When do children start school?

Children usually start school on or shortly after their fifth birthday. Schooling is compulsory from the age of six. Prior to starting school, children can participate in Early Childhood Education. There are a number of different options to suit your lifestyle and your child's needs. If you would like to know more about the Early Childhood Centres in our area, get in touch.

 

What grade or year will my child be in?

​This will largely depend on when in the year your child's birthday falls. Get in touch if you would like us to help you work this out.

• Year 0: Also know as New Entrants, these are children starting school in the second half of the year, typically in Term 2.  At St Leonards School, we take this on a case-by-case approach with families and consider the developmental needs of the child.

• Years 1-6: Primary School. Some schools go to Year 8 (full primary). St Leonards School is a "contributing" school, which means it goes to year 6.

• Years 7-8: Intermediate School. Intermediate can either be a stand alone school, joined with primary (known as full primary school) or join with a secondary school (known as a college). There are a number of great options in Dunedin for intermediate, and many children from St Leonards go to Dunedin North Intermediate for these years

• Years 9-13: Secondary School (high school). 

• Years 11-13: Students begin the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Level 1 in Year 11 and work through to Level 3 in Year 13. 

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How is the transition between Early Childhood and School supported?

Most schools have a programme in place to support this transition by organising weekly visits before the child starts school. At St Leonards School, we are able to be very flexible, and can organise as many visits as needed, and these can be on any day of the school week. Parents are welcome to stay for these visits, and are encouraged to leave their child for longer as they approach their first day. We like to get in touch with the child's early childhood centre so they can share any insights that will help their transition to school.

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When are School Terms and Holidays?

• Term 1: Starts late January or early February. It ends around mid-April, often aligning with the start of the Easter holidays. 

• Term 2: From late April to early July. 

• Term 3: From late July to late September. 

• Term 4: From mid-October and ends in mid-December, with the end date being no later than December 20th. 

• There are two week holidays between each term (1-2, 2-3 and 3-4). These dates are the same for all schools. 

Each school selects their own start and end of year dates. St Leonards School generally starts and finishes later, so families and staff can make the most of the more settled weather in late January. You can find information for specific years on the Ministry of Education's website.

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Are schools zoned?

Some schools have enrolment schemes to ensure children living nearby have priority entry. St Leonards School does not have a scheme and can accept children from anywhere in Dunedin.  You can read more about zones and enrolment schemes here.

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Can New Zealand Schools Accept International Students?

• Students can be treated as "domestic" students (i.e access to public schools like St Leonards) if they are dependant children of 

  • students and work visa holders

  • exchange students

  • any other individual specified under the Education (Domestic Students) Notice 2023.

• Schools who are a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice can accept fee-paying international students. St Leonards School is not a signatory, so can not accept fee-paying students.

• Any school can accept non fee paying "visitors" for up to 2 weeks. St Leonards School has often had visitors under this category. ​

St Leonards School frequently welcomes families of student and work visa holders. ​You can read more here.

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What is the school day like?

Each school sets their own school day, but almost all primary schools start at 9am and finish at 3pm. There are typically 2 break times which have time for eating and then time for playing - morning tea and lunch. We can adjust the timings of break time to best suit the needs of our students. 

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What should my child bring to school?

• School bag

• Lunchbox with food for morning tea and lunch. At St Leonards, children have access to a fridge and microwave, but you won't find this in most other primary schools.

• Drink bottle (water only)

• Wide-brimed sunhat in terms 1 and 4

• Reading packet to keep reading and library books in good condition.

• At St Leonards School, we ask children to leave toys, their own pencil cases and other treasures at home. 

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Is school free?

The short answer is yes, but it's not that straightforward! All public schools receive funding from the government based on the 'equity index,' a "statistical model that estimates the extent to which students face socio-economic barriers to achievement at school." For St Leonards School as for most schools in New Zealand, this means we need to raise additional funds based on the assumption that the school community would be able to support the school. Like other schools, we request an annual donation to help cover costs (which is currently around $80 per year). As this is a donation, you are entitled to a tax rebate of a third of the amount paid. 

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What about fundraising and Working Bees?

To help support the school, we invite our community to participate in working bees (to reduce the cost of grounds keeping) and fundraising. These events are also a great way to get to know other families and are a lot of fun. We carefully schedule these across the year.

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Is Māori culture a part of education?

Absolutely! As teachers, we are employed by the government (i.e the crown), and therefore partners of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi). This means it's important for us to be working for educational success of Māori students, and also supporting the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori (Māori language), Matauranga Māori (Māori knowledge), and other aspects of Te Ao Māori (the Māori world view).  As a kura (school), we are on a journey of further integrating this into teaching and learning. 

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What is Tikanga?

Tikanga refers to the correct way of doing things according to Māori customs and values. Some examples of tikanga that we uphold as a school are not sitting on tables or lunch boxes, and not touching other people's heads. 

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Do children have homework?

This will depend on the school. At St Leonards School, children have minimal homework as there is little evidence to prove that it gives them an academic advantage. We do, however, send books home to share. These will be "Read Along" books (a book your child has read along to over the week at school and will know well), decodable books (when they are able to independently decode all the words in the book), and library books (self-chosen books to read for enjoyment). We may also send home extra activities to support their learning. We will discuss this with you if we think it is needed.

 

How do schools communicate?

Most schools have a regular email newsletter. At St Leonards School, this comes out every fortnight. We also share learning on Seesaw (an app that parents and extended family can use), and on social media (please note that you are able to opt out of your child's image being used on social media). A written report will go out twice a year, one each for reading, writing and mathematics, as well as an end-of-term ASPIRE values reflection. We organise "Goal Setting Hui" twice a year for family and teachers to meet. Other than that, we are very approachable and usually available to talk to before and after school.

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What is the School Board?

Formally known as the Board of Trustees, the School Board is an elected group of parents/community members, an elected staff member and the principal who are responsible for school governance. They meet twice a term to review policies, make strategic decisions, and monitor progress across a range of domains. You can read more information here. 

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