Sommerville School
Specialist School · State
- Year levels
- not reported
- Total roll
- 399
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 80A Tripoli Road, Panmure, Auckland
- Territorial authority
- Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board Area
- Phone
- 09-570 9787
- office@sommerville.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Auckland
What would the day look like?
The practical things this school states on its own website — the hours, the uniform, the term dates, and how children get there. These are the school’s own words, not the Ministry’s record and not ERO’s.
What does the school say about itself?
Quoted, not summarised. Every school describes itself well, so this is here to be read as the school’s own case rather than as a finding — and a school that states nothing simply has no row.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- In their words
- Our Vision Together, learning to live our best lives.
- -
- Our Motto More than a school.
- -
- Our Values Kia Hono / Connected and Kia Māia / Courageous.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 131
- Māori
- 52
- Pacific
- 110
- Asian
- 135
- MELAA
- 26
- Other
- 1
- International
- 0
Roll by year level and age
Shown as context, not ranked, not compared to any average. As at 30 June 2026, from the same annual return as the roll count above.
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 01 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 02 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 32 |
| Year 03 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 32 |
| Year 04 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 05 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 06 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| Year 07 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 32 |
| Year 08 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 33 |
| Year 09 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 11 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 12 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Year 13+ | 6 | 17 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 65 |
| Total | 47 | 105 | 129 | 25 | 6 | 127 | 0 | 373 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 |
| Age 06 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 34 |
| Age 07 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 08 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 33 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 10 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 11 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 12 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 32 |
| Age 13 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 28 |
| Age 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 15 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 16 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 17 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 15 |
| Age 18 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 19+ | 4 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 33 |
| Total | 47 | 105 | 129 | 25 | 6 | 127 | 0 | 373 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 90.1% |
| Specialist School | 12.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 85.3% |
| Specialist School | 8% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 71.7% |
| Specialist School | 1.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 14.6% |
| Specialist School | 0.7% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
100%
| Sommerville School | 100% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 88.9% |
| Specialist School | 79.1% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 100% |
|---|---|
| Male | 100% |
| Māori | Too few to report |
| Pacific | 100% |
| Asian | Too few to report |
| MELAA | Not applicable |
| Other | Not applicable |
| European/Pākehā | 100% |
| Total | 100% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 29.7% |
| Specialist School | 24.1% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 3% |
| Specialist School | 3.4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison suspension rates data (2024)
Age-standardised exclusion rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| Sommerville School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Auckland Region | 1.4% |
| Specialist School | 1.8% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 444
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 11 February 1966
The Equity Index is used by the Ministry to allocate equity funding. It describes the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, not how good the school is. How the Equity Index works
What did ERO find?
The Education Review Office reviews every school and publishes what it finds in full. We quote ERO’s report here, section by section, in ERO’s own words and order, and link to it. We do not summarise a report, pick a line out of one, or turn one into a score. How ERO reviews schools
- Reports ERO holds
- 3
- Last reviewed
- 9 April 2024
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (9 April 2024)
A board assurance statement is the board’s own account of whether it took all reasonable steps to meet its legal obligations, on the date shown. It is not ERO’s finding. ERO reports separately, in the same report, on any non-compliance it identified during that process.
The board assurance report of 9 April 2024 carries no actions-for-compliance section — the section ERO uses when it names non-compliance it identified. That is what this report contains; it is not ERO saying it found none. Other reports ERO holds for this school may say something different.
The roll ERO recorded, and when
ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 399 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.
August 2017
249
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 4 October 2017
This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 9 April 2024 — “Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
Background
This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Sommerville School working in Te Ara Huarau , an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
This report is part of a nationally coordinated evaluation of 27-day specialist schools during the second half of 2023. This included the development of day specialist school evaluation indicators by ERO with significant input from principals, staff, and the Special Education Principals’ Association of New Zealand (SEPAnz).
Context
Sommerville School is in Panmure, Auckland. It provides education for students with intellectual disabilities, many of whom may also have physical, sensory or behaviour disabilities. Students are aged between five and 21 years of age and receive funding from the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS). The school has two base sites, 13 satellite sites located in local host schools, and a community-based transition unit.
The school employs a specialist therapy team that includes speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and behaviour specialists, who support the learning and wellbeing of students. The school also operates a large specialist teacher outreach service that supports ORS funded students enrolled in 24 schools in the central east Auckland area.
The school continues to navigate and manage roll growth pressures along with the employment and property demands associated with this, including the suitability of the base school property.
The school’s vision statement is ‘Together, learning to live our best lives’, and the school’s values are Kia Hono - Connected and Kia Māia - Courageous.
Sommerville School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
developing a Sommerville curriculum that is responsive to personalised learning needs
preparing older students and their whānau for the life beyond Sommerville
growing great staff who lead and collaborate to enrich learner outcomes.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Sommerville School’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to build schoolwide consistency by evaluating how well systems and processes support effective teaching, assessment and learning practices.
As the school continues to experience roll growth and additional staff appointments, the rationale for selecting this evaluation is to continue to ensure:
consistent effective teaching, assessment and learning practices
induction of new staff and ongoing professional development programmes are effective in improving equitable and excellence outcomes for all students.
The school expects to see:
learners and whānau moving confidently through and across the school
optimised learner engagement to ensure all students achieve success
continuously refined and personalised curriculum learning pathways for each learner, based on effective evidence-based theories and evaluation practices
staff confidently using effective teaching and learning pedagogy and can articulate what the language of learning practice looks like in Sommerville School’s environment.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to build schoolwide consistency by evaluating how well systems and processes enable effective teaching, assessment and learning practices.
Highly personalised individual goals and learning programmes that includes comprehensive support for students with very high health needs.
Schoolwide culture, vision and values provide a warm, welcoming, and friendly environment.
Educationally powerful connections with whānau .
Effective and distributed leadership with an ongoing improvement mindset that encourages all staff to take a lead role in projects, research, and innovation.
Systems and processes which promote collaboration for all staff to support each learner to succeed.
Strong reciprocal relationships across the school and with host schools, specialist therapy services, outreach services, local schools, and the wider community.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
developing a schoolwide shared language of learning
continuing to build a schoolwide shared understanding of what effective practice in teaching, assessment and learning practices looks like.
continuing to develop and document the school curriculum and assessment refinements that respond to learners and the ongoing development of new staff in a rapidly growing school.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
9 April 2024
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 3 reports ERO holds for this school
ERO reviews a school every few years — around four years between reviews is the usual cycle — so an older date here reflects where a school sits in that cycle, not how it is doing.
Source: Education Review Office, CC BY 4.0.
Roll date: 30 June 2026 (2026).