GuidesA closer look

What help is there for children with learning support needs?

Who to talk to if you are worried about your child's learning, the people and funding schemes that support children with additional needs at school, specialist schools, going to a local school, and what the Government has decided to change.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: Ministry of Education and New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office).

Who to talk to first

If you are worried about your child's learning, you can start by talking to their teacher or your doctor.¹ It does not have to be a formal meeting — you can raise concerns with teachers in a casual conversation.² Your school or kura may also have a teacher responsible for learning support, such as a learning support coordinator, you can talk to.³

If your child’s teacher thinks they may need to work with the Ministry’s learning support team to plan how to further meet your child’s needs, they can contact the Ministry with your permission.⁴ If you need more advice after talking to the school, you can contact the Ministry's learning support team directly.⁵ If your child has not started school yet, talk to your early learning service about the Early Intervention Service.⁶

Who might help your child

The Ministry says that in many cases a child's needs can be met by their school or kura.⁷ When more support is needed, the team around your child could include early intervention teachers, teacher aides, learning support coordinators, Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), speech-language therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, advisers on Deaf children and Māori cultural advisors (Kaitakawaenga).⁸

Learning support coordinators: experienced teachers who help your child get the right help earlier, make it easier for families to understand and access learning support at school, and help teachers meet diverse learning needs.⁹
Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour: specialist teachers who each work across several schools and kura.¹⁰ They may work with groups of teachers, with school leaders, or directly with students from Year 2, on learning and behaviour needs.¹¹
Early intervention teachers: specialist teachers for children with developmental delays or disabilities, who work in early learning and at school up to the end of Year 1.¹²

Support plans: Some children and their families need tailored support plans, sometimes known as Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Learning Plans.¹³ Once an IEP is created, it travels with your child through their education and develops as their needs change.¹⁴

The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme

The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) is a package of support for students with the most severe learning and disability needs.¹⁵ It is for students with ongoing severe needs in learning, hearing, vision, physical needs, or language use and social communication.¹⁶ ORS is linked to the student, who keeps it when changing schools or kura until they leave the school system.¹⁷

What the scheme pays for: specialists such as therapists, psychologists and learning support advisors; extra teacher time for specialist teaching; a contribution towards a teacher aide; and consumables grants for small items the student needs.¹⁸

Applying: Applications can be made at any time for children aged 4 years and 8 months or older.¹⁹ The application form can be completed by a class teacher, a special education needs coordinator (SENCO), a learning support coordinator or a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), who will work with the family, specialists, teachers and others who know the student well.²⁰ A formal cognitive assessment or a medical diagnosis is not needed to decide whether a child meets the criteria.²¹ The application is assessed by 3 ORS verifiers, each considering it independently; if they cannot agree, a full panel of verifiers considers it. The Ministry says the assessment may take at least up to 30 working days, but can be longer in some cases.²² If an application is declined, the school can ask for a review, and you can reapply at any time if circumstances change or there is more information to add.²³

Applying for ORS

The application
The application form can be completed by a class teacher, a special education needs coordinator (SENCO), a learning support coordinator or a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), who will work with the family, specialists, teachers and others who know the student well.²⁰
Verifiers assess it
The application is assessed by 3 ORS verifiers, each considering it independently; if they cannot agree, a full panel of verifiers considers it. The Ministry says the assessment may take at least up to 30 working days, but can be longer in some cases.²²
If it is declined
If an application is declined, the school can ask for a review, and you can reapply at any time if circumstances change or there is more information to add.²³

Home-educated students: ORS support for home-educated students does not include school resources such as a specialist teacher and teacher aide, but they can get specialist support from their regional Ministry office.²⁴

Going to your local school

Under the Education and Training Act 2020, students with special educational needs (because of disability or otherwise) have the same rights to enrol, attend and receive education at State schools or charter schools as students who do not, except as that Part of the Act provides.²⁵ The Ministry says all children have the right to attend their local school.²⁶ If your child is not enrolled at a school or kura, the Ministry will help you find a suitable one.²⁷

The Act says this section does not limit or affect subpart 2 of that Part, which concerns restrictions on the right to enrol and attend school.²⁸

Specialist schools

The Ministry says all children can be supported to learn in their local school or kura, and specialist schools are an option for children who need more support.²⁹ For your child to go to a specialist school you need a specialist education agreement with the Ministry; if you think your child would benefit, talk to your regional office.³⁰

Day specialist schools: for children with high or complex learning support needs or who qualify for ORS; children can attend short term or sometimes for all of their schooling.³¹
Satellite classes: students are enrolled with a specialist school but attend classes held at a local school.³²
Residential specialist schools: there are 3, for students aged 8 to 15, taking students with needs relating to socialisation, behaviour or learning.³³
Regional health schools: if your child can't attend their local school for health reasons, a regional health school may provide short-term education support until they can return.³⁴

Students who receive ORS still need a specialist education agreement to enrol in a specialist school.³⁵ If an agreement is declined, the Ministry will talk to you about other options, and you can ask for a review of the decision.³⁶

Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) is not part of a specialist education agreement, so you need to apply for it separately.³⁷

Announced changes and funding

The Government has developed a work programme to strengthen learning support so the education system meets the needs of all learners and their families.³⁸ Changes and funding the Ministry lists:

Learning support coordinators: by 2028, all schools and kura with Years 1 to 8 students will have access to an in-school learning support coordinator.³⁹ From 2026, every region will have around 60% access to staffing entitlement for a learning support coordinator.⁴⁰ Small schools with 100 students or fewer will get access to a learning support coordinator 1 day per week.⁴¹
Early Intervention Service: Budget 2025 includes $266.0 million to extend the service from early childhood education through to the end of Year 1 of primary school.⁴²
Ongoing Resourcing Scheme: Budget 2025 includes $122.5 million to meet increased demand, including a structural change to the funding model so every child verified for ORS funding receives the support they need.⁴³ Longer term, ORS funding increases will be based on formal growth forecasts rather than annual Budget bids.⁴⁴
Teacher aides: overall there is funding for more than 2 million additional teacher aide hours a year from 2028.⁴⁵
Specialist schools and buildings: funding for up to 25 new classrooms in the specialist school network and up to 365 learning support property modifications.⁴⁶

Budget 2026 includes $22 million to continue supporting students with a significant health condition to attend school, including through teacher aides.⁴⁷

Sources

Every statement on this page comes from an official page, quoted in full here.

Each numbered statement above is followed here by the words of the official page it comes from. Every quote was checked against its page on 5 October 2026.

“You can start by talking to your child's teacher or your doctor.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“It does not have to be a formal meeting. You can raise your concerns with teachers during a casual conversation.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Your school or kura may also have a teacher responsible for learning support, such as a LSC, who you can talk to.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“If your child's teacher thinks they may need to work with our learning support team to plan how to further meet your child's needs, they can contact us with your permission.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“If you need more advice after talking to your school, you can contact our learning support team directly to talk about your concerns.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“If your child has not yet started school, then talk to your early learning service about the Early Intervention Service.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“In many cases, children's needs can be met by their school or kura”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“The team could include: early intervention teachers (EITs) teacher aides learning support coordinators Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) speech-language therapists psychologists physiotherapists occupational therapists advisers on Deaf children Kaitakawaenga | Māori cultural advisors.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“LSCs are experienced teachers who: support your child to get the right help earlier make it easier for families to understand and access learning support at school better support teachers to meet diverse learning needs.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“RTLB are specialist kaiako or teachers who each work across several schools and kura”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“They may work with groups of teachers, with school leaders, or directly with students from Year 2, to support learning and behaviour needs.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“EITs are specialist teachers who support children who have a range of developmental delays or disabilities. They work directly with young children, their whānau | families and educators in both early learning settings and school (up to the end of Year 1).”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Some children and their whānau need tailored support plans. These are sometimes known as Individual Education Plans (IEPs) or Learning Plans.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Once an IEP is created, it'll travel with your child throughout their education and develop as their needs change.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“ORS is a package of support for students who have the most severe learning and disability needs.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“ORS is for students who have ongoing severe needs in any of the following areas: learning hearing vision physical language use and social communication.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“ORS is linked to the student. They continue to receive it as they change schools or kura until they leave the school system.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“ORS provides services and support including: specialists such as therapists, psychologists and learning support advisors additional teacher time in the school's staffing entitlement for a teacher to provide specialist teaching support a contribution for a teacher aide to assist with the student's learning support consumables grants for buying small items to support the student's needs.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“Applications for ORS can be made at any time for children 4 years and 8 months or older.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“The application form can be completed by: a class teacher special education needs coordinator (SENCO) learning support coordinator (LSC) or resource teacher learning and behaviour (RTLB). They will work with the whānau , parents, specialists, teachers and others who know the student well to understand the student's needs.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“We don't need formal cognitive assessments or a medical diagnosis to determine if your child meets the criteria.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“Your application will be assessed by 3 ORS verifiers. Each verifier will consider the application independently. If the 3 verifiers are unable to reach an agreement, the application is considered independently by a full panel of verifiers. Verifiers consider the information in an ORS application against the ORS criteria to make a decision. The assessment may take at least up to 30 working days but can be longer in some cases.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“If the application is declined, your school can request a review. Information about the next steps will be in the letter you will receive. You can reapply for ORS funding at any time for students if their circumstances have changed or if there is more information to add to their application.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“Support for home educated students does not include school resources like a specialist teacher and teacher aide. Students are able to receive specialist support from their regional Ministry office.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/education-professionals/schools-year-0-13/lea… ↑
“Except as provided in this Part, students who have special educational needs (whether because of disability or otherwise) have the same rights to enrol, attend, and receive education at State schools or charter schools as students who do not.”
New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“All children have the right to attend their local school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“If your child is not enrolled at school or kura # We will help you find a suitable school or kura for your child.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“This section does not limit or affect subpart 2 (which concerns restrictions on the right to enrol and attend school).”
New Zealand Legislation (Parliamentary Counsel Office) · legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/38/en/latest ↑
“All children can be supported to learn in their local school or kura . This gives them the chance to learn alongside peers and be part of their local community. Specialist schools are an option for children who need more support.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“For your child to go to a specialist school, you need to have a specialist education agreement in place with us. If you think your child would benefit from time at a specialist school, talk to your regional office.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“These schools are for children who have high or complex learning support needs or qualify for the Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS). Children can go to a day specialist school short term, or sometimes for all of their schooling.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Students are enrolled with a specialist school but attend classes at a local school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“There are 3 residential specialist schools in New Zealand for students aged from 8 to 15 years old. They take students with needs relating to: socialisation behaviour learning.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“If your child can't attend their local school for health reasons, they may be able to get help from a regional health school. These schools provide short-term education support until a child can return to their regular school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Students who are receiving ORS still need a specialist education agreement to enrol in a specialist school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“We will talk to you about other options that may be available to support your child's education. You can ask for a review of a specialist education agreement decision.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) is not part of a specialist education agreement. You will need to apply for this separately.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“The Government has developed a work programme to strengthen learning support so that the education system meets the needs of all learners and their families.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/strategies-policies-and-programmes/l… ↑
“By 2028, all schools and kura with Years 1 to 8 students will have access to an in-school LSC.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/lear… ↑
“From 2026, every region will have around 60% access to staffing entitlement for an LSC.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/news/learning-support-coordinator-increase ↑
“Small schools with 100 students or less will get access to an LSC 1 day per week.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑
“This Budget has $645.8 million in operating funding and $100.9 million capital for learning support initiatives. This includes: $266.0 million to extend the Early Intervention Service (EIS) from early childhood education through to the end of Year 1 of primary school.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑
“$122.5 million to meet increased demand for the Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS), for students with high and complex needs. This includes a structural change to the funding model so every child who is verified for ORS funding receives the support they need.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑
“Longer term, funding increases will be based on formal growth forecasts, rather than requiring annual Budget bids.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑
“Overall, there is funding for more than 2 million additional teacher aide hours into the system, every year, from 2028.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑
“This funding delivers: up to 25 new classrooms in the specialist school network up to 365 learning support property modifications to provide equitable access to education for all students.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑
“$22 million to continue to support students with a significant health condition to attend school, including through teacher aides.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/our-work/publications/corporate-documents/bud… ↑