List of specialist schools

Attendance at a specialist school alone does not determine if a client is permanently and severely restricted in their capacity to work.

However, many of these students are likely to have received Ongoing Resourcing Schemes funding while attending the specialist school. If a client advises they have been attending a specialist day school or residential school, MSD should determine if they have been getting ongoing assistance from the Ongoing Resource Scheme.

For more information see:

• Ongoing Resourcing Schemes (ORS) assessment

There are day specialist schools throughout New Zealand. Some students stay until they are 21 years old.

For a list of the day specialist schools see:

• Ministry of Education Specialist schools - Day specialist schools

The following are residential specialist schools in New Zealand.

Residential specialist schools for deaf and hearing-impaired students

• Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education New Zealand (a merger of the Kelston Deaf Education Centre in Auckland and the Van Asch Deaf Education Centre in Christchurch)

Residential specialist school for blind and vision-impaired students

• Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ or BLENNZ (previously known as Homai National School for the Blind and Vision Impaired)

Residential specialist schools working with students with educational, social and emotional needs, together with an underlying intellectual impairment

• Halswell Residential College for girls and boys, Christchurch
• Salisbury School for girls, Nelson
• Westbridge Residential School Auckland

These schools determine who meets the entry criteria for their services including any specific rules relating to sex or gender.