At Gladstone School, we have 4 main transition points. 

• The first is from ECE (Early Childhood Education) to school.   

Sophie Mitchell is our transition coordinator. She facilitates visits to your child’s ECE and works with Jaime Church, the team leader of Kourarau to invite your child into school for some visits before they start school. There are also two movies for you to watch with your child ahead of them start. 

People you will meet!    Where can you play?

• The second is from Kourarau (Years 1-3) to Ruamahanga (Years 4-6). 

During the 4th term, teachers from Kourarau liaise with Ruamahanga to organise a set of transition afternoons. This is where students from Year 3 spend time in their classroom for the following year. Activities are undertaken during these sessions to build relationships and create familiarity with teachers and the space. 

We also have a transition evening for Year 3 parents where they can come along and meet with the Ruamahanga teachers and the principal for a Q&A session. 

• The third is from Ruamahanga (Years 4-6) to Ōnoke (Years 7-8).  

During the 4th term, teachers from Ruamahanga liaise with Ōnoke to organise a set of transition afternoons. This is where students from Year 6 spend time in their classroom for the following year. Activities are undertaken during these sessions to build relationships and create familiarity with teachers and the space. 

We also have a transition evening for Year 6 parents where they can come along and meet with the Ōnoke teachers and the principal for a Q&A session. 

• And finally the transition from Ōnoke (Years 7&8) to secondary school. 

During the year, secondary schools visit Ōnoke to talk about what is on offer at their schools. We then work with the individual secondary schools on suitable transition processes for our Year 8 students. Some Year 8 students benefit from visiting their new secondary school to build familiarity with the school and their new teachers. The Ōnoke teachers and Sophie Mitchell will liaise with whānau that we think this would be beneficial for and be done on a case by case basis.