Consulting on cohort entry for children starting at your school
In New Zealand, children start school or kura between the ages of five and six.
They must start school by their sixth birthday and stay in school until they're 16.
Schools choose between two entry methods for all new entrant students:
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Continuous entry – children start school at any time during the term (after their 5th birthday).
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Cohort entry – children start school in groups on specified days during the school term.
Since 01/01/2020, state and state-integrated schools now have the option to use a cohort entry policy.
Neither method is right or wrong. It simply depends on which best suits your school and your community.
If your board does decide to change your school's entry policy, you will need to consult the community and adopt a policy to this effect.
The following are some key concepts to help you understand your board's role in consulting your school's community about changing the entry policy.
What is cohort entry?
Once a child turns five, they can start school at one of two entry points per term:
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On the first day of term, or
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At a mid-point during a term.
Note: If a child has already been enrolled at another school and is moving to a school with cohort entry, the new school cannot apply their cohort entry policy to this child's start date.
How do you introduce a cohort entry?
Before introducing cohort entry, your board will need to develop a policy.
Under section 65 of the Education and Training Act 2020open_in_new, your board can choose to adopt (or revoke) a cohort entry policy, provided you have:
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consulted with your staff, the parents/caregivers/whānau of your current and prospective students, any local early learning services, and considered whether they find the policy generally acceptable; and
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given at least one term's notice of the change to the above members of your school community (this could be done in various ways, such as through the school's website or in a local community newspaper).
You must also give at least one term's notice to the Secretary of Education and provide confirmation:
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that a community-wide consultation has been undertaken and the community found the school entry policy change generally acceptable,
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of the date when you notified your community about the change, and
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about which term the cohort entry policy will take effect (or be revoked).
Note: The same process applies whether your board wants to introduce cohort entry or continuous entry.
You must consult and provide at least one term's notice to your community and the Secretary of Education.
Questions your board could ask
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Would there be any advantage to adopting a cohort entry policy?
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How would we consult with our community?
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Will we establish a delegated committee to consult and come back to our board with a recommendation?
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When would we like this policy to take effect?
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When would we review this policy?
Templates, resources, and references
Click on the link(s) below to access the templates, resources, and references related to this topic.
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Ministry of Education
Education and Training Act 2020