doubled in the past decade<\/a>, with many of them going into alternative education.<\/p>\nThe ERO is calling for reform, both to strengthen mainstream schooling and to develop a new model of alternative provision, as the quality of non-mainstream schooling options can vary.<\/p>\n
![\"Parents]()
Parents say their children’s skills and confidence have grown since they have been attending the school. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
What Summit Point does differently<\/p>\n
In state schools, class sizes can vary, though the Ministry of Education has set entitlement staffing ratios, meaning schools are funded for one teacher per 15-28 students, depending on year level.<\/p>\n
At Summit Point, class sizes are capped, with one teacher per 10-14 kids.<\/p>\n
Here, kids are grouped according to ability, meaning each class spans different ages, and the classes are named after the maunga, such as Mt Tongariro or Mt Ruapehu, rather than for traditional year levels.<\/p>\n
This means no one feels like they\u2019re behind because they\u2019re the oldest in the room, while those who are learning ahead of their year level aren\u2019t being held back or getting bored.<\/p>\n
The curriculum is designed to allow children to explore their interests at the same time as furthering their academic progress. <\/p>\n
Each year, lessons follow an overarching theme; in 2026, the theme is survival. Across the school terms, students learn about that concept in myriad ways, through science, literacy topics, practical projects and other lessons.<\/p>\n
The Summit Point school day is three-stranded. The first part is experiential or hands-on: think music, arts, science, PE. The second block is instructional, focused on structured literacy and numeracy, while the afternoons are spent on projects in which the kids work on showing their knowledge through their chosen format.<\/p>\n
Older or more independent learners will present an exhibition or project at the end of the term, while the younger or less independent kids will complete multiple smaller projects throughout the term.<\/p>\n
![\"The]()
The school day starts with experiential learning, before blocks of structured literacy and numeracy followed by practical projects. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a focus on holistic wellbeing, too. <\/p>\n
Summit uses the Zones of Regulation system, which categorises feelings into different colour-coded zones to help children learn how to identify and regulate emotions. And quiet time after lunch involves practising breathwork and mindfulness to reduce stress and improve focus.<\/p>\n
Observing a literacy class of 10 kids, it\u2019s clear to see how that approach can help create a calming atmosphere in the classroom. There are few visual distractions, with furniture and d\u00e9cor in muted, natural colours designed to help regulate rather than over-stimulate.<\/p>\n
Slower pacing means teacher Marion Littin has time to go over questions and writing exercises with each student. If they get something wrong or need extra help, there\u2019s encouragement to try again, or look at it in a new way.<\/p>\n
The school\u2019s approach to literacy is adapted from the Orton-Gillingham method, which breaks down reading, writing and spelling into letters and sounds and teaches the rules, patterns and different parts of language. It was designed primarily to teach children with dyslexia.<\/p>\n
Similar techniques are employed in the structured literacy approach mandated by the Government as part of a wider curriculum overhaul for state schools; this took effect at the start of 2025.<\/p>\n
Summit students practise Outlaw Words \u2013 those that don\u2019t follow the rules \u2013 separately, at the start of the school day.<\/p>\n
![\"The]()
The classrooms are furnished in natural rather than bright colours to avoid over-stimulation. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of my children are twice-exceptional, which means although they may have learning difficulties, they also have amazing strengths,\u201d Littin says.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think one of the great things about working here is the opportunity to really show those kids how to blossom with what they\u2019re good at.\u201d<\/p>\n
The key is getting to know and spend time with each child, which she says can be difficult in a mainstream environment with bigger class sizes and less individualised support.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the children benefit from you sitting with them and going, \u2018let\u2019s do the first part together\u2019, or \u2018let\u2019s just talk about the first step\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Summit staff undergo professional development on executive functioning, ADHD, attentional and emotional regulation, and online professional development courses with mainly US-based specialist schools.<\/p>\n
A teacher of 25 years, Littin has spent most of her career in mainstream primary schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo there\u2019s a lot of different teaching approaches that I get to use in this setting because we\u2019ve got the time and the space to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She adds it\u2019s important to keep the learning relevant to the kids you\u2019re teaching.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they\u2019re not into it, they will tell you, so you need to make it interesting and relevant. It raises the bar for you as a teacher because you can\u2019t just do any old thing, it\u2019s got to match their level and their interests and where they\u2019re at in their learning.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just the class sizes that can make a difference, principal Elias says. Environment plays a role, but it\u2019s more about understanding each individual child\u2019s needs and abilities. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou can have a small class size in other schools and not adequately support kids like ours. It\u2019s really looking at the strengths as opposed to what kids can\u2019t do … nothing\u2019s a barrier. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no, \u2018You can\u2019t do this, so we\u2019ll dumb this down\u2019. We look at their entire cognitive profile and go, \u2018We can accelerate you in this area and we need to support you in this area\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"At]()
At Summit Point, structured literacy is taught using the Orton-Gillingham approach. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
Dr Karen Waldie is a neuropsychologist and professor of developmental neuropsychology at the University of Auckland whose research led to dyslexia being formally recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2007.<\/p>\n
She says specialist schools can be beneficial for children with learning differences like dyslexia.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the perspectives of a brain researcher and a parent, the main pro would be that in a specialist school, kids can feel a sense of togetherness \u2013 which benefits self-esteem \u2013 that might not be available in a regular school if they have learning differences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elias knows this from a personal perspective. She is dyslexic and has ADHD, and left school at 15, attending design school before studying teaching and going on to teach graphic design.<\/p>\n
What she saw in her early years of teaching led her to study learning differences, and she went on to obtain her Master\u2019s and to research and observe specialist schools in the US that use the Orton-Gillingham method. <\/p>\n
Determined to bring this approach to New Zealand, she started a holiday programme that turned into a day school, trialling a new curriculum she\u2019d written with a colleague.<\/p>\n
Then came the search for a building to house the school. Turned down for government funding, she approached the Catholic Schools Office and leased a classroom in an unused building.<\/p>\n
![\"The]()
The Summit Point School buildings in Takapuna. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
Previously, the Friedlander Foundation, a private philanthropic trust set up by Sir Michael Friedlander, funded 30% of the school\u2019s roll. That funding ran out at the end of 2025, meaning there is no longer any financial support available to students who can\u2019t afford the fees.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the school was acquired by Crimson Education<\/a>. It\u2019s now managed by Crimson Academies, which runs the company\u2019s online and physical schools \u2013 it also owns Future School in Takapuna, formerly known as the AGE (Academy for Gifted Education). Crimson plans to renovate Summit and to use some of its teaching methods in its other schools.<\/p>\nThe acquisition means the school has a future, Elias says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been quite an amazing process, just knowing that we\u2019re not going to shut down, and being able to offer what we do and help support the wider Crimson network with our literacy support for neurodivergent children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many past Summit students are now in their final year of university, she says, or have gone on to thrive in mainstream high schools.<\/p>\n
Today, there are about 40 fulltime students on the roll, and Elias says the day school numbers are rising. She says it\u2019s a viable option for parents balancing rising living costs with their children\u2019s educational needs, and those needs are increasing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe commitments that the current Government\u2019s making in terms of the landscape of educational support for kids with numeracy and literacy [are] amazing, because New Zealand needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Principal]()
Principal Rebecca Elias says Summit Point’s day school numbers are increasing. Photo \/ Michael Craig<\/p>\n
But some children won\u2019t cope with those changes without tailored support for neurodiversity, she says.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for The Education Hub, a registered charity connecting Kiwi teachers with education research, says, \u201cWhile we are aware that a great deal of work is being done in this area, and we know that many teachers are working extremely hard to build their knowledge and understanding of how best to support neurodivergent students, there is still a lot of room for improvement. <\/p>\n
\u201cA comprehensive national strategy for supporting neurodivergent children and young people in schools and early childhood settings, and funding for targeted professional development, would be valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elias says: \u201cWe\u2019re seeing more kids than we ever have before with really intense anxiety and really complex behavioural profiles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ADHD, I know exactly what it\u2019s like to live as an ADHDer, and it is hard trying to fit in a world where you\u2019re expected not to. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think we as a school serve the needs of those children really well in a holistic way, understanding there\u2019s a difference between learned and pathological, what we can control and what we can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Therein lies the \u201creal magic in what we do\u201d, she says.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s not about avoiding labels.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not feel empowered to say, \u2018I\u2019ve got dyslexia and ADHD. I may do these things. It would be great if you learnt how to understand me a little bit more\u2019? Because then people are more tolerant and patient. <\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe removing words that align with our profiles and behaviour and the way that we\u2019re made is advantageous to anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bethany Reitsma is a lifestyle writer who has been with the NZ Herald since 2019. She specialises in all things health and wellbeing and is passionate about telling Kiwis\u2019 real-life stories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some families have made financial sacrifices or moved across the city to make sure their children can keep…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":510053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[51,2199,45136,43714,2082,2944,1899,11285,124608,111,43,139,69,193,3766,423,4062,4499,23850,223,8229,61885,83061,154040,102],"class_list":["post-510052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-auckland","tag-city","tag-differences","tag-discovering","tag-for","tag-inside","tag-kids","tag-learning","tag-neurodivergent","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-other","tag-parents","tag-point","tag-school","tag-small","tag-summit","tag-the","tag-they","tag-thrive","tag-transforming","tag-unlike","tag-with"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/510053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}