

Din't want to be contradictive but the decile rating actually refers to the socioeconomic status of the surrounding areas of the school. My son goes to a Decile 10 school, and a friends children go to a decile rating 7 school - they are both highly regarded Primary schools though as far as teaching goes and outcomes of learning etc. Basically the decile rating lets you know that there will be children from higher economic backgrounds 'probably' going to the school, which as we all know has a link to learning outcomes etc - not the money - but the opportunities and links and time this also sometimes comes with. The important thing to find out about it the School ERO report (Educational Review Office) , which will tell you how good or bad the school is. All the Schools have one done every few years. My sons school has just had it done. I think there is a website to the ERO and last reports are on there as far as I know. I have a friend who is on the Board here at our school. Hope this Helps.

kiwijetpilot

Yes, a decile rating is not a good guide to a school. The best way is to check out the ERO report for the schools you are considering - go to http://www.ero.govt.nz/reports/search.htm and search for the area you are considering.

Also, Kindergarten ("kindy") is available prior to age 5, (like a UK pre-school) and there are various private pre-school places, as well as the usual crop of Montessori and Steiner schools.