Starting School
When do I enrol my child at Puketapu School?
Once you have decided that Puketapu School is the school for you, it is a great time to enrol! The sooner the better.
Enrolling your child at least 6 months to 1 year before their 5th birthday is recommended. By having your family’s details, Puketapu School can help guide you through getting your child ready for school.
How do I enrol my child?
Our school office has our enrolment forms waiting and our school office is open between 8.30 am and 3.30pm for you to pop in to fill in an enrolment form. Our office staff are also there to help you.
When you have completed the enrolment form you must provide the following documents:
Please have the following information ready to help you fill in the form:
Your contact details
The contact details for an emergency contact person
Any medical information including your doctor’s contact details.
Any legal documents can also be shared at this time. (Eg, custody or access agreements that we should be aware of.)
Please remember to update your contact details with our school office once we have your enrolment form so we can keep in touch!
What happens once I have enrolled my New Entrant child at Puketapu Primary School?
Once our school has received your child’s fully completed enrolment form we will be able to schedule school visits close to the time when they will start school.
Our new entrant teacher will be in touch via email to organise a number of classroom visits.
Contact will be made at least 5 weeks before your child’s birthday so we can arrange some visits that include morning tea and lunchtime. School visits are run every Thursday and will allow your child to get to know their classroom teacher and the class they will be in.
Generally, we offer 3 visits before children start school. However, some children require more visits than others. We will work with you to make sure this change is as smooth as possible.
What do the visits involve?
Visit One 8:50 - 10:30am - Parent or caregiver stays for the whole visit
Meet the teacher and classmates
Visit the classroom and school environment
Observe the class in action
Take part in the morning programme
Answer any questions you may have
Visit Two 8:50 - 11:10am
Parents leave their child for at least part of this visit.
Become part of the class and participate in the morning programme
To enjoy and experience playtime and morning tea
To interact with classmates inside and outside the classroom
Visit Three 8:50 - 1:30pm
Parents are encouraged to allow as much child independence as possible on this visit. Once your child is settled parents can return for pick up at 1:30pm.
To spend time in the classroom developing relationships
To become confident and familiar with the classroom and school environment
To enjoy and experience lunchtime
Throughout the year we also run parent information sessions. This is an opportunity to get to know what happens at Puketapu Primary School in their first year of school. It is also a great way to meet the teacher and other parents who will also have children starting at our school.
What can I do with my child before they start school?
Every child starts school with their own interests and strengths which makes our New Entrant rooms at Puketapu School a dynamic and interesting place to be. However, if you are looking for tips and things to encourage your child to try, before starting school, some ideas include:
Reading stories to your child.
Recognising their name.
Writing their name.
Counting, counting, counting!
Discussing shapes and colours.
Independence is key.
For example, try encouraging your child to use the toilet on their own, use zippers and buttons successfully and putting away their toys when they are finished. They need to be able to recognise and look after their belongings.
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