Student Support Structures

Coming to a new school can be quite daunting. We have an extensive network set up to provide the help and support that is needed for students and parents.

Whānau Teacher:
This is the person you will see every day. S/he is there to give you help and advice on problems you may encounter. Your Whānau Teacher is the first person you and your parents have contact with.

Deans:
In each house there is a Head of School and Dean who have the responsibility of placing you in your Whānau class and in option classes. They will help guide students in making subject choices. They also deal with more difficult and more serious matters.

Guidance Counsellor:
Where the problems or concerns are of a more confidential and personal nature, the Guidance Counsellor is a person you can talk with. You can contact him/her directly or via your Whānau Teacher or Dean.

Careers Counsellor:
The Careers Counsellor is available to help all students with choosing career pathways and course planning, goal setting and time management that is necessary to achieve their chosen goals.

In the Careers Office is information about :

Tertiary education and costs at all NZ Universities and Polytechnics
Apprenticeships and I.T.O.'s
Skill NZ Courses
Scholarships and grants

It is a good idea to check with the Careers Counsellor while making option choices at the end of each year, particularly in Years 11 and 12. Caregivers are welcome to come to appointments with students.

Senior Management:
Students and parents should not hesitate to contact a member of the Senior Management team if there is a serious problem. The team consists of the Principal, Associate Principal, Deputy Principal, Assistant Principal, four Heads of School and five Faculty Heads.

Health Nurse:
The Health Department employs a nurse who visits the school regularly and is able to give advice to students.

Support Classes in Other Subjects:
At Freyberg we feel it is important to ensure that all students achieve to the best of their ability. Sometimes students have difficulty in a particular subject area or need a little extra time on a particular topic. We have support programmes in place to address this. We also see a need to prepare students for situations outside school. Some of the support programmes include Mathematics, Reading and ESOL.

Peer Support
As part of the development of our seniors we see much merit in encouraging Year 13 students to work with individual junior students in the classroom. Some juniors experiencing difficulty with aspects of study are paired with a senior student in the classroom, so that help can be given with understanding problems and coping with the work