Study Support Centres

Study Support Centres (SSC) are educational programmes that provide additional educational support for students in Years 1-8 who may be at risk of educational underachievement. The Ministry of Education provides funding for schools or community groups to run Study Support Centres outside of regular school times.

The programmes are designed to assist primary students to develop or improve good study habits, leading to increased achievement as they progress through further education.

 

Target student group

Study Support Centres support approximately 30 percent of students in Years 1–8 from schools and kura who face the greatest barriers to educational achievement, as identified by the Equity Index. Students outside of this year bracket are not excluded, although funding and reporting is to be directed at students within this range. 

 

Operation

Study Support Centres can be run by schools, iwi or community groups. They can be supervised study centres within schools or supervised centres within community facilities.

 

Programme

Students generally attend the SSC after school for four hours over three days each week. An SSC is expected to:

• have a minimum of 10 students attending
• provide students with a healthy snack each day
• promote positive learning outside of the classroom.

An individual study plan is developed for each student. It includes a goal related to developing good study behaviours and habits that is relative to each individual student and other goals related to study habits or achievement, as appropriate. Progress towards these goals should be regularly reviewed with students, and once achieved, new goals should be set.

 

Establishing a Study Support Centre

Schools and kura, iwi, and community organisations can apply for funding to establish and help run Study Support Centres. Schools may come together to apply as a group.

Preference will be given to groups that will support students from schools and kura identified by the Equity Index as facing the greatest barriers to educational achievement.

Schools and kura falling outside of this range may also be given funding for an SCC. This will be at the discretion of the Ministry Director of Education in the region.

 

Applying for a new Study Support Centre

Schools and community groups who want to apply for funding to run a Study Support Centre can download a Study Support Centre application form and send it to their Ministry regional office.

 

Download a Word version of the Study Support Centre application form:

Study Support Centre application form (Word 2007 57 KB)

  

Details for Ministry of Education regional offices: 

Ministry of Education - Local Ministry offices

 

Funding

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

Access to computers is a priority for this educational programme. Students must have access to the internet.

 

Contract monitoring and reporting

There is a requirement under the Study Support Centre contract to report on outcomes and student achievement to ensure accountability for public funds. This is to be completed by the managing school.

 

Download a Word version of the Study Support Centre start-up report:

Study Support Centre start-up report (Word 2007 28 KB)

 

Download a Word version of the Study Support Centre mid-year report:

Study Support Centre mid-year report (Word 2007 29 KB)

 

Download a Word version of the Study Support Centre annual report:

Study Support Centre annual report (Word 2007 40 KB)

 

Further information

Learning Support services
For information on Learning Support services, visit  Learning Support on the Ministry of Education's website. 

Ministry contacts and queries
To contact your Ministry regional office and Director of Education, go to  Learning Support Services on the Ministry's website.

For further queries, email the Ministry at this address. [email protected]