COUNTRY GUIDE · Reviewed 15 October 2026
New Zealand: Learning support at school and kura
New Zealand's Ministry of Education advises families to start by talking with the child's teacher. Schools and kura may use learning support coordinators, specialists, individual learning plans or other supports according to need and local arrangements.
Where to begin
- Talk with your child's teacher or kaiako about specific concerns and strengths.
- Ask what the school or kura can do now and how progress will be reviewed.
- Discuss whether a learning support coordinator, Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour or other service should be involved.
- Agree on next steps in writing, including the next review date.
Questions for your next school meeting
- Who is responsible for coordinating learning support?
- Would a learning plan or IEP be helpful?
- How can whānau contribute to setting goals?
Official starting source
NZ Ministry of Education: Supporting your child with learning support ↗
Check the government source for the most current process before acting.
Free school meeting worksheet
Prepare questions, record what the school agrees to do, and arrange follow-up using our New Zealand school meeting checklist. You can print the worksheet or save it as a PDF.
More help for New Zealand families
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2026 policy and guidance update
Learning Support Coordinator allocations for 2027 were announced for schools, with funded positions from Term 1 2027. Read the dated official-source summary for New Zealand.
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Policy announcements, implementation plans and existing guidance are labelled separately.