News & Events

Kia ora,

As you know, over the past 10 years, the school has been under either a Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) or a Commissioner. This process is called an intervention.

An intervention means the Ministry has decided it needs more information and assurance that, as a school, we are meeting the needs of the school and its students, complying with Ministry mandates, and being governed in a way that ensures we are developing and improving.

Before the merger, both Kelston and van Asch were under an intervention order that saw the placement of two LSMs. After the merger, one LSM remained. When a new board could not be formed, the Ministry appointed a Commissioner.

When the board was re-established last year, the Ministry reduced the intervention to an LSM with governance over six different areas of the school. Barbara Alaalatoa was appointed to this role in January 2026.

Two months ago, the Ministry decided to complete an out of process review. An out of process review means the Ministry has received information and evidence indicating the school has improved and provided evidence to the LSM that it may no longer require as much input and support from the Ministry. During this review, the Ministry gathers information from several areas, including the LSM, the board Presiding Member, ERO and NZSBA. Once it has this information, it makes a recommendation to the Minister of Education about the school’s intervention.

The out of process review has shown that growth in the school’s leadership and governance means intervention is no longer required. As of 21^st of October, the Ministry has removed the LSM from the school. The school is now back to being self-governed and self-led. This is a huge milestone for the school and for Deaf education.

As the Executive Principal of Ko Taku Reo, I am extremely proud of the work we have all done over the last 12 months. While this is a huge success for Ko Taku Reo, the journey has only just begun.