3 February - 2 April
20 April - 3 July
20 July - 25 September
12 October - 17 December (12pm Close)
Waitangi Day
Friday 6th February
Kings Birthday
Monday 1st June
Matariki Holiday
Friday 20th June
Labour Day
Monday 26th October
Marlborough Anniversary
Monday 2nd November
It is important that children are not arriving at school before 8:30am as school is closed while teachers and staff set up for the day. Before School Care operates via a number of external providers up until this time. It is also equally as important that students are at school before the 8:50am bell as lateness can disturb the learning of the child and classroom which can directly affect school success.
School grounds open for children to arrive at school
School Starts
Morning Tea Break
Classes restart
Lunch/Break Play
Supervised Lunch Eating Time
Classes restart
School ends
The Witherlea School Board ask that parents make an annual donation of $150 per child. Income is used to supplement the Operations Grant provided by the Government and allows for our school to be well resourced and offer your child the very best learning opportunities. Please enquire at the school office about paying your school donation in instalments.
Following payment of the donation you will receive a tax credit note.
Many people prefer to pay through internet banking. Please be aware we do not check this everyday however there is a dedicated time for our office staff to go through these. Make sure you use your LAST NAME and WHAT you are paying for as a reference otherwise we will not know who and what the payment is for.
This is the school number: 12-3167-0133327-00
Witherlea School requires that its students wear a school uniform. We believe the uniform gives our students a sense of pride and belonging within our school community, and makes our children visible in the community.
The following items are compulsory and must be worn by all students:
Shoe expectations:
Other uniform expectations:
Students are allowed to wear black or navy blue thermal tops and leggings/tights under their uniform. Coat/puffer jacket in the playground on colder days.
Our uniform is available for purchase at The Warehouse Blenheim for the remainder of 2026. From the begining of next year our new uniform will be available to purchase directly from the school office.
We have a second-hand uniform shop available at school. Please get in touch with the office if you would like to purchase anything or email office@witherlea.school.nz
Prices are;
We are always grateful for any clean, tidy uniforms to sell, these can be dropped off at the school office
We have a clear pathway to solve issues and come to either
a shared understanding or a resolution at Witherlea School.
From time to time matters of concern and/or questions may arise. The first person you should speak to would be your child’s teacher, who will work with you to resolve the issue and find solutions. If concerns persist, the Team Leader may be able to assist and then management could support. Please follow this process to save valuable time and so the right person is dealing with each concern/issue.
dans@witherlea.school.nz
pj@witherlea.school.nz
phillj@witherlea.school.nz
To book an appointment with our Principal, please contact the school office via phone or email.
The following methods are used to communicate information to the school community:
Issued odd weeks
(Term One - Week One)
Interviews (Term one)
Interviews (Term three)
Evenings and Open Days
Only medication prescribed by a registered practitioner can be administered at school. A consent form must be completed at the office by the parent / caregiver. Medication is kept at the office, not in classrooms.
In the event of your child being involved in an accident which causes concern at school, we will, if necessary arrange for medical attention and notify you immediately. Please make sure that we always have your up-to-date telephone number, and an emergency back-up number.
We have a sick bay, which is available for first aid, and as a place for ill or injured children to wait for parents to collect them. In case of sickness we will get in touch with you if children need to go home. We have visits from the Public Health Nurse, and she will contact you if there are matters needing further attention.
Bikes may be stored on bike racks. Bikes, scooters or other wheels must not be ridden in the school grounds – we also ask all students to walk their bikes and scooters down to McKenzie Street before riding as we have many pedestrians that could be run into.
It is recommended by the Police that those pupils under 10 should not cycle to school. All cyclists must wear an approved safety helmet and we encourage the use of a reflector jacket.
We adopted helmet wearing on our scooters in 2021 due to a rising number of accidents and near misses on our roads.
Many after school activity programmes operate five days per week from 3.15pm – 5.30pm. Children must be enrolled in order to attend these programme.
Oscars Blenheim 03 578 1355
Little Red Fox Hub 03 579 1150
