Contact Details
Please feel welcome to contact us for further information about enrolment and induction.
iand@pmps.school.nz or wendyh@pmps.school.nz
You can also contact us through our school WeChat platform.
Enrolment
You can enrol your child at Pigeon Mountain Primary School online or in person at our office. Our website contains full details of our enrolment procedures in both English and Chinese. Once your enrolment has been successful, you will receive a letter which is used to gain a visa for your child to study at our school. On receipt of this letter, you will need to pay your tuition fees. These are held in an ‘income in advance’ account and only released to school at the end of each term’s study.
Induction
Your child will be provided with a programme of induction to help them settle at our school and in New Zealand.
- First Day– Your child will meet their new teacher, who will appoint a classroom buddy who speaks your child’s first language. The buddy will help your child learn their way around our school and talk about the basic Pigeon Mountain routines.
- First Week– Your child will commence the ELLs (English Language Learners) programme within their first week at our school.1 After an assessment by the ELLs teacher, your child will begin attending regular ELLs sessions in the dedicated classroom.
- First Month– Your child will have a pastoral interview with either the International Student Manager or ELLs teacher. This interview is to check that the student is settling well in their learning at our school, and to identify and address any problems they are having.
- Ongoing– Your child’s classroom teacher is aware that your child is an International Student who will require more support and care. The classroom teacher monitors International Students closely and may make contact to introduce themselves to you.
Learning in New Zealand
All students at Pigeon Mountain Primary School follow learning aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum (Levels 1-5). Teachers are skilled in structuring learning which is best suited to the needs of each individual student. Students at Pigeon Mountain Primary School who do not speak English as their first language are eligible to attend the ELLs (English Language Learners) support programme. Students leaving primary at the end of Year 6 generally move to Intermediate school which caters for Year 7 and 8 learners, then to college which educates students up to Year 13. Children at primary school do not work towards formal qualifications, but are assessed against a set of National Standards in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Your child will receive 2 written progress reports each calendar year.
Assurance
Our school is evaluated by the Education Review Office (ERO) each 3-5 years. The current review report (most recent from December 2017) is available from the ERO website http://www.ero.govt.nz/
Pigeon Mountain Primary School also reviews its provision for International Students annually, and provides assurance to the Board of Trustees that this review has been completed.
Official information on all schools in New Zealand is published on the Education Counts website http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/home
All our teachers are registered through the Education Council to teach in New Zealand. Details of our teachers’ registrations can be found on the Education Council website https://educationcouncil.org.nz/search-the-register
Living in New Zealand
Once you have been granted a visa, and have provided insurance details, you will be advised of your child’s starting date at Pigeon Mountain Primary School. Auckland is a multicultural city and people are generally very friendly and supportive towards visitors. At Pigeon Mountain Primary School, we have an active community and access to help for our new families. We are happy and available to help new students and families make links to support groups and other new settlers to our country. We have access to native speakers of many languages who are able to provide translation support should it be needed. Although New Zealanders are friendly and welcoming, it is still wise to take precautions with your personal possessions, and we are able to provide locked storage for such things when in school. Take time to orientate yourself with the unique features of New Zealand, for instance how cars drive on the left side of the road, and how safe road crossings are used. Up-to-date information on living in Auckland, NZ can be found on the website https://www.aucklandnz.com/study-work-and-live
Seeking Help and Support
If you need help in school, you can speak to your child’s classroom teacher. Our teachers are trained to care for students and are always available. You can also email your child’s teacher outside of school hours. Our teachers are available in person before school from 8.30am, and at the end of the day, generally until 3.30pm.
The ELLs teachers are also able to support you or your child if you have a problem or need help.
Team Leaders are the next person to contact if you need help or have a problem. Again, you can email the team leader for your team outside of school hours.
If you still require help or advice, you can speak to the Principal or International Student Manager.
In the event of an emergency, the following contacts can be used at all times;
Our Policies and Procedures
All our school policies and procedures (including those relating to International Students) are available through the SchoolDocs website http://pigeon-mountain.schooldocs.co.nz/ using the community username of pigeon-mountain and password of pmps1439
Although these policies and procedures cover all elements of our school, there are specific details relating to;
- Enrolment and tuition agreements
- International Student wellbeing
- Quality Assurance and Audit processes
- Disputes and Resolutions
- Cancellation and Refund Policies
- ELLs Policies and Procedures
Pigeon Mountain Primary School is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice. This document, and translated summaries of it can be found at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/education-code-of-practice/code-of-practice-resources-languages/
Please do not hesitate to contact school should you have any questions around our Policies and Procedures on (09) 535 9765 or general@pmps.school.nz