International Students

ENROLLING AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT

 

Tawa Intermediate process for enrolling international students is:

 

1. Initial Enquiry

a) Students and their families express an interest for enrolling their child/ren at Tawa Intermediate. This may be via an email or via‘the Agent’. 

 

b)Tawa Intermediate will send out a copy of the application form, terms and conditions and prospectus to the student. This may happen via‘the Agent’. 

 

2. Application Forms & Documentation Received

a) Once the application form and terms and conditions have been completed and signed families or the agent will send it to the school together with certified copies of the student’s birth certificate or passport and latest school report. The school also requires copies of the birth certificate or passport for the parent or legal guardian who the student will be living with while studying at Tawa Intermediate. 

 

b)The school will check all application forms and the terms and conditions to ensure that they have been fully completed and signed. 

 

c) The school will then assess the suitability of the student and availability of spaces in the school (year level, space in classes, etc) Class placements are made based on year level, which is determined by a student’s date of birth. 

 

d) Once the school has assessed that they have space for the student, a Conditional Offer of Place which includes information about year level, enrolment dates and study costs alongside an Invoice for the administration fee and tuition fees are sent to the student and their family. For a student to be offered a place at the school, the administration fee and tuition fees must be paid as soon as possible. If for some reason, Tawa Intermediate is not able to take the student a letter of non-acceptance will be sent to the parents and/or agent. 

 

e) Once the school has received the payment the student and family will be sent a formal Offer of Place stating the year level the student will study at and it will also include the start and end dates of enrolment. Alongside the formal offer of place the school will send a receipt to acknowledge the payment of tuition fees. These documents will be required by Immigration New Zealand when the student applies for their Student Visa. 

 

f) When the student has been issued the relevant visa (student visa, or a visitor’s visa for three months or less) the school must view and take a copy of it. The school must make sure that the names on the visa match the names on both the student and parent’s passport and the dates for which the visa is valid. (It is a good idea to keep these details in a spreadsheet)

 

g)The school will check that students and their families also have the compulsory up-to-date Travel and Medical Insurance to cover them during their time in NZ. The school must check the policy to know what the student is covered for and to ensure that the student’s name is on the Policy and the dates for which the insurance is valid. (It is a good idea to keep these details in a spreadsheet)

 

3. On Arrival in New Zealand

a) Tawa Intermediate will organise an Orientation session for new students and their families prior to the student/s starting school. If possible, it is important for a translator to be present to support the new families who may arrive with very little or no English.

 

b) The initial Orientation programme is a chance for new families and students to;

 

i) meet the Principal, Deputy Principal, person responsible for international students and the classroom teacher. 

 

ii) Have a look around the school so that they know where they are going to be on their first day at school. 

 

iii) Understand what they need to pack in their school bags each day. 

 

iv) Hear about school policies relating to International Students including the process for how to make a complaint or express a concern, routines and expectations so they know what to expect during their time at Tawa Intermediate. This information is all included in the Tawa Intermediate IS Orientation Pack. 

 

v) Update any relevant contact information for the school to enter onto e-tap. This includes deciding on an English name if the family chooses to use one. 

 

vi) Get things such as stationery organised. 

 

vii) Ask questions about things they are unsure about. 

 

viii) Learn who the 24/7 contact person is for the school (this includes the person based at the school and the first language support person) and find out reasons they may need to contact this person. 

 

c) If not already completed, give passports to the school to get a copy of the main page of passport and visa to be kept in students file. (both students and parents) 

 

d) Sign other documents for school relating to decisions affecting the student – use of images and recordings, EOTC – participation in local events and trips, Internet user agreements etc.

 

4. The first day of school at Tawa Intermediate

a) Students and their families will be met by the person responsible for International Students and taken to their classroom where they will be introduced to the teacher and classmates and shown where to hang their bag and reminded about where the nearest toilets are. 

 

b) The teacher will ensure that the student has at least one buddy to help them settle in and find their way around the school for at least the first two weeks at school. 

 

c) The person responsible for international students will visit new students in their classrooms throughout the first few weeks of school and feedback to parents and/or agent as to how the student is settling in. 

 

d) The person responsible for international students will send new families a text and/or email during the first day to let parents know how their child/ren are settling at Tawa Intermediate. 

 

CONDITIONS OF ENROLMENT

The following terms and conditions must be read, understood, and accepted prior to the application form being completed and signed.

Tawa Intermediate reserves the right to decline any application for enrolment.

 

a) All tuition and accommodation fees must be paid in advance

 

b) All students under the age of 10 must live with their parents or a legal guardian for the entire duration of their study at Tawa Intermediate.  Students 10 years of age and older and not living with their parents or a legal guardian may live with a Residential or Designated Caregiver.

 

c) All full time students who are studying for less than three months may attend school on a visitors visa.

 

d) All full time students who are studying for more than three months must have a student visa for at least 12 months

 

e) All parents must have a guardian visa with the same conditions as the student

 

f) All students must have medical and travel insurance to cover the length of the visa (most students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand)

 

g) Any breaches of International Student Visa conditions will be reported by the School to Immigration New Zealand

 

Note:

It is the responsibility of the caregiver / agent to ensure that all documentation is completed to enable the child to attend school.