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Joe Clarke
[FYI request #33630 email]
12 March 2026
Tēnā koe Joe
OIA: GEMS-46684 – Independent Reviews in relation to three Residential
Specialist Schools
Thank you for your email of 3 February 2026 to the Ministry of Education (the
Ministry) requesting the following information:
…copies of all independent reports, papers, and reviews commissioned or
contracted by Ministry of Education in relation to the 3 residential specialist
schools (Westbridge, Halswell, Salisbury) since 2010.
I request this under the urgency provision of the Act because the information
is needed to inform a submission about the potential closure of Westbridge
Residential School and submissions close on March 15th.
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
The Ministry is refusing your request under section 18(f) of the Act, as the information
requested cannot be made available without substantial collation or research. The
request requires substantial research across multiple system over a 16-year period
requiring a heavy administrative burden.
While we are unable to collate all of the requested information, we are providing the
recent Standards and Monitoring Services (SAMS) reports for Salisbury School and
Halsell Residential College, in the attached Appendix. Please note the SAMS report
for Westbridge School is publicly available and can be found here:
https://web-assets.education.govt.nz/s3fs-public/2026
01/20251201%20Westbridge%20Residential%20School%20SAMS%20developm
ental%20Evaluation%20Report%20-FINAL-
%20%28002%29_Redacted.pdf?VersionId=0eVZD8yRgxX8ZPMM4QNHR4stRd1
hIpQd
Wel ington – National Office, PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140
Phone: +64 4 463 8000
education.govt.nz
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Some information is withheld from the SAMS reports under the following section of
the Act:
• 9(2)(a) to protect the privacy of natural persons
• 9(2)(ba)(i) to protect information which is subject to an obligation of confidence
where disclosure would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information,
or information from the same source, and it is in the public interest that such
information should continue to be supplied.
Please also find the Auckland University Report into the Residential Specialist
Schools here, which was published in 2024 and is in scope of your request:
https:/ www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/learning-support/residential-
specialist-schools-pathway-evaluation-report
As required under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in
releasing the information withheld. I do not consider that the public interest
considerations favouring the release of this information are sufficient to outweigh the
need to withhold it at this time.
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days.
Your name and contact details wil be removed.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review
my decision on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do
this by writing t
o [email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman,
PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Julia Hardacre
General Manager Learning Support Operations and Standards
Te Pou Taunaki | Learning Support
education.govt.nz
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OIA: GEMS-46684
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