Transition to School

Transition to School

Welcome

The transition to school for your child can be quite daunting for both you and your child, but at West Park we want to ensure this is experience is exciting and will start your journey with us with a positive experience. 
 
To guide you through our process of enrolling with West Park and then ensuring you and your child are well supported throughout this process, this information should help answer some initial questions.
 
By law, all children in New Zealand are able to attend primary school from their fifth birthday.  However, we ask that you reach out to our School Office much earlier than this (as much as a year in advance) to signal your interest in West Park.  This will enable us to effectively plan for the arrival of your child and to help us to prepare effectively for our expected school roll size.
 
In July 2016, West Park introduced a school enrolment zone.  This means that any primary school aged children that live within this zone are entitled to enrol at West Park School.
 
In accordance with the Enrolment Zone Policy, the Board will determine the number of out of zone places for applicants who live outside of this zone for the following 6-month period. The Board will publish a notice indicating the number of out of zone places available and a date by which all applications must be received.
 
Students transferring from other schools should also follow this enrolment process.
 
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Prior to your child starting, West Park will work with you to collect the following:

  • Enrolment Form
  • Emergency Information Sheet
  • Internet Safety Agreement
  • Using Images of Children – Consent Form For Use by West Park School
  • New Zealand Birth Certificate (Passport if not born in New Zealand) – Original documents must be sighted
  • Immunisation Certificate (This can be found in your child’s Well Child book.  The area “Fully immunised to 5 years” or “Not fully immunised” needs to be ticked and the vaccinator needs to sign and date this.)
  • Proof of Residential Address (an original document such as an electricity bill, bank statement or another document which has your name and address on.
  • Fonterra Milk For Schools Participation Slip
  • A Tin of Baked Beans or Fruit Salad/Peaches for School to Store for Use in an Emergency Situation

 

Once your child is enrolled, the new entrant teacher will arrange a few school visit days for your child to spend some time getting used to their new classroom environment, how the day would normally operate, and the people there to support your child’s learning.

A new parent/caregiver morning tea will also be arranged so that the families can also get to know the staff, other new parents/caregivers, and see the learning environments that
their child will be spending time in.

Day one at West Park for your child will be an exciting experience, and the new entrant teacher, team leader, and Principal are there to make sure it goes well.

FAQs

No, however, the school sometimes provides purple sports shirts for some sports trips.

No, our school provides access to iPads and Laptops to students when required to support specific exercises in our curriculum.

West Park has had an extensive property maintenance programme underway ensuring we can maximise wheelchair and improved access for less physically able people.  Most rooms and buildings can be accessed by ramps and handrails are provided throughout the school.

West Park will work with you to understand the needs of your child, and work through how we can collectively best support them through their schooling journey.

The school roll can vary but has steadily grown to approximately 400 students.  The school itself is spread across 3 main groups of buildings.  It has a large ‘Top field’ encircled by a bike track, a bank of trees the students affectionately know as ‘The Bases’, a bottom court where netball can be played, 3 playgrounds, a small apple orchard, a dedicated school library, and multi-purpose school hall.

Yes, and when resourced effectively and supported with well trained teachers and a teacher aides, these work very effectively at delivering our educational programmes and
enabling our students to develop their social skills.

West Park School as a public school does not charge fees.  To help support the operation of our school we do request voluntary donations each year from parents and caregivers. More information about school donations  is available.

West Park is a very multi-national school and we look to celebrate our diversity at every occasion.  While it may change year to year, the curriculum is always full with opportunities such as Kapa Haka, music lessons, life education, bikes programme, Art Splash choir, ASB sports, swimming, cross country, sports, and much more.