Our Students
Who is the Encompass Education Hub (School) for?
The school is focused on learners whose primary educational and wellbeing needs are best met within an autistic- and neurodiversity-affirming learning environment. Encompass is designed for secondary-aged autistic and neurodivergent* learners from Years 9 to 13 who are committed to working within the New Zealand Curriculum and the New Zealand Qualifications Framework.
Encompass is a school for students who:
Experience sensory or social overload in busy environments
Young people who learn best in smaller, calmer settings with predictable routines and reduced sensory demands.
Learn through deep, sustained interests
Students who naturally engage by exploring topics they care about in depth, and who flourish when these interests are embedded within their learning pathway.
Need flexibility and a self–paced rhythm
Learners whose energy patterns, regulatory needs, or learning styles are better supported by a flexible structure that adapts to them.
Are reconnecting with learning
Young people who may have experienced stress, overwhelm, or extended time away from school, and who need a safe, supportive space to rebuild their confidence and curiosity.
Our intention is not to replace other schooling options, but to provide a specialised pathway for those who benefit from a different type of educational environment.
Parameters for enrolment:
- Learners who are autistic, with a formal diagnosis or who are currently in a diagnostic process.
- Neurodivergent learners without a formal autism diagnosis whose learning profile closely aligns with autism-related learning needs, such as sensory sensitivities, heightened anxiety within conventional learning environments, differences in social communication, and a strong need for predictability, relational safety, and consistent routines.
- Learners who are disengaged, partially disengaged, or at significant risk of disengaging from mainstream secondary education due to unmet autistic or neurodivergent needs.
- Learners must be able to engage safely within an open, non-secure school environment. Encompass does not operate secure, fenced or locked facilities, and students are free to access different areas of the school and grounds throughout the day.
*Encompass has been designed with autistic learners in mind, but will also cater for neurodivergent students with similar needs, who would thrive in an environment that accommodates sensory sensitivities, differences in social communication, and a strong need for predictability, relational safety, and consistent routines.
