Who can apply

The application form can be completed by:

• a class teacher
• special education needs coordinator (SENCO)
• learning support coordinator (LSC) or
• resource teacher learning and behaviour (RTLB).

They will work with the whānau, parents, specialists, teachers and others who know the student well to understand the student's needs. They will write the application.

What students are eligible

Ākonga | students are eligible when they meet at least 1 of 9 criteria. The criteria are outlined in our guidance.

It is important to identify which criteria the student meets. You will need to give evidence for why the student meets this in the application.

When to apply

Many students who are eligible for ORS will have already been approved before they start school. Students who start school without ORS funding can have applications made for them at any point during their schooling.

Applications for school students may be appropriate if the student is:

• 5 to 6 years old and had little or no involvement in early childhood education
• a new immigrant or returning with their whānau | families from overseas
• identified as having a significant rise in their level of need.

Application process

School educators should prepare the application in collaboration with whānau, parents and the team around the child. Writers of the application should have worked with the student directly where possible and know them well.

To fill out an ORS application form, you need to gather information about the student’s learning support needs. The application should tell a story of the student's needs in the context of the classroom. Include what they can and can't do in the classroom.

Read the ORS fact sheet before you start the application process and for guidance as you complete the application.

Information we don't need to support an application

We don't need formal cognitive assessments or a medical diagnosis to determine if your child meets the criteria.

Students are not approved based on complexity (for example, partly meeting some criteria but not meeting any one criterion completely). They are eligible once they meet at least 1 of the criteria.

Completing the application form

Fill out the form.

Peer review

It is highly recommended that you get a peer review of the application before you submit it to us. A peer reviewer can be anyone who can provide honest and objective feedback. The reviewer does not need to know the student. Schools that are part of a cluster could use a person from another school in the cluster to do the peer review.

Submitting the form

Once the form is complete, email it to us or contact your local ministry office.

Email: [email protected]

Regional offices

After applying

Your application will be assessed by 3 ORS verifiers. Each verifier will consider the application independently. If the 3 verifiers are unable to reach an agreement, the application is considered independently by a full panel of verifiers.

Verifiers consider the information in an ORS application against the ORS criteria to make a decision.

The assessment may take up to 30 working days but can be longer in some cases.

Request for more information

In some cases, the verifiers need more information or clarification to make a decision.

Observation visit

It may be necessary for us to complete an observation visit. 2 verifiers will visit your school for an observation visit. They will report their observations to the other verifiers to support their decision-making. The verifiers' report is included as part of the information about the student's needs.

Notification of our decision

Once the verifiers make a decision, a letter is sent to the school and parents or caregiver. We will explain the reasons for our decision in the letter.

If the application is declined, your school can request a review. Information about the next steps will be in the letter you will receive.

You can reapply for ORS funding at any time for students if their circumstances have changed or if there is more information to add to their application.