Application Guidelines

Key Information

The purpose of study support centres is to help senior primary students, at risk of educational under-achievement, develop study habits by providing additional resources to help them learn and achieve.

Study support centres can be supervised study centres within schools, supervised centres within community facilities, or `virtual' centres making use of 0800 numbers and the internet to link students and study assistance.

Schools and community organisations can apply for funding to help run study support centres provided the students being assisted attend decile 1, 2, or 3 schools. Preference will be given to joint community/school applications. Groups of schools may also apply. A school or group of schools must have a minimum roll size of 100 students and an average decile ranking below 4.

Study support centres will be established in all regions of the country, proportionate to the numbers of students in decile 1, 2, and 3 schools within each region. If applications for study support centres are not obtained from particular regions, the Ministry will actively seek them.

Preference for funding under this policy will not be given to schools who have received assistance under the Innovation Pool initiative, Tu Tangata, Kiwi Can, Cool Kids, or who have received special Government grants for similar activities (eg, some SEMO and AIMHI schools who have received grants to run homework centres).

Funding can only be used for running/operational costs and the employment of staff. It cannot be used for capital expenditure such as buildings and computers.

Criteria

The minimum facilities a study support centre must provide are:

1. a supervisor who is a registered teacher;

2. a comfortable, welcoming and safe environment that is suitable to the purpose of this initiative;

3. be open for at least six hours a week;

4. in the case of a school, provision for at least 10% of the student population;

5. in the case of a community group, provision for an agreed minimum number of students, to be negotiated with the community group and agreed by the Ministry of Education;

6. access to computers, the internet, reference materials and helpful adults; and

7. suitable food and drink.

Access to computers is a priority for this initiative. Students must have access to the internet in the same way they are now able to do so within the school environment. Please note that funding under this initiative cannot be used to purchase computers. The funding under this initiative is not necessarily expected to fully fund study support centres, we are helping those who are helping themselves and their communities assist achievement of students.

Funding

Funding will be provided initially on a three year basis, although schools/community groups can then re-apply for funding. There are no closing dates for applications so that schools and groups may consult with their communities to gauge support for this initiative. Schools and groups that meet the criteria can apply for funding as soon as they wish using the form available for download from this web page.

To receive funding, community groups will need to have body corporate status. Evidence of this status will need to be provided in the application. The Ministry of Education will assist groups who do not hold this status.

Accountability for funding under this initiative will be through Education Review Office reports on schools where study support centres have been funded, and by sending an annual return to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry will provide a template for this return. The template will include information on key performance indicators such as attendance and hours of opening, parent and student surveys, financial information, and a report on the impact of the study support centre on student achievement. This will be important as continued funding will depend on meeting the required standards.