New Entrants

Beginning school is a thrilling yet understandably nerve-wracking milestone for both children and their families. This is a pivotal moment in your child’s life, and this guide offers practical tips and suggestions to help ensure that the big day—and the days that follow—go as smoothly as possible.

At BPS we operate a cohort system, meaning that once your child has turned five they will begin school at our next entry point. There are two cohort entries a term, one at the start and one midway through the term. Details regarding your child's start date/cohort will be provided when the enrolment process is completed.

Please read through the following information. Should you have any questions, contact the school office, where Trudy and Stephanie will help you. The office operates from 8am to 4pm during term time.

Enrolment

We recommend that parents enrol their children well before their child’s fifth birthday to begin the enrolment process. When you do, you will receive enrolment forms, and our staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have. We also invite families to schedule a guided tour of the school through the office.

Documents required for Enrolment

Copy of your child’s birth certificate
Copy of immunisation record
Passport and Visa (if born outside NZ)
3x proof of address (less than a month old)

For children with special needs, we suggest contacting us even earlier, preferably six months to a year, before they start.

Visits

Prior to starting, your child will participate in three morning visits to the reception classroom. Visits are held on Thursday mornings from 9am to 10am. (Days may differ for the last intake of the year). Please arrive at the office by 8:50am, where you will be guided to the classroom.

The visit schedule is:

1st visit - Introduction to school life - meet the teachers, visit the classroom, participate in some activities (parents are welcome to stay with their child during this visit).

2nd visit - Introduction to school life - participate in activities, get to know your new classmates (parents are encouraged to leave their child)

3rd visit - Introduction to school life - participate in activities, learning classroom expectations (parents are invited to a school information session in the staff room)

We advise that you make alternative arrangements for preschoolers during these visits.

Uniform

Every new student at Birkenhead Primary School will be given a school hat, which is compulsory for your child to wear in Terms 1 and 4. These can be obtained from the office. Please ensure your child’s name is clearly visible on the inside.

School uniform is not compulsory at BPS, however, we do have a variety of optional uniform items such as T-shirts, hoodies, shorts that can be purchased through NZ Uniforms. There are samples in the school office for sizing etc.

To foster a sense of belonging each student will be allocated a whānau group - Kōtuku (Yellow), Kauri (Green), Tuatara (Red), Tohorā (Blue). Whānau T-shirts are also available to be purchased. As a school we have regular events where the children participate in their Whānau groups such as Friday Whānau time and sports events. Children are encouraged to wear their Whānau T-shirts during these events.

Initially, morning tea and lunchtime routines may feel overwhelming, and your child might not finish all their food during the first few weeks. As they adjust, this will improve. If you have any concerns, please consult your child’s teacher.

We also encourage your child to learn how to:

Open their lunch box and water bottle
Open food packets (for example, by snipping the corner of chips or muesli bars)

Children have FAVE (fruit and/or veg) in the morning around 9.30. We suggest putting this in a separate container to your child’s lunch box so they are not tempted to eat their morning tea or lunch.

As a school we aim to be waste-free so it is preferred that any unnecessary packaging is not put into lunch boxes. Any rubbish in their lunch box will come home with them.

Eating

The First Day

On the first day, please begin at the school office to complete the enrolment process before proceeding to the classroom. Once finished, you are welcome to make your way to the classroom, where the class teacher will be there to welcome you.

The school day commences at 8:50am; arriving between 8:30-8.45am is advised to allow your child time to settle and interact with their new teacher and peers. School finishes at 3pm, and we kindly ask that parents wait outside of the classroom to collect their children. If you have alternative pickup arrangements, discuss these with your child’s teacher in advance.

To build independence, encourage your child to pack and unpack their own bag and manage their belongings by:

Carrying and hanging up their own bag
Placing their book bag in the classroom
Bringing their water bottle into the classroom
Read and recognise their name

Our goal is for your child to develop independence, social skills, eagerness to learn, and a sense of responsibility.

Whakatau

We hold a formal welcome for our new families on the 1st Monday of the term and the 6th Monday of the term (coinciding with the first day of school of our new intakes).

This whakatau takes place in our school hall at 9am. New families, and their children, will wait outside the hall, while our kapa haka girls perform the karanga to welcome you in. This welcome takes approximately 15 minutes and is followed by some kai and refreshments.

For new entrants, our aim is to firmly establish the essential skills in literacy and numeracy, building on the foundation you and your child’s preschool have set.

At Birkenhead Primary School, we use an evidence-based approach to literacy, believing that every ākonga (learner) can excel in reading, writing, and spelling. Our Structured Literacy programme is rooted in the Science of Learning.

Our youngest learners begin by mastering the sounds associated with letters, along with the letter names and correct formation, gradually learning to blend these sounds to decode words. Emphasis is placed on phonemic awareness and phonics in Years 1 and 2, with plenty of repetition and multisensory activities to reinforce learning. In addition, we introduce ‘heart words’—common words that often use irregular spelling patterns —to boost reading fluency. Big books and picture books are also integral to our approach, allowing students to explore stories in depth and build comprehension and vocabulary.

Within Maths, our young learners engage in activities and explicit teaching which focus on number recognition, how to write their numbers up to 10, counting up to 10, add/sub counting on and back to 10. This learning is supported with play-based activities that encourage curiosity and fosters success, through hands-on experiences and meaningful tasks.

Learning

Education is a collaborative effort between families and educators. We welcome open communication from parents and appreciate any assistance you can offer in the classroom. If your child has any special circumstances, please inform their teacher.

For questions about school programmes or your child’s progress, feel free to speak with the class teacher. We are dedicated to partnering with you to provide a high-quality educational experience tailored to your child’s needs.

Below are some ideas how you can help support your child's learning at home.

Home and School

Oral Language We focus on nurturing strong oral language skills, including attentive listening, clear and confident speaking, and the ability to ask meaningful questions. You can support your child at home by: - Giving them time to answer questions and encouraging them to ask their own - Involving them in family discussions and modelling good listening skills - Teaching them how to converse over the phone and ask for help - Sharing stories and encouraging them to bring an item—such as photos, books, insects, cultural artefacts, or personal crafts—to discuss during news time - Draw a picture and talk about it

Phonics Building early reading skills involves learning the sounds of letters and recognising key words—essential steps for reading and writing. You can help by: - Identifying letters in your environment - Playing games like letter sound “I spy” (e.g., “I spy something that begins with /s/”) - Reading and discussing letters found in your family names

Written Language Our aim is to encourage children to express their ideas on paper. You can nurture this skill by: - Recognising how their name is written and be able to write it (using a capital letter for the start and then lowercase letters) - Prompting your child to write independently - Discussing the messages they want to convey - Avoid writing for them, but rather guiding their efforts - Writing letters, notes or cards to family and friends together - Encouraging them to illustrate their own stories

Maths Our Mathematics programme focuses on developing a deep understanding of number concepts, alongside exploring topics such as algebra, geometry, measurement, and statistics. You can support your child’s learning by: - Encouraging frequent counting - Spotting numbers in everyday surroundings (like on mailboxes or phone numbers) - Solving simple real-life problems (for instance, figuring out how many people will be present if Grandma and Grandpa visit) - Using counters or counting on their fingers - Playing board games that involve numbers - Asking your child to explain how they arrived at their thinking - Noticing patterns and shapes around them