School Donations at Wadestown School: Our Approach  

Wadestown School strives to provide our students with a wide and rich range of activities and experiences outside of the classroom. To do this, we require donations from families to assist us in making these additional opportunities available to our students.

A large amount of the equipment and resources we provide at Wadestown School are not covered by government funding. The school relies heavily on the generosity of our parent community to support the school so we can ensure our students have everything they need.

While the school is reliant on donations, we are keenly aware that they are not compulsory. At all times, every child is included in all curriculum related activities; regardless of whether their families have paid their donations or not. No child will ever be excluded from a curriculum related activity. We know how vital it is for all students to participate in wider curriculum opportunities and see it as a key part of our teaching and learning programmes. 

We continue to review the level of support that the school receives from our parental community. Should we find ourselves in a situation in which this support shows significant or ongoing decline, we will be put in a position in which we have to review the experiences that we can offer. 

There are three types of donations at Wadestown School. Additionally, there are also a number of activities for which a fee is sought. 

The three main donations each year are the:

• Annual School Donation
• Classroom Activity Donation and, 
• School Camp Donation (for students in Years 5 – 8)

The majority of donations are tax deductible, and it is easy to manage this on the IRD website: https://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax/income-tax-for-individuals/individual-tax-credits/tax-credits-for-donations

Please note that Wadestown School issues tax receipts after 31 March each year.

Annual School Donations: All students (Years 1 – 8) 

The Annual School Donation helps provide some of the things that our parents and students tell us they like and have come to expect at Wadestown School.

The Annual School Donation helps pay for:

• Additional Teacher Aides for in-class support
• Some classroom equipment and resources
• A range of consumable items for classrooms and the library
• Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) events.

Classroom Activity Donation: All students (Years 1 – 8) 

The Classroom Activity Donation is set at the beginning of each year and sets out costs for all additional activities over the course of the school year.

A breakdown of what has been spent and what will be spent each term is included in each Team’s Termly Newsletter. Team Newsletters are published at the beginning of Week 3, of each term.

Examples of some classroom activities donations are:

• ASB sports coaching
• NZ Playhouse performances
• National Library visits
• Year 8 Government House visit
• Science RoadShow
• Visits to places like the City Gallery and Te Papa

School Camp Costs – Students in Years 4 – 8 only

Wadestown School has a long tradition of providing an annual camp for all students from Year 5 through to Year 8. In preparation for these camping experiences, all our Year 4 students participate in an overnight stay usually at the Zoo (dependent on availability). Our camps are a highlight of the student year and require a high level of parental support to ensure their success. 

In the post-covid environment school camp venues have become harder to secure, and general costs (e.g. for travel, food, and instructor assistance) have increased across all the camps we use. 

Depending on the location of the camp each year, student costs can be between $300 and $500 per year. To assist with the overall costs of camps, we have recently increased the parent helper costs. Parent helpers are now charged a donation to cover a portion of the cost of their accommodation and their meals for the duration of camp. And again, this is reviewed ahead of every camp. 

At all times, we aim to keep the costs as low as we can without compromising on child safety and the quality of the EOTC experience. Team Leaders conduct a thorough breakdown of costs and look at ways of reducing these, without compromising student safety or enjoyment. 

Fees: All students by choice (Years 1 – 8) 

There are some school activities for which a fee is charged. Fees are not voluntary and only students who have paid the fee are able to participate in the activity. Examples of fee-paying activities are: 

• Sports Fees – registration costs range from $20 to $80 depending on the sports’ code. Some sports incur larger additional fees for tournaments, travel, coaching and equipment. 
• ICAS Exams – These are optional. For students who undertake these exams there is a fee. This information is provided to parents ahead of time. 

This information will be shared on sports enrolment forms to make it clear to parents and caregivers that only those students who have paid, will be able to participate in these activities. 

Payment Methods

Our preferred method of payment is direct internet banking to the school, as this does not incur any additional costs to you or the school. 

Please note that our goal is to be cashless, and we no longer have a drop box for cash payments.

If you have no option but to pay cash, please put this into an envelope, clearly labelled with the student’s name, class, date, and what the payment is for, and hand this to the office.

There is always the option of paying your donation in small regular payments throughout the year. Anyone is welcome to do this.

We appreciate that there could be circumstances outside of your control that mean you are unable to pay your invoice/statement. In this instance, please do not hesitate to contact Megan Smith (Office Manager) or speak to our principal to discuss this. All conversations will be in confidence.  

Student Statements

Student statements are sent out via email every month during term time. 

Receipts for payments made appear at the bottom of the student statement. 

Your account can be viewed anytime via ‘My Portal’. 

To log in to My Portal click here. If you have misplaced your username and password, please phone the office on 472 4779.

A detailed breakdown of the school’s approach to fees and donations is available here. 

IRD Donation Rebate/Tax Credits for Donation

For more information regarding the IRD Donation Rebate, also know as the Tax Credits for Donation please go to the IRD website.