Summerland Primary

I’m the older brother of a former student who attended Sumerland Primary at the age of 8, and I feel compelled to share our family’s experience.nnUnfortunately, our time with this school was deeply distressing. We witnessed repeated incidents that felt racially biased, and when a senior staff member screamed at a member of our family, the school outright denied it happened. Rather than showing accountability or prioritizing the well-being of the child, the school appeared more concerned with protecting its image. This lack of transparency and responsibility caused significant emotional harm to our family especially to our mother.nnThe screaming incident occurred when my sister came to pick up my younger brother and politely asked about a letter we had been requesting from the school for over a week. The school kept delaying, saying it would be ready “tomorrow,” but nothing was ever provided. After a full week of waiting and following up, my sister asked again and was met with completely unprovoked aggression. A senior female staff member yelled at her in a highly inappropriate and hostile manner, in front of other parents and students. My sister was left in tears from the incident, and it had a serious emotional impact on her. Instead of handling the situation professionally, the school chose to escalate and then deny it ever occurred when we raised the issue.nnAs a Palestinian Muslim family, we strongly felt that the way we were treated was influenced by how we looked and where we came from. The dismissiveness, the lack of empathy, and the way we were spoken to all pointed to deeper racial and cultural bias.nnWhat’s even more alarming is the conduct of the male principal, who was reported by individuals we trust to have entered the girls’ bathroom to discipline female students. This is extremely concerning and should have been thoroughly investigated. Regardless of the explanation, a male staff member entering a female students’ toilet is entirely inappropriate and a serious breach of professional boundaries. We escalated this to the Ministry of Education Henderson branch, but our concerns were dismissed without any meaningful response.nnThis entire experience left us feeling ignored, mistreated, and failed not just by the school, but by a system that should have protected our younger brother and held adults accountable. I sincerely hope changes are made, because no family should have to go through what we did. Every child and parent deserves to feel safe, respected, and heard within their school community.

this is possibly the best primary i could ever go to. all the memories i had there, all the happiness i had. the teachers were all so nice and generous. they teach with patience and understanding and communicate really well. I wish I could go back again, i love summerland primary

This is possibly the best primary you could send your kids to, all the teachers are nice, there are plenty field trips. i used to love the sandpit, there is an army of duty teachers and peer medeators ready to help and you WILL miss this school when you go to intermediate i certainly do. My favorite teachers are Mrs Landon, Whaea Murial, Mrs Britt, and that one with the laser pointer i forgot his name

Friendly inclusive school. 3 of my children attended this school and all enjoyed their time at school. Very highly regarded for friendly teachers - encouraging and thoughtful. Great family engagement.

Great school with all the facilities. Staff is awesome and location is also great.

Directions to Summerland Primary with public transportation

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