History of Pākiki Kids
Pākiki Kids first opened for classes in February 2011 after more than a year of planning by a dedicated group of Dunedin parents, principals and teachers. From its beginnings until December 2015, Pākiki Kids was located at North East Valley Normal School and was managed by the Dunedin Gifted Kids Charitable Trust.

At the beginning of 2016, Pākiki Kids transitioned to Dunedin North Intermediate and is now being run by the Dunedin North Intermediate Board of Trustees with DNI Principal Heidi Hayward as the primary management leader. There are three Pākiki Kids paid staff members - two Teachers and the Coordinator.

How Pākiki Kids works and is funded
Pākiki Kids receives no government funding and so the running of the programme relies on donations from families and contributions from cluster schools. 

Local schools individually decide whether or not they will be a Pākiki Kids Cluster School as this requires a financial contribution. New schools are always welcome to become PK Cluster Schools - please contact the Pākiki Kids Coordinator if you would like more information about becoming a Cluster School and what it involves.

All local students are welcome to apply to attend Pākiki Kids regardless of whether or not they attend a cluster school. We also accept applications from home-schooled students.

All Pākiki Kids families are requested to make a donation of $275 per student per term ($1,100 for the year) to help cover costs. An additional donation of $850 per student per year is requested from Pākiki Kids families whose child attends a non cluster school or is home-schooled.

​Referrals
Students are referred to Pākiki Kids by their school principal if they attend a PK Cluster School. However, parents are also encouraged to talk to their child's classroom teacher or principal if they think their child might benefit from the programme.

​Parents of children at non cluster schools and home-schooled children should contact the Pākiki Kids Coordinator directly.

Applications to attend Pākiki Kids
Acceptance into the Pākiki Kids programme requires both a written application and the child's attendance at a workshop. The written application includes sections that are completed by the student's classroom teacher, the student's parents/caregivers, and the student themselves.

Entry selection is carried out by a team consisting of Pākiki Kids staff and independent external assessors all of whom have experience with gifted children and gifted education. It is the responsibility of the entry selection team to assess all the written documentation, conduct the workshops, and determine each student’s suitability for the Pākiki Kids programme. It is then the responsibility of the Pākiki Kids staff to decide which applicants will be offered places at Pākiki Kids for the following year based on a number of different factors including entry selection outcomes and the number of spaces available for new students.
 
Pākiki Kids has only one intake per year (at the start of the school year in February) and the application process takes place in Terms 3-4 of the year before. Application packs are available from the Pākiki Kids Coordinator at the beginning of Term 3 each year.