We want your child to achieve and excel and have a range of support channels available to enhance your child’s learning.
We have access to special education and speech-language therapists, early intervention staff, psychologists and occupational therapists to help your child with any learning challenges. We also work closely with the B4 School team and the Ministry of Health Vision and Hearing Team.
Before the beginning of the new school year, you and your child set goals for each term. The Learning support set for your child will link-in with your agreed goals.
Our caring and nurturing environment helps your child to feel safe, which is an important precursor for learning. In addition to the Primary school Principal, students are supported by two deans.
Staff are available before and after school to meet with you whenever needed. In Years 4 to 6, a student diary of your child’s activities and progress helps you exchange ideas with your child’s teachers.
Students are allocated a tutor who will work with them throughout their time at the college. Siblings are allocated the same tutor, and the tutor groups are made up of students across all year levels from Year 7 to 13.
The tutor system is twofold – individuals and groups.
The tutor will work individually with your child, helping to set educational goals and developing a plan to achieve them. The tutor guides study programmes, monitors progress and provides feedback to you and the deans.
Through the group, your child is encouraged to become involved in the wider aspects of the college and community.
The role of the deans form a large portion of our student support programme.
Each year level has a dean who have overall responsibility for student welfare, academic progress and personal development.
International and Aspire students also have a dedicated dean who can assist with funding and visa applications.
Extra student support services are available if your child requires them. Examples of student support services include assigning students a teacher-assistant for a set number of hours per week, and providing students with individual reader/writer support for examinations.
The literacy support programme is run through the english faculty, and is available from Year 7 through to senior level. If your child could benefit from extra support with grammar, spelling and other literacy issues, the teacher will recognise it early in the year and inform you of this. Once a week your child will receive additional help from the literacy support teacher.
If your child’s first language is not English, we have an Intensive English Programme to support learning. Your child may need to improve elementary and intermediate English skills before being able to join mainstream classes. Specialist English-language teachers run this programme, and regular assessments are used to track progress.
For entry to a tertiary institute, your child can complete the NCEA reading and NCEA writing programmes in Years 12 and 13.
The careers advisor is available for interviews with you and/or your child to advise on career pathways. Lunchtime sessions give students the opportunity to talk to representatives from a range of tertiary institutes and Study Link.