The atmosphere of the school and the town was very laid back. Many students walked to school barefooted, and those who wore shoes were required to remove them in the classroom. Students receive only 4.5 hours of formal teaching time each day. A child begins school on his or her fifth birthday, regardless of where his or her birthday falls on the academic calendar. The academic year runs January through December, with school in session for ten weeks at a time, followed by two weeks of vacation.
Students learn all of their basic, core requirements before level seven.
In 1989, New Zealand did away with their national department of education. Each district has its own board of trustees. Parents can now send their children to any school in the district, and the parents then fund that school directly. As a result, the schools are segregated financially, and nearly a half-hour of each day is spent on funding issues. Disenchanted with the system, parents and others home-school a large number of students who get together monthly for fieldtrips and other events.