Student and Staff Wellbeing is at the heart of this information
We are a Positive Behaviour for Learning School (PB4L)
We encourage our parent community to uphold the School CARE values in all dealings with staff and students.
Disciplining other children in the school grounds
Our school should be a happy and safe place for all of our students. Please do not reprimand another student. If you have concerns about what you see or hear in the playground please talk with your child’s teacher, the Senior Management team or the Principal.
Physical Punishment
Tirimoana School, like all schools in New Zealand, has a complete ban on physical (Corporal) punishment and seclusion (forcibly restricting children’s right to safe, free movement and safe participation in school activities)
All Staff have the opportunity to engage in UBRS ( Understanding Behaviour, Responding Safely) to understand how to de-escalate and respond to calm things down when dangerous situations occur. These workshops are conducted by Ministry of Education Learning Support specialists.
Change to Physical Punishment and Physical Restraint
Smoking and Vaping on School Premises
The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 (the Amendment Act) prohibits smoking and vaping in schools, kura kaupapa, kōhanga reo and early childhood education and care centres (including their grounds and buildings). This means they are smokefree and vapefree at all times.
Consuming Alcohol on School Grounds
Alcohol shall not be consumed on school premises at any time when school is open for instruction, or be provided to any person under the age of 18 years.
Schools are a core part of the community and are important settings for promoting health and wellbeing, through education, policies and modelling behaviour. Use of alcohol in the community is acknowledged. The sale, supply and consumption of alcohol on school premises is restricted to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and other people.
Searching children’s bags and confiscation of property
Reinforcing our PB4L CARE values, if in the rare case, a student’s bag is searched, at all times the student’s right to natural justice will be preserved.
In January 2014, new laws came into force that defined what schools can legally do when they wish to search and confiscate a student’s property while they’re at school.
- Teachers are only allowed to take items which are likely to be dangerous, or likely negatively impact the learning environment of your child or other students, or are harmful (and pose an immediate threat to the physical or emotional safety of anyone).
- Teachers can’t use physical force to take items off children unless there was an immediate threat to someone’s safety.
- School needs to return any items taken off children as soon as practicable.
Bringing toys from home to school
School allows children to bring small toys because they are an important tool for learning social skills. For most children, they play safely and happily with their toys. We recommend that children not bring valuable or highly prized toys to school.
Information kept on your children
School has a legal obligation to keep, store and dispose of student school records in accordance with the Public Records Act 2005.
Information is collected to form part of the essential information the school holds on students in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. The records made from this information may be viewed on request at the school.
At times relevant information from other schools for enrolment purposes and class placements may be forwarded or requested.
Health and Physical Education 
Tirimoana School consults with our parent/whanau community at least every 2 years on aspects of Health Education and Physical Education to identify local priorities including personal growth, physical care and development.
The below statement reflects our current shared view, and aligns with expectations in the Health and Physical Education Curriculum and our school CARE values (PB4L).
Parents and staff agree that the following priorities are important:
- daily physical fitness (94%); healthy eating (89%); learning about wellbeing and mental health (94%); having opportunities for participation in sports (90%); learning about good hygiene (91%); learning water safety skills (98%); learning about road safety (97%).
- Learning about personal growth and physical development, personal care, body changes, body image and relationships is important at Year 6.
Parents are confident that teachers can be trusted to responsibly and sensitively respond to questions about body image, relationships, body changes and sexuality (82%).
The next round of consultation will be in 2023.
Dogs at School
Families are welcome to bring your dog to school when dropping off or collecting your children, providing your dog is on a leash. You should also have a doggie poo bag in case you need to clean up any droppings! If you bring your dog onsite after school hours, then please also clean up any mess that your dog leaves behind.
If your dog escapes from home and comes on to school property we will catch it, put it on a leash and give it a drink of water. Then we will contact you if we can. If we are unable to do so, then we will call the council dog control.