New Entrants

Our cohort entry policy applies from December 2021.

Victoria Avenue School operates a cohort entry policy, which allows new entrants to start school in cohort groups on the first day of the term, or at a mid-point during the term (set by the Ministry of Education), rather than singly on each child’s 5th birthday (also known as continuous entry).

We believe that cohort entry allows new entrants an easier transition to school and helps them build relationships with their fellow new entrants and other students already in the class. It allows Victoria Avenue School to better plan its staffing requirements, and minimises disruption for new entrant teachers.

Once a child is formally enrolled at school, they must attend school regularly. Children must be enrolled in school by their 6th birthday.

We will contact you to confirm all the details that you need to know, including the:

• Dates for two pre-school visits 

These run from 9am to 10am on two mornings prior to starting school. These visits allow your child to become familiar with the school, their class, and their teacher. We will provide parent workshops on Belonging at School and Learning at School while your children are in class. Parents are given an overview of life and learning at our school and all of the practical questions parents have about starting school can be answered. While parents are at the meeting, your child will go to a new entrant classroom and participate in the learning programme. The dates for these meetings are shared with parents on enrolment.

• Date of the first day at school. 

The start date for each cohort is set by Ministry of Education and are shared with parents on enrolment.