A-Z FAQs
In New Zealand children can start school on their fifth birthday. However, children are not legally required to start school until they are six years old as some children, for many reasons, may benefit from additional time in ECE. Once your child has been enrolled and started school it is important that they attend everyday.
At Birkenhead Primary School children start school after their fifth birthday as part of a small cohort.
Cohort entry means that children who have recently turned five begin school together in small groups. At Birkenhead Primary School there are two cohort entries per term, one at the beginning of term, the other midway through the term. Children can remain at ECE until their intake just after their fifth birthday - they will continue to receive funding to attend ECE until they start school. Details of your child’s start date/cohort will be provided when you complete the enrolment process.
Research has shown that starting school in a small group rather than individually helps children build relationships with their peers, reducing any anxiety children may face when joining a bigger pre-established group.
The system is also less disruptive for the teacher and for all children. This system means we do not have children entering school in an adhoc fashion throughout the year, allowing groups of children to settle into school and establish routines collectively. At Birkenhead Primary School each cohort of children begin school in the Reception Room.
Ministry guidelines suggest children born before 31st June can be classified as Year 1 when they start school and anyone born after this date would be classified as Year 0. At Birkenhead Primary School we classify children born before 30th April as Year 1 and any child born after this date are classified as Year 0. If a child is born before 30th April and their cohort entry date is after this date, or a parent chooses to start their child at a later date, they are still classified as Year 1. In special circumstances we may consider altering a child's classified year level. Decisions regarding year levels in these circumstances are discussed with whānau to ensure the best decision is made for the child. The ultimate decision is made by the school based on the evidence in school.
Learning through provocations allows children opportunities to explore, experiment, discover and solve problems in an imaginative and collaborative manner. This approach allows learners to develop student agency and feel empowered and in control of their learning journey. As children engage in provocations they refine many intellectual skills, they develop their thinking and language skills, along with their social and emotional skills.
All New Entrant children who are enrolled at Birkenhead Primary School are invited to three morning visits, from 9.00-10.00 am with their teacher. During these visits the children get to meet the other children in their cohort, begin to familiarise themselves with the classroom, morning routines and their teacher, supporting a smooth transition into school. On the third visit parents as a group will meet with a member of SLT to discuss routines and general school information. This is also a time for you to ask any questions you may have. Prior to any visits you will have an opportunity to meet with a member of our SLT to discuss the school vision and welcome you into the community. The outline for the visits are as follows: - First visit: parents are welcome to stay with their child. - Second visit: parents are encouraged to leave their child in the classroom. - Third visit: parents meet with SLT and children spend time in the classroom. On any visit, parents are welcome to stay in the classroom to support their child.
You will be able to meet your child’s class teacher during the Thursday visit sessions. Once your child has started you are welcome to bring your child into the classroom every day and chat with the teacher. If you require a more formal or longer meeting, please speak to the teacher to make a time that suits you both.
On your child’s first day of school you are encouraged to bring them to their classroom between 8:30am and 8:50am to help them settle into their new space and to meet the teacher. On this day we will hold a whakatau at 9.00am to welcome new children and families into the school. The whakatau is a traditional Māori welcome, which is less formal than a pōwhiri. This is generally held in the school hall and is followed by light refreshments before the children return to their classroom. The whakatau usually runs for 15 minutes and we welcome any family members who would like the opportunity to speak.
After four/five weeks in school you will receive a learning story via Hero, explaining how your child has settled into school. Your child's kaitiaki teacher is also available to talk about your child’s learning and transition into school.
Depending on when your child starts school we have termly opportunities to meet with your child’s kaitiaki teacher and / or be informed about your child’s learning: Term 1: Meet the Teacher ( Whanaungatanga day)individual session prior to the start of the school year to establish the home- school partnership. We will also host an open classroom afternoon midway through the term. Term 2: Parent Teacher conferences - these are held after school between the teacher and whānau. Term 3: ‘Open House’ session - whānau are invited into the classroom to talk about their child’s learning, this is a time for your child to share their learning with you. Term 4: Your child will meet with their next year's teacher.
All assessment data can be found on your child's HERO portal.
At BPS we followed a Structured Literacy approach. Children will be provided with simple spellings that follow a set pattern weekly to learn at home, complimenting what they are learning in class. They will also receive one book a week to read with you based on this learning. Language is incredibly important so we also encourage you to share stories, play games together and engage in conversation.
It is important your child has enough energy to last the day. We promote healthy food and drink options in school. Sandwiches, fruit and vegetables are all great brain food for your child. If your child brings big pieces of fruit in for morning tea or ‘FAVE’ it is helpful if it is peeled/cut up. We also encourage your children to bring a water bottle that is refilled daily with fresh water.
The Board recently completed a survey about uniform.
We would like to thank everyone for their feedback during our consultation on the option of a compulsory school uniform. With such a large percentage of caregivers providing feedback, it has enabled the Board to make an informed decision about the community view. Having reviewed the numbers and the comments, we have decided to update our uniform policy to reflect the key items below.
- the uniform will not be made compulsory.
- students will need to wear their school shirt (and hat if in term 1 or 4) on all
school trips and when representing the school.
- the type of pants they wear with their school short remains shorts /
leggings / skirt / pants (with a preference for navy/black)
- The students will be strongly encouraged to wear their school t shirts on a
Friday.
This means that families will need to purchase a school t-shirt (and we know that
from next year we will have a second hand stock available) as a minimum. All
students, when they start at BPS, will be given a school hat as a welcome gift.
We encourage everyone to embrace the uniform. We understand that parents value the ‘option’ of the uniform and we think this policy represents a good balance for our school.
Please ensure that you have informed us of any issues when you complete the enrolment form and provide any information you have to the school office. Please talk about medications/implications with the teacher, and bring any medications to the office so that they can be stored safely. If, at any time throughout the year, your contact details change or medical issues require updating, please contact the office immediately.
Keep in contact with your child’s teacher and read the weekly news post shared via Hero. Regularly view your child’s HERO learning journal.
You may also want to join our active and enthusiastic PTA. For further information please visit www.bps.school.nz/pta.html
By regulation children are required to attend school unless prevented by illness or some special family circumstance. Please advise the school of any non-attendance by:
1. Through the HERO app
2. Email to absence@bps.school.nz
3. Drop in to the Office
4. Phone the school - 480 7365 - OPT 1.
Please leave a message by 8:45am. If we are not advised of absences, we will send a text via text stream. This system is a safeguard for your children.
Our current bell times and timetable are:
8:30 - Classrooms open
8:50 - Start of School and roll-call
10:00 - FAVE (Fruit and Vegetable Energizer)
11:00 - Morning tea play
11:20 - Morning tea eating
11:30 - Classes resume
12:45 - Lunch play
1:20 - Lunch eating
1:35 - Classes resume
3:00 - End of school day
Our children are treated at the Cluster Clinic. This is located on the school site, but is not part of the school. The entrance gate to the clinic is located next to the lower gateway to the school, near the Warehouse loading bay. Birkenhead Primary children are escorted from class to the clinic, and returned to the school gateway. Contact number is 09-418-0043.
Parents are requested to donate to the school to assist the school with its running expenses, and for school activities for the children - trips, visits, events etc. We really appreciate the donations make as it allows us to run programmes and provide opportunities to children and whānau that would not be possible based solely on government funding.
Children are required to wear the school bucket hat during Terms 1 and 4. We like children to be able to express themselves, children are able to wear whatever clothing they like as long as it allows them to be active and does not interrupt their learning.
Legally, children are entitled to start school at the age of five, but do not have to start until they are six years of age. At BPS we operate cohort entry so child can start in the next cohort once they have turned 5. We must see the child’s birth certificate (for New Entrant children), immunisation record, and proof of address at enrolment. Please feel welcome to arrange school visits or see the school principal before your child formally starts school. A coffee morning information session will be held each term for parents/caregivers. These may be attended by the Principal and BPS Board and PTA representatives. For out-of-zone children, an application form must be filled in. Places will be balloted if there are too few places available. Please advise any change of address or phone number for emergency purposes.
Children require a nourishing lunch which will keep them focused for the school day. For FAVE (see bell times) children need a piece of fruit that they can eat in five minutes. Children may have a water bottle in class - stored in a sensible location. The school does not allow parents to bring food to school to hand out to their child's classmates due to allergies.
Minor accidents are attended to by staff members. In emergencies the child will be taken to the nearest doctor and parents informed. In less severe cases of injury or sickness we make every attempt to contact the parent or guardian. Please ensure that at all times we are informed of any medical problems of which we should be aware and that we have current contact telephone numbers for home, business and emergency contacts. Current address is essential. If your child is unwell in the morning please do not send him/her to school as we do not have the personnel to attend sick children and a classroom or medical room is no substitute for one's own bedroom. Head lice are a recurring problem in all schools and we strongly advise parents to carry out weekly inspections of children's hair to prevent the spread of this problem. All five year-olds have their hearing and vision tested soon after starting school. Parents will be informed when these are to take place so that they have the option to be present.
The school library is the major resource centre of the school to which all pupils have access. Please assist us in the care of the library by seeing that books brought home are cared for and not damaged or lost. Please ensure that library books are returned on time. Books damaged or lost will be charged at the value of the replacement.
Lost property gathered in the school grounds is stored in the baskets outside the Library. It is put on display at regular intervals, and discarded at the end the term. Names on clothing, shoes, lunch boxes etc help us to keep lost property to a minimum.
We are pleased to help in an emergency. Children are permitted to use the telephone only if the matter is important. We do not allow children to use the school phone to ask to go and play with a friend. We encourage children and their parents to make prior play date arrangements.
Andy Dwyer is our school music teacher who provides teacher with release time. Andy also runs opt in ukulele groups and lunchtime bands. Rachel Nugent is in charge of our school choir.
Class and individual photos are taken each year in June by Photo Life, and are then available for you to purchase online.
We have a full programme of reporting to parents, consisting of:
- Whānaungatanga day before school starts to meet your kaitiaki teacher.
- Through the Hero portal, parents are able to see children's current levels and learning goals in core curriculum areas.
- Parent conferences in Term 2.
- Share the Learning - parents invited into class to talk with their child about their current learning.
Arrangements can be made to discuss a child’s progress throughout the year by sending an email to set up an appointment with your child's teacher.
Please familiarise your child with road safety. Be sure your child knows how to behave on the roads - particularly how to use the pedestrian crossings between home and school. Please encourage your child to check before walking onto a pedestrian crossing. If you bring or collect children by car, do not park outside the school entrances. Road patrols must have uninterrupted vision. The Mokoia Road car park has a drop off zone for children to safely exit from cars. There is no provision for parents to park on the school grounds for drop off or pick up of children.
From time to time, books belonging to the school find their way into homes. Apart from library books, which we encourage children to take home, all other books belonging to the school should be returned. Parents' help with this would be appreciated.
Children may scooter to school, but must wear a helmet. Children may scooter with their Walking School Bus, but must remain behind the WSB driver at all times.
The school is involved with interschool competition in many sports codes. Sports clubs support school teams and where possible encourage children to take part in Saturday competition. The school promotes a wide range of Kiwi Sports. Parent support is sought and appreciated to encourage full child involvement. School uniform is required when representing the school.
This is available at Paper Plus, in the Highbury Shopping Centre, at competitive prices. The office will inform you of the correct stationery pack at the beginning of the year or as your child starts school.
As supervision of grounds commences at 8.20am and the grounds are cleared at 3.15pm, the school cannot accept any responsibility beyond these times. There is no provision made for accommodating children in inclement weather before 8.20am. Whilst the majority of staff are at school well before these times, this time is utilised by them in preparing and marking work. Teachers are on duty at morning tea and lunch time. Please instruct your child to come to the office if you are unable to pick them up by the usual time.
Swimming is part of the school physical education programme. All children are required to take part in swimming lessons unless prevented on medical grounds. A note is required from parents. The school has a heated swimming pool for our junior children (Years 0-3). We use the local pool at Birkenhead Memorial Park for intensive swimming sessions for our senior children (Years 4-6).
Anyone wishing to visit a classroom must sign themselves in at the office and give the reason for their visit. Classroom teaching time is valuable and fewer interruptions will result in more quality time for the children.
The school has some Walking School Buses, supported by Auckland Transport: Hinemoa Hikers and Collective Cruisers. Click the link for more information about our WALKING SCHOOL BUSES.