Kia ora koutou,

I am finally able to update you on the new zone for St Martins School. The Ministry have decided to retain the zone they originally proposed back in February. To this effect, they have directed the Board to adopt the new zone from January 1st 2021. Please see the maps attached below for details.

The Board’s submission following consultation with the community, to retain the area within the Prossers/Wades Road “loop”, was rejected on the grounds that it would carry a high risk of overcrowding. Our roll was set at 450 by the Ministry in 2019, and we are currently expecting around 530 students by the end of 2021. This means that we will continue to carefully manage enrolments, including no out of zone students for the foreseeable future (we have not accepted out of zone students since 2015). Siblings of students who currently attend St Martins will still be able to attend.

To allow for the transition to 450 students, which will happen over a number of years, the Ministry are currently working with the Board and the school to retain a number of temporary classrooms.

The rezoning will affect St Martins as well as Beckenham and Thorrington schools, who are also implementing their new zone boundaries on January 1st.

We hope to be in touch with a building update in the next week or so.

Ngā mihi nui,

 

Kate Hodgins

Chair, St Martins Board of Trustees