Parents & Whānau
Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini
I come not with my own strengths but bring with me the gifts, talents and strengths of my family, tribe and ancestors
Working with a Resource Teacher?
Informed Consent
If a school and their Liaison RTLB decide to complete a Request For Support to the RTLB service, the parent must be asked for their informed consent and sign the RTLB consent form.
This includes the following statements:
I/we have been informed of the reason for this referral, and have read the completed referral form.
If this referral is accepted I give consent for the RTLB to collect or share information with regard to my child with appropriate professionals.
I understand that if deemed appropriate, my child may be referred to Ministry of Education Regional Office for intervention.
I understand this information will be used and disclosed only for the purposes for which it is collected.
If there is any part of this that you wish to discuss further then please ask the school or your RTLB
What to expect
Once the Request for Support (R4S) is completed then it is submitted for discussion at an Allocation meeting.
Allocation meetings are every 2 weeks where all current R4S are discussed and allocated.
R4S may be allocated to a member of the RTLB team, placed on a waiting list, asked for more information or declined.
If accepted, the allocated RTLB contacts the school to arrange a meeting with the teacher to clarify the focus of the R4S and agree on the data which needs to be collected.
Data is collected to help with the planning, this could include; classroom observations, assessments, student interview and parent interview.
Once the RTLB has been able to analyse the data then a planning meeting is arranged.
The planning team develop a plan with specific goals and arrange resources, strategies and/or funding to support the team to implement the plan.
The RTLB monitors the plan and offers feedback to the team.
Usually after about 10 weeks a review meeting is arranged to discuss how the plan is going and whether the goals have been met, are in progress or have not been met.
From the review meeting a decision is made on whether the intervention is to continue, have new goals set or be closed at this point.
The RTLB service provides a short to medium term service with interventions often being between 20-30 weeks in length.
Links to useful information for parents and whānau
Asking the right questions at primary school
This is an older booklet from the Ministry of Education but is a useful starting point for help in choosing a primary school.
Asking the right questions at secondary school
This is an older booklet from the Ministry of Education but is a useful starting point when choosing a secondary school.
Information for Parents from the MoE
Practical Information from the Ministry of Education Parent Website. This covers pre-school, primary and secondary.
Information for Parents ~ Learning Support
If your child has some learning support needs it's important to know what support is available to you, and how you can access it.
Information on Neurodiversity
A list of national and international website links that provide evidence-based information on these.
Support with Parenting
A range of links to organisations that can help with parenting.
Incredible Years for Parents
Incredible Years Parent is a 14-session programme for parents of children aged 3–8, which provides parents with skills to better manage children with behavioural problems, creating a home environment that is conducive to positive social and educational outcomes.
Special Assessment Conditions (SACs)
Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) provide extra help for approved students when they are being assessed for their NCEA so that barriers to achievement can be removed and they then have a fair opportunity to achieve credits. The support is used for internal standards and external (exams) standards.
Useful agencies to help support you and your family
MoE Parent help directory
There are many organisations and groups around the country that you can get in touch with for practical support, advice, resources and contact details of specialists.
It is really valuable to be able to talk with people who understand what it's like to parent or care for a child with learning support needs.
Family Services Directory
A fully searchable and up to date directory of agencies and organisations that can support your family.
Southern Health Directory of Services
A comprehensive directory of the health care services and providers available across our region.
Family Works
Family Works supports children, young people and their families to be safe, strong and connected.
Families – by working alongside you to resolve conflicts and strengthen relationships.
Children – by supporting children and young people to overcome challenges at home or school.
Parents – by addressing issues and building strong, supportive family relationships.
STAND for Childrens Service
The daily focus of STAND for Children's work, is to protect children from further trauma, support their recovery and enhance their wellbeing.
Otago Youth Wellness
A free community-based service for the Dunedin area that works alongside young people and their family/whānau to create positive change. We help strengthen what is working well in the lives of young people, whilst addressing the issues that may be impacting negatively on them.
Strengthening Families
Provides a way for families to get co-ordinated access to services. by promoting cooperation between community organisations, social services and government agencies, everyone involved works more effectively and efficiently with the families/ whānau involved in the process.
Anglican Family Care
Anglican Family Care is a social services agency that has served the people of Dunedin and Otago since 1970.
Our main focus is children, young people and their families, but we also provide services that support individuals in need.
Our services are for all people regardless of beliefs because we respect the values and beliefs of the Anglican Church, especially "To respond to human needs by loving service".
He Ao Hou
He Ao Hou is an ambitious initiative for North Dunedin, Ōtepoti ki te Raki, focused on enhancing community well-being, supporting children, tamariki, young people, rangatahi, families and whānau. Through improved access to resources, programmes and support systems, He Ao Hou aims to bridge service gaps and foster a nurturing environment over the next 25 years.