New specialist school for Franklin

A new specialist school for children with high and complex needs will open in Drury in 2028, as part of the Government’s biggest expansion of specialist education in decades.

The South Auckland specialist school will be built on Crown-owned land next to Ngākōroa School in Drury and is expected to open for Term 1, 2028. The first stage will cater for up to 54 students from the Papakura and Drury area.

The school will include six teaching spaces, therapy and whānau areas, an administration building and outdoor learning spaces.

A spokesperson for Education Minister Erica Stanford told the Franklin Times the land parcel is currently a residential property adjacent to Ngākōroa School’s field but will now be redeveloped.

The announcement was made on January 29 by Stanford and Finance Minister Nicola Willis, with a second specialist school confirmed for Palmerston North.

“For the first time in almost 50 years, the Government is building new day specialist schools that will support children with high and complex needs to thrive,” Stanford said.

“These two new schools represent a hugely significant and long-awaited milestone for specialist education in New Zealand, and for the students and their families who need them.”

Stanford said demand for specialist schooling options had been growing for years.

“The provision of more day specialist schools is long overdue. We know many parents of children with high and complex needs want the option of a specialist education setting,” she said.

“We’ve listened to families, communities and specialists, and I’m excited for the children who will attend these schools.”

First new day specialist schools in decades

The two new schools will bring the total number of specialist schools nationwide to 29, filling gaps in regions where resources have been limited. The last day specialist school was established in Hamilton North in 1977.

Willis said supporting children with additional needs had been a key focus of recent Budgets.

“That’s why the Government provided an additional $746.9 million in last year’s Budget to support earlier identification and better help for children with physical, learning and behavioural needs,” she said.

“I’m delighted these new schools are being established. They will benefit both children and their parents.”

Stanford said inclusion should mean choice, and specialist schools played a vital role.

“Choices have been limited due to distance and local specialist schools lacking capacity,” she said.

“These new schools will give families more confidence that their children can learn in an environment that suits them.”

Off-site construction planned

The schools will be manufactured off-site using a standard building design, with purpose-built teaching, therapy and family spaces, as well as accessible indoor and outdoor learning areas.

Papakura MP Judith Collins welcomed the announcement, calling it a long-awaited milestone for the community.

“This new school will give families greater choice and confidence that their children can learn in an environment that meets their needs,” Collins said.

“This announcement is part of the Government’s most significant investment in learning support in a generation, and I’m delighted for the children who will attend and for the wider South Auckland community.”