Learning Support When Your Child Is At School

What supports are available for tamariki with additional needs?

If your child is having challenges that are affecting their wellbeing and learning, staff at their school can arrange additional support.

Most schools have a special education needs coordinator (SENCO) or a learning support coordinator (LSC). They can help support your child's learning and access additional services such as the following.

Specially trained teachers

Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB)

Teachers with specialist training who work alongside you and your child's school to plan and put in place support for learning and wellbeing.

Resource Teachers: Vision (RTV)

Teachers with specialist training in supporting students who are blind or have low vision.

Resource Teachers of the Deaf

Teachers with specialist training in supporting students who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Physical Disability Service

The Physical Disability Service includes physiotherapists and occupational therapists. They work alongside families and teachers to help adapt the environment. This helps tamariki to fully participate and learn alongside their classmates. 

Who might provide the extra support for my child with additional needs?

Speech language therapists

Speech language therapists help students with communication needs, including social communication. Speech language therapists focus on building the capability of whānau (family) and educators to support a child's ability to communicate effectively in their daily life.

Physiotherapists and occupational therapists

Physiotherapists and occupational therapists help families and teachers to support the learning, wellbeing and participation of students with physical and sensory needs.

Psychologists

Psychologists work as part of a team with families and teachers to provide support for a range of educational needs. As part of this support, psychologists help create plans in areas such as social and emotional learning and wellbeing.

Special Education Advisers (Learning Support Advisers)

Special Education Advisers (Learning Support Advisers) work as part of a team with families and teachers to provide support for learning and wellbeing. These advisers support teachers to adapt their teaching and learning programmes to allow all students to participate. 

Advisers on Deaf children 

Advisers on Deaf children (AoDC) provide support for students identified as Deaf or hard of hearing and their whānau, from birth to the end of school. AoDC have a focus on the early years - from birth to year 3 at school. AoDC focus on building the capability of whānau and educators to support a child's communication, language development and learning.

Kaitakawaenga (Māori advisers)

Kaitakawaenga (Māori advisers) work with teams to help make sure tamariki and their whānau receive a culturally responsive service.

Is there any other support that might be available for my child with additional needs?

In some situations, other supports may be available for tamariki with additional learning needs.

Teacher aides

Teacher aides are part of a school team, supporting the teacher in the learning and wellbeing of all students.

Specialised School Transport Assistance

Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) is a Ministry of Education transport service. It supports tamariki who have safety or mobility needs to travel to and from school. 

See the Ministry of Education website for more information on SESTA

Learning Support property modifications

When a student plans to enrol at school, the Ministry of Education can provide funding to modify property. This supports tamariki to enter the school and do everyday school activities. There is a process for getting property modifications. A Ministry of Education specialist will talk with you about this process.

See the Ministry of Education website for more information on Learning Support property modifications

Assistive technology and special equipment

This is equipment that helps tamariki to fully participate and learn alongside their classmates. 

What if additional learning supports are not meeting my child's needs?

If the learning supports that are part of your child's plan are not meeting your needs and expectations, talk to someone about this. You can discuss it with:

• your child's teacher
• special education needs coordinator (SENCO) or a learning support coordinator (LSC)
• any Ministry of Education specialist or specialist teacher who might be part of the team

You could also talk directly to a service manager at your local Ministry of Education office.  

How can specialist schools help my child with additional needs?

Specialist schools support students with high needs, either in day schools or residential schools across New Zealand. There are a number of specialist schools in New Zealand for students in years 1 to 13 who have high needs. 

If you're interested in knowing more about a specialist school, Ministry of Education Learning Support staff can give you information. Together you can talk through possible options for your child.

To enrol your child in the 2 following types of specialist school, you will need a specialist education agreement (previously known as a Section 9 Agreement). 

See the Minstry of Educaiton website for information about specialist education agreements. 

Day specialist schools

Day specialist schools can provide specialist teaching and services for your child if they have high needs. As well as a base school, many specialist schools have satellite classes on-site at local schools. This means your child can receive specialist teaching and still be in their local school environment.

Some specialist schools also offer a travelling (also called itinerant or outreach) teaching service. This means your child can be enrolled at their local school but the specialist school can provide support to your child and their teacher.

Residential specialist schools

There are 3 residential specialist schools (RSS) that can support your child if they have significant social, emotional and learning needs that affect their life. These schools are for tamariki whose needs have not been met by local learning supports. 

There are 2 other RSS for vision and for hearing:

• Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ (BLENNZ)
• Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education

These placements are for students who need residential programmes to support their learning.

Regional health schools

Regional health schools provide teachers for tamariki (years 0 to 13) who have significant health needs that limit them from going to their local school.  

To access this support, you will need a medical certificate that says:

• what your child’s condition is
• how it’s being treated
• how it’s stopping them from going to school 

There are 3 regional health schools: one in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Health school teachers can teach a child anywhere in New Zealand. Tamariki stay on the roll of their local school while they get support from the health school.

For more information, see the KidsHealth page about education when your child is in hospital.

See more KidsHealth information about learning support

Find out what learning support is

See the KidsHealth page on learning support before your child goes to school

See the KidsHealth page about learning support when your child has significant needs

See the KidsHealth page about learning support when your child has high health needs