About Education in Schools

We love what we do – and apparently it shows.

“I have valued my interactions with the staff at the Plunket head office in Wellington. When I started teaching ECE they were always at the end of a phone or quick to respond to an email if I encountered any problems with the content or had assessment queries … they are reliable, professional ECE providers.” – Class Teacher, Bay of Plenty

For all Agreement Forms and MOUs please see the corresponding course info page.

Course Report Forms

• Unit Standard Course Report Forms
• Non-Assessed Course Report Forms

Evaluation Forms

• Teacher Led Evaluation Form
• Plunket Led Evaluation Form
• Student Evaluation Form

Consent Forms (for parental permissions for practicums and ECE centre placements)

• Level 2 consent form
• Level 3 consent form

Do you have a child/children from 0-5 years of age? Are you interested in sharing your parenting experiences? Do you have a few hours to participate in first hand learning experiences with our students?

Then we’d love to hear from you!

“I really enjoyed being a part of Plunket in Schools. I'd go in with the kids and the students ask questions about what it’s like being a parent. I liked being able to help and impart some of my experience to the younger generations.” – Christy, mum of three

What do the volunteer parents do?

For some Plunket led classes we invite our volunteer parents and their pre-school children to come into the classroom. These sessions are between 30-45 minutes long and held during the school day.

During the session you will be introduced, and the students will have some pre-prepared questions to ask you about you and your children and your experiences of parenting.

For example, sometimes the focus of the session might be about:

• Play and the students will engage with you and your children with some toys and games which they have sometimes made themselves, or
• Nutrition and the students will have made an appropriate meal for young children that they would like to share with your tamariki.

The classes are advertised on our closed Facebook groups and you will choose if you are available to attend a session and what the focus of the session will be.

You’ll also be given directions on how to get to the school office, where to park and you will be met at the office by students and then take to the classroom.

We are always grateful for families being available for these classes as it helps reinforce new learning for the students and gives them practical experiences that puts this learning in context.

We’d love to hear from you

If you’re interested in finding out more, contact our EIS team below to register your interest or to get more information.

You can also check out our Parent Volunteer Guide 2021.

We also always love to hear about how our current volunteer parents are finding their experience with us. Feel free to send us your feedback.

In line with Whānau Āwhina Plunket’s pro-equity strategy, Education in Schools is working towards our strategic goal: To enhance how our teaching and learning connects with and honours Education in School learners and their diversity, culture and gender.

As an example of this, we have received and welcomed feedback on course design for a new non-assessed programme developed for Teen Parents on how we could better reflect our learners in our learner material, which we promptly implemented. 

This goal fits closely with the steps that Education in Schools has been taking to ensure our practices are aligned to the requirements of the newly implemented Code of Practice for pastoral care. Below is a summary report from our Code of Practice Self-review.

Education in Schools has continued to prioritise the alignment of our pastoral care offerings with the requirements of the current Code of Practice. On 1 November 2024, we submitted our NZQA attestation confirming that we have effectively implemented the requirements of the Code. As part of this process, we conducted a self-review of our current practices with the support of external industry experts. 

The self-review has confirmed that we are meeting the intended outcomes of the Code, particularly the first four outcomes outlined below:

1. Learner Wellbeing and Safety System: Providers must maintain a comprehensive and transparent system that addresses the diverse needs of learners.
2. Learner voice: Providers must understand and respond to diverse learner voices, ensuring that learners' mana and autonomy are respected.
3. Safe, Inclusive, and Supportive Learning Environments: Providers must foster safe and inclusive environments that support positive learning experiences for all learner groups.
4. Learners are Safe and Well: Providers must ensure that learners have the support needed to manage their physical and mental health and that those requiring additional help are identified and supported.

Findings and Implementation:

The self-review has informed the development of our Code of Practice Implementation goals for 2024. Below is a summary of the strengths identified in our practices, as well as the goals for further improvement.

Well-Implemented Practices:

• Plunket has the necessary policies in place, including a student code of conduct, which are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current needs.
• We engage proactively with learners and staff, gathering their feedback through surveys and regular communication. We review these survey results consistently and ensure that student voices are incorporated into decision-making.
• The secondary schools we work with have well-established Wellbeing Code of Practice policies in place.
• Our staff undergo a thorough onboarding and induction process, with ongoing professional development to support their roles and enhance their ability to implement the Code of Practice.
• In 2024 a review and update of survey questions and procedure was undertaken to ensure they remain relevant and effective in capturing student feedback.

Implementation Goals for 2024: 

• Conduct an in-depth review of data collected over the past three years to identify any risks to student wellbeing, ensuring appropriate risk reporting and mitigation strategies are in place.
• Continue to host regular professional development days for staff and contractors focused on the Code of Practice and the services available to students.
• Ensure students are provided with a clear and accessible list of support services, and ensure they know how to reach out for help when needed.

These goals will be reviewed and assessed as part of our 6-monthly operational plan reviews to evaluate their impact and effectiveness. 

We will also continue to monitor complaints and feedback as per our existing complaints procedure. Complaints and feedback can be submitted through the schools where their teachers or our educators deliver Education in Schools learning, through our educators, or through an email submission to EISadmin@plunket.org.nz.

If you have a question for the Education in Schools team, feel free to get in touch.

Sharelle Rowntree
Team Leader - Education in Schools
Email: sharelle.rowntree@plunket.org.nz

Email:EIS.Admin@plunket.org.nz