What is a MindPlus day?

Our MindPlus day starts at 9am, with the classroom being open from 8:30am. We finish at 2:45pm and expect parents to collect their children promptly. Students attend on a specific day, one day a week. In each class, we group together students who we think will work well together. At each unit, we usually have at least one class of older children and one of younger children.

When does MindPlus start and finish in a year?

We start our MindPlus year in the second week of Term One and end one week before the end of Term Four. This gives children a chance to settle into regular school before they start MindPlus and not to miss out on the end of year activities at regular school at the end of the year. We keep to the same terms and public holidays as public schools in Term Two and Three.

What happens during a MindPlus day?

In the MindPlus day, we have three key focal points:

• Conceptual Development - where we think and learn through ideas

• Talent Development - where our students work in their chosen strengths areas

• Personal Development - where students learn about neurodivergence, develop skills and strategies for emotional and social development, including executive functioning skills

MindPlus students also join Clubs, where they can connect and learn with like-minds in their interest areas. Find out more about Clubs here.

Each of our MindPlus classes develops their own journey across these areas that reflects the interests and skills of the students.

From time to time, our teachers bring in high-quality specialist tutors into the class to work with all students or groups of students, usually in an area of talent development.

We also add in opportunities to explore outside the classroom together on trips, such as to a university or a special exhibition. If a trip is planned, the MindPlus teacher will contact families to ask for permission and often will ask for support with transport or supervision. There is no additional cost to families for these experiences.

To see what goes on during the MindPlus OurSchool day, you might like to watch this video or read some overviews from our teachers.

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​Do we have MindPlus homework?

No! We don’t set homework at MindPlus - although we often find that students choose to spend their own time continuing to explore things they’ve learnt about at MindPlus and deepening their experiences in their passion area. That’s always great to see! Clubs are always available and are ideal for that continued exploration.

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How do parents get involved?

We love to see parents at MindPlus and are very happy for you to pop in and see your child working with us, as well as keeping in touch by Hero, email or phone (see the next section on Communications). We do need parent help for MindPlus trips and as support crew at MindPlus events and we’ll let you know as these opportunities come up.

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What if MindPlus is not working out for my child?

We know that MindPlus is just one option you have for your child and our aim is always to support your child and your family. If MindPlus is not working out well for your child, your first port of call is always to chat with your child’s MindPlus teacher. Make a time to chat and let’s see what we can do together to make things work. You can find all staff emails under their photos on the People page of our website here.

If together you decide to finish your journey with us, fill in the Leavers Form.

More information about leaving and fees is in the section about fees.

What do students need to bring?

Students should bring their own snacks, lunch and drink with them each day. Water is preferred for a drink - no fizzy or energy drinks please. There are kitchen facilities, including a fridge, kettle and microwave, in most of our classrooms for students to use (with supervision and support as needed). We have a lunch-time supervisor over the lunch break so that our students can stay in the MindPlus classroom if they would like.

Please let us know if your child has particular dietary requirements and/or allergies. Due to potential allergic reactions, eggs and nuts, or food containing eggs or nuts, are not allowed in MindPlus classrooms.

Students don’t need to bring any stationery or resources unless they want to - we provide all of these as part of the programme.

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We provide devices for students to use at MindPlus but if your child has their own device they are welcome to bring it to MindPlus and use it during the learning programme.

If your child has a mobile phone they are welcome to bring it to MindPlus for before or after school contact, but as a general rule it must be ‘away for the day’, including during breaks, either in their school bag or given to their MindPlus teacher for safe-keeping.

We are very happy to make accommodations for children who require their phones during the day for various reasons. Please get in touch with your child’s MindPlus teacher to talk this through if this is the case. You can find all staff emails under their photos on the People page of our website here.

As our classrooms use internet provided by the host school, our BYOD policy reflects the conditions set by each host school.

Phones and devices brought to MindPlus are at your risk.

What do students wear?

Learning at MindPlus is active! Children should wear clothes they are comfortable in, and that will be ok for active and busy days, with things like painting, gluing, working on hands and knees, building things, as well as outdoor play every MindPlus day.

They will also need a sun hat for the summer months and warm layers for the colder months.

Please name all clothing - we keep a lost property box in our classrooms for things that are left behind and named clothing makes it easier to return things to you.

What happens if my child is sick or has another commitment?

If your child is going to be absent from their MindPlus day, please let us know in Hero. Click on Report An Absence and let us know why your child will be away. If we haven’t heard from you by 9:15am, we will be in touch with you and/or your child’s school. Please note that fee refunds are not given for days when your child is absent.

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What happens if my child has a medical condition or needs medication at MindPlus?

We need to be aware of any illnesses, allergies or medical conditions a child has, and/or any medications they need to take at MindPlus. We ask for this information as part of the Hero enrolment process but please do keep us up to date if anything changes.

If your child needs to take medication during the MindPlus day, please let us know here (https://form.jotform.com/250837588904874). You will need to let us know what the medication is, when and how it should be given, and any other information. Your child's MindPlus teacher will let you know when the medication is given, via Hero under Medication. ALL medication must be handed to the MindPlus teacher for safe-keeping - not left in school bags.

What happens if I need to contact my child urgently?

If you need to contact your child urgently during their MindPlus day, please contact your child’s teacher directly. If you have any difficulties, please contact our office on 0800 769 243 or email us at hello@neurodiversity.org.nz.

Do you take photos of the students and their work?

We do regularly take photos and videos of students in action at MindPlus. We do this to record students’ learning and to share with you as well as to display in class. We also use photos and videos of students on our website and social media but do not use students’ real names to identify them without consent. We will ask you when you enrol for your permission to use photos and videos for these purposes and are very happy to respect your wishes.

We are committed to open, regular communications between you, our MindPlus teachers.

We know that families are always keen to know more about what their children are up to on their MindPlus days - and sometimes our children are not super forthcoming with details! It’s important to us that parents do feel included and part of the learning going on, so please get in touch anytime for an update or with ideas on how we could communicate with you better.

How you can communicate with us

When your child starts with us at MindPlus, make a time to connect with their MindPlus teacher (you can find their contact details on our website here, so that together, we can make MindPlus a success.

Your first port of call, if you have anything you’d like to discuss about your child or the MindPlus programme, is to get in touch with your child’s MindPlus teacher. If you’d like a specific time to chat, please get in touch to set this up as well, as sometimes right before or after school isn’t the best time for a good in-depth discussion.

If there are things you’d like to discuss further, you are welcome to contact our Head of Programmes.

You can find all staff emails under their photos on the People page of our website here.

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Communicating about your child

Our MindPlus teacher will proactively be in touch with you to share good news about your child’s progress as well as if they have any questions or concerns. We welcome you to visit your child’s MindPlus class at any time - just make a time that suits you with your child’s MindPlus teacher. We are also happy to welcome regular school teachers and principals.

Hero is our ‘one-stop shop’ app for checking in with what’s going on in your child and their MindPlus class. You can download Hero to any device here. When you start your MindPlus journey with us you will be asked to enrol in Hero, and you can find out more about how to do this below in the Hero Guides and Instructions section. If you currently use Hero for your school, your accounts will be linked and will show up side by side

Through Hero you will get:

• Weekly Class Updates - to keep you up to date with what’s happening in your child’s MindPlus class each week, with news, notices and upcoming events. These are in Community Feed. You can comment on these posts - our teachers love to hear your thoughts. These comments are first moderated and then can be seen by all parents in your child’s MindPlus class.

• Learner Profile Updates - each term we will update you on your child’s learning through the Learner Profile. We will also add any special highlights of your child’s MindPlus journey in the Learner Profile These are in the Learner Profile under your child’s name.

• Termly Invoices - more information about these are in the Fees and Scholarship section. Invoice and payment information is found under Finance

Reporting on Progress and Achievement

Each term our teachers will update you on your child’s progress and achievement. This will be through the Learner Profile in Hero. We can also provide a specific reference for school entry or placement on request - just ask your child’s MindPlus teacher at least a fortnight in advance of this being needed.

Logging into Hero for the first time

Go to the Hero Website - https://our-hero.com/nz/

Click LOG IN in the top right hand corner.

Add your email address (the same one you used in the enrolment form) then click NEXT

Click the NEW USER? button.

Click SUBMIT. This will send an email to the address with your password details.

Check your email (double-check in your spam/junk folder too!)

An email that looks similar to this will arrive in your inbox within 5 minutes.

Click the link to a secure page to enter your chosen password.

Enter a password to set for your Hero account

Welcome to Hero!

If your page looks like this or no details appear, please contact our office team and request Hero Access.

If you receive this error when looking at the finance section, you did not select to view finances when you enrolled in Hero.

Please contact the office and request finance access.

Where to go in Hero

Side Bar (Left-Hand Side)

Home - The main page on the Hero site. ​This has quick accessible buttons to the main pages of Hero.

Community Feed - This is where you can find weekly class news and other updates.

My (YEAR) Class - This is where you can find your child’s class.

Learner Profile - This is where you can find termly individual updates about your child.

Finance - This is where you can find your invoice for the term.

Report an absence - Click this button to report an absence. Find the instructions on how to report an absence, here.

Term Dates - these are our New Zealand wide dates, not ones that are specific to your child’s MindPlus class. For any specific changes to your child’s MindPlus class, please check the Community Feed.

Changing your settings in Hero

Go to your account in the left hand menu

Here you can:

• Change your profile picture

• Change your password

• Change your notification preferences

Help! I’ve forgotten my password!

Enter the email associated with the account.

Click the “Forgot Password” button below.

Click the “Submit” button.

Check your email (double-check in your spam/junk folder too!)

Report an absence

Click on the “Report an Absence” on your Home Screen or Navigation bar.

Click on a pre-made answer or add more information in the “Additional Information” box below. Then press “Send”.

Downloading Hero onto your phone

Go to your preferred app store

Search for hero by linc-ed

Click on Install

Log in and continue as normal

Printing a Statement/Receipt from Hero

Login to Hero.

Click on Finance

To print your statement: Click on FULL STATEMENT

Then click CTRL P and print your statement from there.

To print a RECEIPT

Click on VIEW ALL PAYMENTS

Click on FULL RECEIPT, this will generate a WORD doc for you to print your receipt.

Connecting with our MindPlus whānau

We know how valuable it is to connect with other MindPlus families and we will help you to do this. This is through a shared MindPlus class parent contact list that you can opt into, and is confidential to MindPlus families. Keep a lookout for this in Hero Community Feed early each term about this.

We also come together from time to time for different family focused events, like a parent welcome session, parent education events, and special celebrations. We’ll let you know in Hero when these are coming up.

Our other regular communications with our MindPlus whānau include:

• Termly Updates - Each term, we share an update by email with families and schools across Aotearoa, keeping you up-to-date with what’s happening with our programmes, students and gifted education more generally, and sharing events and opportunities.

• Facebook - Our Neurodiversity in Education Project Facebook page is not our main means of communicating with families but we use it to share interesting articles and learning as well as information for the wider community interested in gifted education around events and opportunities coming up.

Learning more

We’ve heard from families that you want to learn more about giftedness and neurodivergence and about ways to support your child.

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We are committing to supporting you with that through:

We’ve heard from families that you want to learn more about giftedness and neurodivergence and about ways to support your child.

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We are committing to supporting you with that through:

• Our Learning Hub - all of our resources, tools, articles, blogs and videos are here, free and on-demand. Start with our Welcome to MindPlus video module and explore from there. If there is a specific learning module you would like to see, just let us know!

• Regular parent learning opportunities - we hold regular online parent learning sessions across each year. Keep an eye out for these in the Community Feed of Hero.

We value our relationship with you and your family and we want to be clear on what you can expect of us, as well as what we expect of you and your child.

We have comprehensive policies on privacy and health and safety. We can provide you with these on request and all policies will be online soon.

Our commitment to you

Learning

We are committed to providing you with:

• A specialist programme for a half day each week.

• A high-quality, experienced specialist teacher.

• A safe, inclusive, welcoming learning atmosphere.

• Regular communication with you about how your child is doing and an ongoing invitation to talk with your child’s teacher about their progress and how we can better support you and them.

• In some cases, circumstances outside of our control may limit our ability to provide these things (e.g. a drop in student numbers). In such circumstances, we will do our best to find a suitable solution and to keep you informed of the issue we’re dealing with and what steps we are taking.

Your commitment to us

As we work together to provide the best possible MindPlus experience for your child, we expect you will share any information or insights that will help us to support your child. You know your child best and sharing your wisdom benefits us all. We expect you to keep us up to date on any changes that might impact on how your child is doing at MindPlus.

We ask that you bring any issues you might be concerned about with your child or the MindPlus programme to us promptly so that we can work together constructively to address any issues.

Our expectations of your child

At MindPlus, we expect our students to aim high and to challenge themselves across many dimensions - intellectual, social and emotional - and our MindPlus teachers will support them in this.

We expect MindPlus students to be open-minded and curious, to take on new challenges, to reach out of their comfort zone, and to make connections with their like-minded peers, and again, our MindPlus teachers will support them in this.

We expect our students to use internet-enabled devices appropriately and safely, in keeping with our policies and procedures around device use. Our MindPlus teachers will make these expectations clear and visible and will work proactively with students around online safety.

We expect our students to contribute to the safe, inclusive and positive learning environment that MindPlus provides, by behaving appropriately in the online environment, respecting their MindPlus teacher and peers, and working together to have a great experience with us.

The Neurodiversity in Education Project is a non-profit organisation. MindPlus Online receives no Ministry of Education funding for its services, and relies on parent fees as well as philanthropic funding to operate.

What are the fees for MindPlus OurSchool?

Term Fee: MindPlus OurSchool costs families $800 per term (incl GST).

Application Fee: There is a one-off Application Fee of $30, payable when you accept your child’s Place Offer at MindPlus.

Annual Donation: We also ask parents for a $50 Annual Donation, whenever in the year you start. This donation is tax deductible and you can download your receipt from Hero, under Finance

How and when do I pay the fees?

Term Fee: Your termly invoice will be in Hero at least two weeks before the start of each term. You will get an email notification when the invoice is there.

Payment must be made, or an automatic payment set up, before your child starts the term. Payment can be made directly from Hero or through electronic banking, and these details are included on the invoice.

If the term fee for the past term has not been paid, your child cannot continue at MindPlus for the following term.

Application Fee: This is payable through the link on the Place Offer Confirmation Form.

Annual Donation: We will provide an invoice for this at the start of each year, or when your child starts at MindPlus. You will get an email notification when this invoice is there. Payment can be made directly through Hero or through electronic banking, and these details are included on the invoice. You can download a receipt for tax purposes from Hero, or donate the rebate back to The Neurodiversity in Education Project NZCGE using the link on the receipt.

What happens if my child is away OR the class is cancelled?

If your child is away from MindPlus for any reason, we cannot provide a refund (see our Financial Terms and Conditions).

In the rare event of a class cancellation, we can provide you with a credit for the following term on request. Just email us at hello@neurodiversity.co.nz to request this.

These Financial Terms and Conditions apply to all children attending MindPlus programmes. If we need to vary these Terms and Conditions, we will notify you before the start of a new year so that you have the opportunity not to continue on the new terms.

Do I get a refund for absences? The Neurodiversity in Education Project is a not-for-profit organisation, but we do need to be financially viable. So that we can meet our financial commitments, we cannot give a refund if your child is away from MindPlus, for whatever reason. In the rare event that we cannot hold a MindPlus class, we will arrange either a credit or refund for you. ​

What if my child leaves during the year? We understand that sometimes families want or need to leave MindPlus during the year for a variety of reasons. If MindPlus is not working out for your child and family, please have a chat with your child’s MindPlus teacher to work out how we might make things work better. If together you decide that your child will be leaving, you need to fill in our Leavers Form. Please note that advising your child’s MindPlus teacher or our office is not sufficient.

What happens about fees if my child leaves? In order to fulfill our financial commitments, fees are non-refundable. Our terms and conditions for fees are:

• If your child is leaving MindPlus please fill in the Leavers Form. You will be liable for the fees for the full term.

• If your child will be leaving MindPlus at the end of a term, fill in the Leavers Form before the end of that term, so that you are not charged for the term ahead.

• When we receive your Leavers Form we will send you your final invoice.

If you feel there are exceptional circumstances, please contact our office to discuss these.

What if I can’t pay the fees? We understand that sometimes families can experience financial difficulties in making payments. Please let us know as soon as possible if this is the case and we will work with you to establish a manageable payment plan to ensure any debt is paid.

If we are not able to agree on an acceptable payment plan with you, your child will not be able to continue at MindPlus until the debt is paid and we may need to refer the outstanding debt to a debt collection agency.

Where can I get help with fees? We know that these fees are significant for many families. If this is the case for your whānau, we suggest that you work first with your school to support your child to attend. Some of our schools support families with up to a 20% subsidy. Some families may also be able to approach iwi, churches or local trusts to find support.

We are working hard to raise more funds for the Scholarship Fund from trusts and foundations and individual donors. We ask families who can afford it to consider “buy one, give one” - providing a scholarship for a child who would otherwise not be able to attend MindPlus to join the programme alongside your child. You can find out more here.

2026 Scholarships

At this stage, the Ministry of Education has not confirmed ongoing funding for our programmes for gifted and neurodivergent learners in 2026.

Because of this, we are not currently able to offer new scholarships for MindPlus OurSchool or MindPlus Online in 2026. Scholarships already awarded will continue as usual.

To stay updated, please make sure you’re on our mailing list.

General Scholarship Information

Our scholarship programme aims to support students from groups that are often under-represented.

To be eligible for a scholarship, your child must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Identifies as a girl or gender diverse

• Identifies as Māori and/or Pasifika

• Attends a school in a lower socio-economic area

• Has strong potential that is unlikely to be realised without MindPlus support