Enrolment Scheme

Introduction

Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti is a Designated Character school, established under Section 156 of the Education Act 1989. The only students who are eligible for enrolment are those whose parents accept the designated character of the school as set out in the Education Gazette notice, which established the school.

The success of the outcome for students is to a significant extent dependent on the students and their parents/caregivers understanding and supporting the special character of Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti. Therefore it is important that parents of prospective students have a clear understanding of the school’s philosophy and method of operating. Ideally all students and their parents/caregivers will go through the enrolment information programme.

All students and parents/caregivers will be interviewed by the Director or Community Leader before enrolment is confirmed to ensure that the special character is understood and to ascertain if the student’s learning needs could be best met in this school. Places will only be offered to those students who meet or have the potential to meet the special character requirements.

Parents/caregivers are required to sign the Confirmation of Enrolment Form to affirm their understanding and support of the special character.

Pre-enrolment

Each year, applications for enrolment will be sought by a date which will be published in the Press.

The prospectus, web-site and other pre-enrolment information will contain a description of the special character and time-lines for the enrolment process.

Enrolment process

If there are more eligible applicants than available places then students will be selected for enrolment according to the following:

1 Priority Applicants

Priority will be given to the following groups of students, subject to confirmation of them meeting the special character requirements (normally through the interview process):

• students currently attending Discovery 1 in Year 8
• siblings of students already attending Unlimited Paenga Tawhiti
• students whose names were taken at the public meetings held in 2001and 2002

If the number of priority applicants exceeds the number of available places then applicants will be balloted and allocation of places will be in ballot order.

2 Non-priority Applicant

2.1 Applications received by the advertised closing date:

All applicants will be balloted and given a ranked placement.

The allocation of places will be in ballot order, up to the maximum intake as established by the Board

2.2 Late Applicants

Applications received after the advertised closing date will be deemed as late. Late applications will be considered for the allocation of places which remain unfilled from the initial procedures as outlined above.

Priority students will be considered first, followed by non-priority applicants.

3 Proximity

In the gazetted Aims,Purposes and Objectives is the objective that this style of education be accessible to those who choose it. The deliberate location in the central city gives access via public transport so that lack of proximity is not a barrier to access.

4 Maximum roll

The Board will determine annually a maximum capacity for the total roll based on the accommodation capacity. For 2012 the total roll will be managed within the maximum roll of 470.
The selection process described above will operate at each year level of the school, depending on the number of places deemed by the Director to be available at that level.

Effective 1 May 2011

Approved by the UNLIMITED PAENGA TAWHITI Board of Trustees

Signed: Board Chairperson

Date: 28 April 2011