At David Henry School, we know every child is unique – some may settle quickly, while others may take a little longer. To help with a smooth transition, our expectation is that all new students complete six school visits before starting.
Parents are expected to stay for the first two visits and will also meet with the Tumuaki to go over our WHARE Values, which are an important part of life at DHS.
In short, cohort entry helps children settle into school life and routines better.
The Education Review Office found the following benefits of Cohort Entry:
Supports the emotional wellbeing of young children as they start school in groups, sometimes with friends from early learning. For some children, this meant they felt like they belonged at school, were less anxious, and settled quickly into school routines.
Supports learning for new children as teachers can teach without the constant interruption of new students arriving any time during the year.
Helps whānau connect with other whānau and the school as school visits and activities can be scheduled so parents can come together in groups.
Helps schools to plan children’s transitions from early childhood to school, making the experience better for children and whānau.
Interestingly NZ is the only OECD country that allows new entrants to begin school on any day of the week.
Unfortunately not. Children in New Zealand can’t start school until they are 5 years old.
No, Children can remain at their ECE until the cohort entry date after their fifth birthday and they will continue to receive funding to attend ECE until they start school.
It is important to communicate with your early learning service so they know the school enrolment date. Please refer to the cohort entry dates.
Will my child start as a Year 1 or Year 0?
Children enrolling during Term 1 (at start of term or midterm cohorts) are considered Year One students for the year.
Children enrolling from the start of Term two onwards are Year Zero for the remainder of the year and become Year One students the following year.
Our new entrant teacher is warm & friendly and our school is a supportive and welcoming environment. Although it can feel daunting sending your child off to school, there are some things you can do to help with the transition.
There is no set list of what a child should be able to do when they start school, but supporting your child to develop social/emotional and self-management skills is one of the best things you can do to help:
