Donations and Activity Contributions
School Donations – Supporting Learning at Woodlands Park School
At Woodlands Park School, we are committed to providing every child with a rich, inclusive and high-quality education. While the Ministry of Education provides operational funding to all state schools, this funding does not cover the full cost of running schools. Learning support programs, curriculum resources, and small class sizes are important to us, but we cannot run them without your donations.
Why does our school ask for a donation?
Some New Zealand schools are eligible to participate in the Government’s School Donations Scheme. Under this scheme, eligible schools receive additional funding from the Government in return for not requesting a general school donation from families.
Eligibility is determined by a school’s Equity Index (EQI). The Equity Index replaced the former school decile system and is designed to identify schools whose students are more likely to experience socioeconomic barriers to educational achievement.
Because Woodlands Park School has a lower Equity Index rating – historically reflected in our higher decile rating – we do not qualify for the Government’s School Donations Scheme. This means we do not receive the additional per-student funding available to eligible schools and must rely more heavily on our existing operational funding, fundraising and voluntary contributions from our community.
Where does your contribution go?
Our Board deliberately invests a substantial proportion of the school’s operational funding directly into teaching and learning. This includes providing additional learning support, maintaining additional teaching capacity, supporting smaller and more manageable class sizes where possible, purchasing high-quality literacy and mathematics resources, providing curriculum resources and equipment, and creating a broad range of educational opportunities for our students.
These commitments significantly enhance what we can provide for our tamariki, but they also create a gap between the funding we receive and the educational provision we want to maintain.
Your school donation helps us bridge this gap.
Every contribution, regardless of the amount, directly supports the learning and opportunities available to our students. School donations are voluntary, and no child will be disadvantaged or excluded from their regular school programme because their family is unable to contribute.
We are extremely grateful for the ongoing generosity and support of our school community. Together, your contributions help us continue to provide the very best opportunities we can for every child at Woodlands Park School.
Thank you for investing in our tamariki and their learning.
Your family contribution will be used to:
- To meet the outcomes of the school’s strategic goals regarding raising student progress and achievement
- Support all curriculum learning areas in the classroom including our STEAM and Ceramics programme
- Purchase resources and facilitate opportunities to meet individual needs
- Subsidise special events such as sports, camps and other school trips.
- Enhance Enviroschool and Education For Sustainability (EFS) opportunities
We regard annual family contributions as the fairest and most feasible way to provide educational opportunities for all our children. Most parents and caregivers at the school, regardless of their ability to pay, share this view. Please note that donation tax credits can be claimed.
There are several ways you can choose to contribute. The automatic payment option has proven to be very popular. Please support our school, it is appreciated.
Please click here for up to date family contribution costs.
Payments can be made by:
- HERO (this is our preferred method of payment where possible please)
- EFTPOS at the school office
- Automatic payment – flexible eg weekly, monthly, each term as suits.
Receipts will be given which allow you to claim a 33% IRD tax credit (form IR526)