School Start First Impressions Marlborough works to reduce the impact of poverty on the education of Marlborough children.
We have identified that a child’s 5th birthday and entry to school presents an impossible challenge to Marlborough families in financial crisis.
The cost of equipping a child for school can be financially prohibitive for Marlborough families in financial crisis. Significant financial pressure on their family can influence a child’s self-esteem, their experience of school, and their ability to focus on learning.
We relieve that pressure by supplying the child with everything they need to start school plus a couple of special little extras for their birthday.
Our initiative is designed to give Marlborough’s at-risk 5-year-olds the opportunity to commence school on an equal footing with their peers, enable them to embrace the challenge of school, focus on learning, and give them a chance to be the best that they can be.
We hope to help these children gain confidence and a sense of belonging as they move from the Ministry of Education’s early childhood curriculum principles, Te Whāriki, to the New Zealand curriculum.