Specialist school centre opening a 'moment of pride’ and ‘optimism'

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

A specialist school centre a decade in the making has been unveiled at a high school in Nelson, in a move which hopes to send “a powerful message about inclusivity”.

But with a growing waiting list at Maitai Specialist School – a day school for children with high and complex needs – frustrations remain about continued delays to the school’s new base in Richmond.

Maitai School’s satellite centre at Nayland College in Stoke, Te Puna o Maitahi, was unveiled to the community on Tuesday.

The new centre, between the college’s hall and library, was officially blessed alongside mana whenua Ngāti Koata last week, and included a new Nayland College staff room.

Maitai School principal, Janet Watt said the unveiling was “a moment of pride, reflection and optimism” in “a long and sometimes uncertain journey”.

After four years of conversations about the satellite, the project was announced by the Ministry of Education in 2019, and the schools expected the centre to be built in about a year.

But in 2024 the project – which included a rebuild of the school’s base off Salisbury Road – was included in a government value for money review, before Education Minister Erica Stanford gave the development the green light later that year.

Watt acknowledged Maitai School’s whānau and students’ patience, persistence, and advocacy for their “right to choose a specialist education setting”.

“There were periods in the last few years when it was unclear whether this project would proceed.”

The satellite “presented an opportunity to share a powerful message about inclusivity and celebrating difference”, Watt said.

Being built “front and centre” of the college, the facility invited “opportunities for conversations”.

“I’ve worked in many schools in many different countries where a specialist class was hidden at the back of the school grounds … this is not the case for Nayland any more,” she said.

The satellite centre, which had a capacity for 16 students, would start with 13 – almost double the number accommodated in temporary spaces provided at Nayland College over the last six years.

Maitai School welcomed the high school’s teachers to visit the centre’s classrooms and to potentially allow a Maitai student to visit their class – to help show Nayland students that inclusion mattered and was not an “add on” or “afterthought”, Watt said.

She thanked outgoing Nayland College principal Daniel Wilson and acting principal Hannah Banks for their advocacy for the satellite’s establishment, and to Wilson – on his last day as principal – for continuing to provide the spaces for the Maitai students.

“The timing of this opening today celebrates that commitment [to the Maitai community] from you, and this satellite represents part of the legacy you will leave here at Nayland,” Watt said.

Maitai School student Paige Grason said the new centre was “cool” and she loved being there.

Her mother, Maitai School board presiding member Koren Rangitutia, said it was “really special” to see the centre opened after “such a long period of time”, and she was excited for Paige and her cohort.

“The opportunities inherent in Nayland College for kids like Paige are just limitless, and we’re probably only scratching the surface of what that looks like.”

Watt said the new facility took two students off Maitai School’s waiting list, but over 40 remained on the list, compared to 10 in 2024.

While concerns about the layout of the school’s new base had been resolved, the school was frustrated for parents that the time frame for completion of the project, next to Salisbury School had been pushed out again, from mid-2026 to next year, she said.

The new base would cater for 24 students and would take a lot of pressure off the waiting lists, with many enrolments coming through the school’s primary satellites at Tāhunanui School and Henley School, both currently full, she said.

While the school had developed a process with the local ministry of education for students to enrol in their local schools, many families reported they would homeschool their child until a space became available, Watt said.

“We’re very conscious … [of] the pressure that that puts on families.

“They’re already often socially and emotionally disadvantaged, and this is going to … disadvantage them financially.”

The base site plans had scope for a future block that could accommodate 16 students, and the school was working with the ministry to try to secure funding so that block could be built this year too, Watt said.

Meanwhile the Nayland satellite was both “functional and beautiful”, thanks to people including members of Noble Project Management, MOAA architects, builders Scott Construction and Ngāti Koata, Watt said.

Wilson said the facility represented a partnership that benefited both schools. It created an inclusive environment where students could access mainstream facilities and activities while still receiving tailored support, he said.

“By sharing resources and specialist expertise, we enrich learning opportunities for all.”