A Tauranga state school is among the top 20 schools receiving special NCEA exam support nationwide – despite figures showing high decile schools usually take the highest spots.

Papamoa College is just one of nine state-funded schools in the top 20 for schools gaining assistance for special assessment conditions candidates.

Papamoa College principal Steve Lindsay outside Papamoa College. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

It comes in behind private Auckland school King's College gaining 19.4 per cent of SAC candidates support followed by Christchurch's Saint Andrew's with 16.5 per cent.

The decile five college with 8.1 per cent of their candidates receiving exam support sits near the back in 16th, the sixth state school.

Figures released by the college show this percentage equates to 11 of their 131 NCEA candidates being helped with special assessment conditions.

The funding covers pupils with a condition that impairs their learning – including dyslexia, apraxia, ADHD and autism. In 2012 $433,000 was spent on special assessment conditions – a jump from the $159,000 spent in 2011.

Papamoa College principal Steve Lindsey says a very rigorous process is undertaken to ensure eligible students are receiving the required help, with a student assessment needing to be conducted by a qualified assessor – costing the college and/or the parents.

'Sometimes parents will pay for assessment reports, which provide extra detail. Unfortunately many parents cannot afford to pay for such reports,” says Steve.

This year's figures for pupils receiving special assessment conditions show only eight decile 1 candidates, 1.2 per cent of the total sitting NCEA in schools of that decile, receiving support this year compared with 1080, 5 per cent, from decile 10 schools.

Support given to the students is tailor-made, including some candidates receiving a reader and/or a computer/writer, and often students will receive extra time to complete assessment tasks.

'Our learning support area has established very comprehensive processes to identify, evaluate and then support students who have learning needs. We are mostly able to carry out assessments of student needs internally, which will meet the criteria set out by NZQA for special assessment conditions.”

When questioned whether he believes higher decile schools are given preferential treatment to some extent, Steve refrained from answering.

'I couldn't possibly comment on this. I wouldn't know if this was the case or not.”

A New Zealand Qualifications Authority spokesperson says the outcome of a joint NZQA /Ministry of Education review, into concerns of SAC inequality between different decile schools is expected to be available early 2014.