Schools set to chop back zones

Desperate principals are welcoming the prospect of keeping their rolls in check as families shift into their areas seeking quality education. Photo / Thinkstock

Pupils will be frozen out of top schools.

Scores of pupils will be frozen out of some of Auckland's top primary schools after a zone revamp.

The Ministry of Education has directed schools in Eastern Bays, Hibiscus Coast and Flat Bush to draw up new boundaries as pressure mounts on already bulging rolls. It would not outline the number of children affected by the pending changes.

Boards of trustees from 11 affected schools in some of Auckland's most desirable suburbs are working to reduce zones and will consult their communities early next year.

Meantime, the roll squeeze is taking its toll. Specialist rooms are being turned into makeshift classrooms and schools are cracking down on enrolment cheats.

Any permanent zone changes will be introduced in term two, said Education Ministry head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey.

Principals say children attending affected schools and who live in newly out-of-zone streets will still be able to stay in class but new students would not be able to enrol. In some instances younger siblings will be allowed to attend.

The ministry has also asked a number of West Auckland primary schools to introduce an enrolment scheme, including Arahoe, Peninsula, New Windsor and Green Bay Primary, by the second term.

Desperate principals are welcoming the prospect of keeping their rolls in check as families shift into their areas seeking quality education.

"We're over our maximum capacity and there's no sign the roll growth will be curbed," St Heliers School principal Craig McCarthny said. "There's no room to build and the only option is to reduce our zone."

He said his school, with a roll of just under 800, had grown a lot over the past eight years. New rooms had been built and the zone had been reduced several times.

The decile 10 school's specialist dance and drama suite had been turned into a new entrant classroom room for the last term of the past two years. Even building a new school in a neighbouring housing development had not been enough to stall pupil growth.

"We had hoped that when a significant chunk of the zone went to Stonefields that would solve the problem but it doesn't seem to have had the desired effect."

He said the area was cherrypicked by overseas executives relocating to New Zealand.

"They clearly want their children to get into a good school and that's a priority. If they want a particular school they will look for a house in the area," he said.

The eastern bays area review includes Churchill Park, Glendowie Primary, St Heliers Primary, Kohimarama, St Thomas and Stonefields schools.

McCarthny said the schools would examine removing shared zones as well as further reducing home zones.

Glendowie Primary board of trustees chairwoman Dawn Garbett said the board was vigilant in keeping the roll at 650 pupils and had "annulled" the enrolment of pupils whose family had intentionally deceived the school about their in-zone address.

She said the school boards in the area were working through the issue together.