Key Takeaways
- Two new day specialist schools will be built in Auckland and Palmerston North to support children with high and complex needs.
- The schools will be open from Term 2, 2027, and Term 1, 2028, and will bring the number of specialist schools in New Zealand to 29.
- The schools will be designed to meet the range of needs students may have, including accessible indoor and outdoor learning spaces, family and therapy areas, and administration buildings.
- The Government has committed to providing additional funding to support children with additional physical, learning, and behavioral needs, including $746.9 million in last year’s Budget.
Introduction to Specialist Schools
The New Zealand Government has announced plans to build two new day specialist schools in Auckland and Palmerston North, which will provide support to children with high and complex needs. According to Education Minister Erica Stanford, the schools will be open from Term 2, 2027, and Term 1, 2028, and will bring the number of specialist schools operating in New Zealand to 29. This is a significant milestone for specialist education in New Zealand, and a long-awaited development for students and their families who require these services. The new schools will be the first specialist schools to be opened since Hamilton North School was established in 1977.
Need for Specialist Schools
The provision of more day specialist schools is long overdue in New Zealand, and has been a priority for Education Minister Erica Stanford. Many parents of children with high and complex needs want the option of a specialist education setting, and the new schools will help to meet this demand. The schools will be designed to meet the range of needs students may have, including accessible indoor and outdoor learning spaces, family and therapy areas, and administration buildings. The schools will be manufactured off-site using a standard design and layout, which will help to ensure that they are purpose-built to meet the needs of students.
Palmerston North School
The Palmerston North school is expected to open in Term 2 of 2027, and will be built on Crown-owned land on the Queen Elizabeth College precinct. The first stage of the school will be built for 36 students from across Palmerston North, Feilding, Bulls, Woodville, and Dannevirke. Currently, the closest specialist school is in Whanganui, which is 72km away, making it difficult for families to access these services. The school will include four teaching spaces, facilities for family and therapy, an administration building, and outdoor learning spaces. This will provide a much-needed service to families in the region, and will help to ensure that children with high and complex needs receive the support they require.
Auckland School
The Auckland school is slated to open in Term 1 of 2028, and will be built on Crown land adjacent to Ngākōroa School in Drury. The first stage of the school will be built for 54 students from the Papakura and Drury area, with six teaching spaces, family and therapy spaces, an administration building, and outdoor learning areas. This will provide a significant increase in the number of specialist school places available in the Auckland region, and will help to meet the growing demand for these services. The school will be designed to meet the range of needs students may have, and will provide a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
Government Commitment
The Government has committed to ensuring that Kiwi students have access to the support they need, and has provided additional funding to support children with additional physical, learning, and behavioral needs. In last year’s Budget, the Government provided an additional $746.9 million to ensure earlier identification of and better help for children with these needs. Finance Minister Nicola Willis stated that the Government is committed to providing the support that children need to succeed, and that the new schools are an important part of this commitment. The Government has listened to families, communities, and specialists to determine how to provide opportunities for kids with complex needs, and the new schools are a result of this consultation.
Conclusion
The announcement of the two new day specialist schools in Auckland and Palmerston North is a significant development for specialist education in New Zealand. The schools will provide much-needed support to children with high and complex needs, and will help to meet the growing demand for these services. The Government’s commitment to providing additional funding to support children with additional physical, learning, and behavioral needs is also a positive step, and will help to ensure that all children have access to the support they need to succeed. The new schools will be an important part of this commitment, and will provide a supportive and inclusive learning environment for children with high and complex needs.
