A special report by the Education Review Office released to the Herald showed that as well as concerns about safety and the standard of tuition, there were concerns about staffing.
The report said the principal, Lisita Paongo, had previously acted as the school manager, but now held a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT). An LAT allows a person who cannot be registered and certificated to be employed in a teaching position in a specified situation temporarily. It is not a form of registration or practising certificate.
The ERO had other concerns about teaching, including that teachers provided a curriculum that has little relevance to students' lives in New Zealand and does not support their language, culture and identity.
Some of the teachers came from secondary backgrounds, which did not always fit with primary learners. Few had recent qualification.
"Two teachers remain unable to satisfy Teachers Council requirements in order to move into being fully registered teachers after four years as provisionally registered teachers because they cannot demonstrate that they have had adequate advice and guidance," the report said.
The lead teacher was unable to talk about her specified role in monitoring and improving the quality of teaching.
It is the first time the ministry had suspended a private school's registration, deputy secretary of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said, and "wasn't done lightly."
"We have met with the school a number of times, but they haven't provided us with any assurances to change our view that the children at this school are at risk. That can't be allowed to continue," Ms Casey said.
A special review from the Education Office Review Report had found a number of concerns remain, including the quality of teaching and learning and the welfare of students.
The ministry had also been working with Police and Child, Youth and Family. The agencies completed investigations into allegations of physical discipline that followed the incident last year.
"Police have advised us that four teachers have been formally warned over their actions and that they have advised the Education Council of the outcome of their investigation," Ms Casey said.
"While all of those investigations have been carried out, the Ministry has been watching the school very closely and we would have acted immediately if required."
The suspension of the school's registration will take effect from September the 25th.
The ministry will be very closely monitoring the school until then and making sure students at the school and their families are supported.
A team of Tongan-speaking staff will be working alongside the families to make sure the 70 students are enrolled at new schools by the start of Term Four.
The suspension will remain in place until the school can satisfy us that students would not be at risk in terms of both their learning and safety and welfare. If that doesn't happen, the ministry has the option of cancelling the registration.
The school's website says the school is adamant in its dedication to providing Christian education.
"We are not a state integrated school and we firmly take this stand at all cost because we believe that what our children need is not just education but Christian education," its statement read.
"The only way to secure the integrity of Christian education is to employ Christian curriculum in the place of the government's secular curriculum. Not implementing the national curriculum has put us in the disadvantage as we are not fully entitled to the government's financial assistance schemes to education providers. This has however, not deterred the Board of Trustees and the teachers from their commitment to act in obedience to God and to work in co-operation with parents in teaching their children in Christian character and values."
The school is part of the Tokaikolo Christian Church's education system. The church, which has around 2,000 Tongan parishioners in Auckland, was previously alleged to have sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars into a ponzi scheme.
It faced claims in the High Court in Auckland its trust deed had been breached by financial mismanagement.
Calls to the school were not returned.
