中文版 (Chinese Version) 한국어판 (Korean Version) home welcome tips to settle in Get the information you need Open a bank account Get an Inland Revenue Department Tax Number Housing Services Get around Whangarei City and District Education Early childhood education Day-care Choose a school Tertiary education opportunities Community education Finding work Improve your English Health Care NZ Immigration Service emergency info everyday life fun & recreation Tips to settle in Education Early Childhood New Zealand has many types of early childhood services to choose from. Each type has its own way of working with children and their parents. The options include: Kindergarten Children are supervised by a qualified teacher. Kindergartens run half-day sessions for different age groups, starting from age 2 and going to 5 years old. Some kindergartens offer all-day sessions for older age groups. There is a small charge to attend and children must be enrolled. For more information contact the Northland Free Kindergarten Association: ph (09) 437 9210 or email: gm@northlandkindergartens.org.nz . Day Care Centres Most Whangarei suburbs offer privately owned Day Care facilities for your child, many of which have a waiting list. There are charges for Day Care, but tax rebate may be available if you earn an income and pay for child day care. Contact the IRD www.ird.govt.nz for further information on tax rebates. For child care listings see Child Care & Education Playcentre Playcentres are run by parents. Some offer separate sessions for children aged 4 years. A Playcentre is for children 5-years of age and under; Is run by the parents; Provides early childhood education; Provides parent education modules on all aspects of children's learning; Is based on the importance of parents as educators of their own children. For more information: Northland Playcentre Association Ph: (09) 438 2155 6B Herekino Street, Whangarei Or http://www.playcentre.org.nz/ Te Kohanga Reo Te Kohanga Reo is a total immersion preschool for children aged up to 6 years, where Te Reo Maori or the Maori language is the only language spoken. Kohanga was first established in 1982 to promote, support and encourage the retention and growth of Te Reo Maori or the Maori language. For further information on Kohanga Reo: www.kohanga.ac.nz or phone the local Trust on ph: (09) 435 9090. Home-based child care services These are available in Whangarei, and the service is based in the care-giver's home, with a maximum of 4 children per home. Some care-givers are qualified teachers. Look for Home-Based Child Care services. See Child Care & Education. Barnardos also offer a home-based child care service in Whangarei. For more information on Barnardos, ph: 438 2954 or visit; www.barnardos.org.nz. Choose a school All children must be enrolled in school by the time they are 6 years old. Most children start year 1 on, or soon after, their 5th birthday. They must continue to attend school until they are sixteen, but most children stay until year 12 or 13. The school year runs from January to December and is divided into four terms. Most Primary Schools cater for children from year 1 up to year 8, but many children leave at the end of year 6 and go to an Intermediate School for years 7 and 8. All Primary and Intermediate Schools are co-educational, i.e. teaching both sexes. Secondary Schools cater for children from year 9 to year 13. Most are co-educational, but some are single sex. Most schools at every level are State Schools and are funded by the Government. Most children go to the nearest school to their home however some private and State Integrated schools in the Whangarei District cater for children of various ages. These are partially or completely privately funded, and are often run by particular religious groups. Age Class School 5 years Year 1 Primary school Full Primary school 6 years Year 2 7 years Year 3 8 years Year 4 9 years Year 5 10 years Year 6 11 years Year 7 Intermediate school 12 years Year 8 13 years Year 9 Secondary school 14 years Year 10 15 years Year 11 16 years Year 12 17 years Year 13 Also check out 'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQs) on the Ministry of Education web site: www.minedu.govt.nz . Primary Schools Each suburb has its own Primary School. There are 15 in the urban area, as well as rural schools. Intermediate Schools There are three located within Whangarei City; Whangarei Intermediate, ph: (09) 438 8659 Raumanga - Manaia View School, ph: (09) 438 9041 Kamo Intermediate, ph: (09) 435 0343 These schools provide only year 7 and year 8 classes, but many parents appreciate the wider range of courses and specialist classes they are able to offer. Secondary Schools There are four main secondary schools in Whangarei City, all offering a wide range of subjects and good sporting facilities. Kamo High - co-education, ph: (09) 435 1688 Tikipunga High School - co-education, ph: (09) 437 3299 Whangarei Girl's High School - all girls, with some students boarding in an attached hostel, ph: (09) 430 4400 Whangarei Boy's High School - all boys, with some students boarding in an attached hostel, ph: (09) 430 4170 State Integrated Schools Schools that are based on a religious teaching and also teach the national school curriculum, and that receive no or only partial state funding, are called State Integrated Schools. There are three in Whangarei District. There are two Catholic State-Integrated co-educational Schools within the city. Pompallier Catholic College is a secondary school, and takes a small number of paying non-Catholic students, ph: 438 3950, www.pompalliercollege.school.nz. Saint Francis Xavier is for primary students, ph: 437 1039, www.kiwischools.co.nz. The Seventh Day Adventist State-Integrated School at Whau Valley, ph: (09) 437 0448. There are two ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) schools, which are licensed as private schools. One is located in central Whangarei, the other at Kamo. For a full list of schools in Whangarei District see Schools - Primary & Secondary, consult the i-Site or speak to the Settlement Support Coordinator. Special Education Special education teachers are available in schools throughout Whangarei District for students who have special needs or a disability. Special education provides extra help, adapted programmes, learning environments, or specialised equipment or materials to support children and young people, with their learning and help them participate in education. Blomfield Special School and Resource Centre caters for students, 5 - 21 years old who have intellectual disabilities and related physical challenges. Ph: 438 2105 For more information; www.minedu.govt.nz. After-school care After-school care is available at some schools and with some private providers. Ask at your school or see After School Care. Activities for Children There is a range of activities available for children. Contact CAB for information or ask your local school, Playcentre, kindergarten or day care centre for other choices. Baby-sitters Baby-sitters must be 14-years of age or older to have legal charge of your children. Local supermarket notice boards will often advertise baby-sitters. It is a good idea to ask potential baby-sitters for a reference. School Zones Schools in New Zealand are zoned. The Ministry of Education web site has information about school zones and the New Zealand school system. Go to http://www.schoolzones.co.nz/enrolmentzones/ to locate your school zone. If you want your child to go to a school outside your zone you will need to apply to that school. If you have a choice of schools, you may want to check on a school's ranking. These are listed in Education Review Office reports, see www.ero.govt.nz . Also check out 'Frequently Asked Questions' (FAQs) on the Ministry of Education web site, www.minedu.govt.nz . Te Kura Kaupapa Maori Te Kura Kaupapa Maori is a total immersion school where the only language spoken is Te Reo Maori. There is one kura in Whangarei, called Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Rawhiti Roa, ph: (09) 435 4488. Tertiary Institutes NorthTec, situated at the Raumanga campus, Raumanga Valley Road, and The University of Auckland Faculty of Education (Tai Tokerau Campus), in Alexander St, both run full degree courses in Whangarei. For a range of other universities and colleges, see Universities, Colleges & Polytechnics p.490. NorthTec NorthTec is the largest provider of tertiary education north of Auckland, with campuses in Whangarei city, Kerikeri, Rawene, Dargaville, Kawakawa, Kaikohe and Kaitaia. NorthTec offers industry-focused education, with flexible learning options. It has an International Centre and offers English Language Programmes and English for Migrants (refer to English as a Second Language). For further information ph: 470 3555 or 0800 808 856, or see http://www.northland.ac.nz/ . Tertiary studies are also available by correspondence or on-line through Open Polytechnic and Massey University. Refer to their web sites for further information; www.openpolytechnic.ac.nz or www.massey.ac.nz.   Community Education Community Education offers a range of short courses on a variety of subjects. For further information see www.cew.ac.nz or contact Kamo High School ph: (09) 435 1688.