For a year, journalists from the Herald followed students from Papakura High School to find out what life was like in an underprivileged school.
Some students faced homelessness, hunger, and poverty - which sometimes overshadowed their education.
In this video, school staff including principal John Rohs discuss the impact ofa variety of social issues on the students.
"Those who grow up in privilege find it hard to grasp what our world looks like. Our kids grow up with a world-view that is so narrow and so limited that it's quite scary," he says.
"Education has got to compensate for that ... and it's not that I need to give them a sandwich, it's about giving our kids the opportunity to actually experience what a rich life is all about."
