Auckland schools have been advised to close, however, the decision remains with individual boards of trustees, the Secretary of Education has said.
Aucklanders have been advised to work from home ahead of Cyclone Gabrielle, and schools should communicate closures directly to students and parents.
Auckland Emergency Management (AEM) deputy controller Rachel Kelleher said people should “plan for things to change” regarding education institution closures.
Kelleher said parents and students should follow their “usual channels” for communication with individual schools, kura and early childhood education centres.
Secretary of Education Iona Holsted sent a message to Auckland schools on Sunday reiterating a message earlier that day that schools should decide whether they would close themselves.
“I recommend that the Boards of Auckland schools make a decision to close their schools for on-site instruction from Monday 13 February,” Holsted said.
Holsted issued the latest advice for schools to close following the upgrading of Auckland’s weather warnings.
The Herald has compiled a list of schools confirmed to be closed so far below. This is not an exhaustive list and parents should check with individual schools.
- ACG Parnell
- ACG Sunderland
- ACG Strathallan
- Alfriston College
- Alfriston Primary School
- Albany Primary
- Albany Junior High School
- Albany Senior High School
- Al-Madinah School
- Ahuroa School
- Ahutoetoe School
- Anchorage Park Primary School
- Arahoe Primary School
- Avondale College
- Auckland Girls Grammar
- Auckland Normal Intermediate School
- Bailey Rd School
- Bairds Mainfreight Primary
- Balmoral School
- Baradene College
- Bayfield School
- Bayswater School
- Baverstock Oaks School
- Beach Haven Primary School
- Beachlands School
- Belmont Intermediate
- Belmont Primary
- Birkdale Primary
- Birkdale North
- Birkdale Intermediate
- Birkenhead College
- Botany College
- Bombay School
- Brookby School
- Browns Bay School
- Bruce McLaren Intermediate
- Bucklands Beach Primary School
- Bucklands Beach Intermediate School
- Campbells Bay Primary School
- Carmel College
- Central Auckland Specialist School
- Chelsea Primary School
- Christ the King Catholic School
- Churchill Park School
- Clayton Park School
- Clendon Park School
- Clevedon School
- Coatesville Primary
- Cockle Bay Primary
- Conifer Grove School
- Cornwall Park District School
- Cosgrove School
- De La Salle College
- Devonport Primary School
- Diocesan School for Girls
- Dominion Road School
- Drury School
- Edgewater College
- Edmonton School
- Elim Christian College - all campuses
- Ellerslie School
- Elm Park School
- Epsom Girls Grammar
- Everglade Primary School
- Farm Cove Intermediate
- Ferguson Intermediate School
- Ficino School
- Flanshaw Road School
- Flatbush Primary School
- Freemans Bay School
- Freyberg Community School
- Fruitvale School
- Gladstone Primary School
- Glamorgan School
- Glenbrae School
- Glen Eden Intermediate School
- Glendowie College
- Glendowie School
- Glenfield Intermediate
- Glenfield College
- Green Bay High School
- Green Bay Primary School
- Greenmeadows Intermediate
- Greenhite School
- Grey Lynn School
- Hauraki School
- Henderson Intermediate School
- Henderson High School
- Henderson North Primary
- Henderson Valley Primary
- Hillpark Primary School
- Hillsborough Primary School
- Hingaia Peninsula School
- Hobsonville Point Secondary School
- Hobsonville Point Primary
- Hobsonville Primary School
- Holy Trinity Catholic Primary
- Homai Primary School
- Holycross Primary School
- Horizon School
- Howick Primary School
- Howick Intermediate
- Howick College
- Huapai School
- Hunua School
- James Cook High School
- Kaipara College
- Kaipara Flats School
- Kaitaki College
- Kadimah School
- Kaukapakapa School
- Kauri Flats School
- Kauri Park School
- Kaurilands School
- Kedgley Intermediate
- Kelston Girls College
- Kelston Boys High School
- Kelston Girls College
- Kelston Primary School
- Kelston Intermediate School
- Konini Primary School
- Kings College
- Kings Prep
- Kingsway School
- Kedgley Intermediate
- Kelvin Road Primary School
- Kohia Terrace School
- Konini Primary
- Kōwhai Intermediate
- Kristin School
- Laingholm Primary
- Liston College
- Long Bay College
- Lynfield College
- Macleans College
- Mairangi Bay primary
- Māngere Bridge School
- Māngere East Primary
- Mahurangi College
- Manurewa Intermediate School
- Manurewa High School
- Marcellin College
- Marist Primary
- Massey High School
- Matua Ngaru School
- Mauku Primary
- Maungawhau Primary School
- Maraetai Beach
- Marina View School
- Marist College
- Matakana School
- Matatoki School
- Matipo School
- May Road School
- Mayfield Primary
- McAuley High School
- Meadowbank Primary
- Milford Primary
- Moanataiari School
- Mount Albert Grammar
- Mount Albert Primary
- Mt Eden Normal Primary School
- Mount Roskill Primary School
- Mount Roskill Grammar
- Mount Roskill Intermediate School
- Monte Cecilia School
- Murrays Bay Intermediate School
- Murrays Bay Primary
- Ngā Iwi Primary School
- New Lynn School
- Newmarket School
- Northcote College
- Northcote Intermediate
- Northcote Primary
- Northcross Intermediate School
- Nukumea Primary
- Oaklynn Specialist School
- Onehunga Primary School
- Onehunga High School
- One Tree Hill College
- Opaheke School
- Ōrākei School
- Oranga Primary
- Oratia Primary
- Orewa Beach School
- Orewa College
- Ormiston Junior college
- Ormiston Senior College
- Ōtāhuhu College
- Ōtāhuhu Primary School
- Owairoa Primary School
- Pakuranga College
- Pakuranga Heights Primary School
- Pakuranga Intermediate
- Panmure Bridge School
- Papakura Central School
- Papatoetoe Intermediate School
- Papatoetoe North School
- Papatoetoe South School
- Papatoetoe West School
- Papatoetoe High
- Papakura Normal School
- Parakai School
- Parnell District School
- Pasadena Intermediate
- Patumahoe primary school
- Panama Rd School
- Peninsula Primary
- Pigeon Mountain School
- Pinehill School
- Pinehurst School
- Point Chevalier SChool
- Point View School
- Point England School
- Pōkeno Primary
- Pomaria Primary School
- Ponsonby Intermediate
- Ponsonby Primary School
- Prospect School
- Puāwai Montessori
- Pukekohe East School
- Pukekohe High School
- Pukekohe Intermediate
- Remuera Intermediate
- Remuera Primary
- Reremoana School
- Richmond Road School
- Rise Up Academy School
- Riverhead School
- Rangeview Intermediate
- Rangitoto College
- Randwick Park School
- Ranui Primary School
- Red Beach Primary School
- Ridgeview School
- Riverhill School
- Riverina School
- Rodney College
- Royal Road School
- Rosebank School
- Rosehill College
- Roseville Special School
- Rosmini College
- Royal Oak Intermediate
- Royal Oak Primary
- Rutherford College
- Sancta Maria College
- Scott Point School
- Selwyn College
- Shelley Park Primary
- Sherwood Primary School
- Silverdale School
- Silverdale Primary
- Snells Beach School
- Somerville Intermediate
- Southern Cross Campus
- Summerland Primary
- Sunnyhills School
- Sunnybrae Normal School
- Stanley Bay School
- Stanmore Bay Primary School
- Stella Maris School
- St Cuthberts College
- St Francis School
- St Heliers School
- St Ignatius School
- St Kentigern Boys’ School
- St. Mary’s Catholic School Ellerslie
- Stonefields School
- St Dominic’s College
- St Dominic’s Primary
- St Johns School
- St Joseph’s Primary
- St Leonard’s Rd School
- St Mary’s College
- St Mary’s School
- St Paul’s College
- St Paul’s Primary School
- St Peter’s College
- Sacred Heart College
- Swanson Primary School
- Summerland Primary
- Summit Point School
- Sutton Park Primary
- Sunnybrae Normal School
- Sunnynook Primary School
- Tauhoa School
- Takanini School
- Takapuna Grammar
- Takapuna Primary School
- Takapuna Normal Intermediate
- Tamaoho School
- Target Road School
- Taupaki school
- Te Atatu Intermediate
- Te Hihi Primary School
- Te Papapa Primary School
- Thames South School
- Three Kings School
- Tirimoana Primary School
- Titirangi Primary School
- Torbay School
- Tuakau College
- Upper Harbour Primary
- Verran Primary School
- Victoria Avenue School
- Viscount School
- Waiheke High School
- Waikowhai School
- Wairau Intermediate
- Wairau Valley Specialist School
- Waioneke School
- Waimauku School
- Waitakere College
- Waitakere Primary School
- Waiuku College
- Warkworth Primary School
- Waterlea Primary
- Wentworth Computer Science School
- Wesley Primary School
- West Harbour School
- Westmere School
- Westgate Eduplay Childcare
- Western Middle School
- Western Heights Primary
- Western Springs College
- Westlake Boys’ High School
- Westlake Girls’ High School
- Westminster Christian School
- Weymouth Primary
- Whangaparāoa College
- Whenuapai School
- Willow Park School
- Windy Ridge School
- Woodlands Park School
- Wymondley Road School
- Yendarra Primary School
If you are aware of other schools being closed, please email us at newsdesk@nzherald.co.nz
Auckland Grammar announced on Sunday it would remain open, but said this would be subject to change depending on the weather.
“If this needs to be altered due to a significant change in the weather, or if the School received a direction to close under the Education and Training Act, the Headmaster will advise all parents directly via SMS and email,” a message to parents read.
AEM’s Kelleher said people should speak with their employers about whether they should come in or work from home.
Some parents have decided to keep their children home from school regardless of advice from institutions.
“I’ve already made the decision as a parent, regarding my child’s safety, she’s not going to school until Wednesday,” one parent said.
“I’m not waiting for authorities to make that call for my child.”
Prime Minister Chis Hipkins said schools and businesses should make their own decisions about opening on Monday and Tuesday, when the worst of Cyclone Gabrielle was expected.
“I’d encourage them to follow the guidance, and particularly consider issues around transportation, and also around the fact that with severe weather, it’s not just a question about whether it’s safe to be at school, it’s also a decision about getting to and from school,” Hipkins said.
”We don’t want kids to end up being marooned at school, for example.”
Hipkins said schools would make their decision based on their situation and the weather.
He said officials would be constantly reviewing their advice.
”The message at the moment is people should be minimising traffic on the roads as much as possible.
“People can make their own decisions about [working from home], but if they’re in a position to ... then yes, of course, they can do that.
“Follow the guidance, because it will change over the next 24-48 hours.”
Auckland Transport asks motorists to stay off roads
Auckland Transport (AT), meanwhile, has urged people to avoid all non-urgent travel until Tuesday and prepare for road closures.
AT executive general manager safety Stacey van der Putten said: “Please keep a lookout for debris and fallen trees on the road, and as always drive to the conditions.
”Be prepared for road closures.”
AT said motorists should avoid several areas if flooding does occur, including Wairau Valley, Tāmaki Drive, Fanshawe St around Victoria Park, and Fred Thomas Drive.
”There are many more [areas] and these will be available on the AT website.”