There have been some significant changes for Wānaka’s One Day School programme for primary school aged gifted students, but thanks to Kahu Youth Trust, both the teacher and the programme will remain the same.

This past week, Kahu Youth Trust announced it will co-fund and host a space for the programme, at least for another year.

Central Otago REAP has been running the programme for gifted students for the past 18 years, but at the end of last year it advised it would not offer the programme from 2025. Wānaka Primary School also announced it would no longer provide a classroom for the programme, raising concerns for local parents whose children were enrolled in One Day School.

A parent whose son is enrolled in One Day School told the Wānaka App she was “really delighted that the programme is continuing”.

“It’s been fantastic for our son and his emotional and social wellbeing being in the programme,” she said.

“If we need to get behind it in the future again then we will.”

Kahu Youth Trust chair Randal Dobbs told the Wānaka App it had been “a fairly quick process” for Kahu Youth to step in, making the commitment to pick up the programme for 2025 “because we think it’s worthwhile”.

He said the decision was part of the youth trust thinking “creatively about how we support kids”.

Kahu Youth has provided space for the programme at its new premises at Paetara Aspiring Central, and “additional funding” via Kahu Youth would be required, with parents also assisting in funding.

“That continuation with no change for next year will be important,” Randal said. “We will definitely host it for all of 2025, get a bit of history under our belt.” 

He said Kahu Youth would notify parents of One Day School students early - before 2026 - if any changes were planned.

“Who knows, in 2026 we may be able to go a bit deeper,” Randal said. That may include more support for teacher Danielle Nicholson, and the possibility of increasing the scope of the programme, he said.

The person at the middle of the programme: Danielle Nicholson.

“The person in the middle of this who makes it all happen is Danielle. Any growth plans [she] wants to think about we will happily consider.”

The One Day School programme, which currently supports up to 28 local children, has supported hundreds of children and their families throughout the years.

A letter to local schools and school boards from REAP manager Bernice (Bernie) Lepper and Randal said the programme has been “a great success in meeting the needs of these gifted children socially, intellectually, and emotionally”. 

“Feedback from parents and students illustrated that the grouping of like-minded individuals, with specifically designed instruction, lead to a greater degree of success and wellbeing for these learners,” they said.

Bernie told the Wānaka App the decision to end support was due to changing priorities in education.

The Ministry of Education requires schools to identify and provide for gifted students. 

Ministry curriculum centre leader Ellen MacGregor-Reid told the Wānaka App each school must include in their strategic plan “strategies for identifying and catering to students whose needs have not yet been well met”.

Read more: The gift of teaching

PHOTOS: Supplied