David Seymour Proposes New Co-ed High School at Auckland’s Former Epsom Campus

30 September 2026

A new co-educational state high school, run jointly by Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar, could be established on the former University of Auckland campus in Epsom under a proposal put forward by ACT leader David Seymour.

The idea would give families another secondary school option in central Auckland and potentially ease pressure on some of the city’s busiest schools.

But several important questions remain unanswered. The Government has not committed funding, the land has not been purchased, and no decision has been made to establish the school.

What is Seymour proposing?

Seymour wants the Government to purchase the former teachers’ college site on Epsom Avenue and convert it into a new state secondary school.

The proposed school would be co-educational and, according to Seymour, would operate without a traditional enrolment zone, allowing students from across Auckland to apply.

He says the principals and boards of Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar are interested in jointly sponsoring the school, with classes potentially beginning in the existing campus buildings.

The former university campus has been vacant since the Faculty of Education relocated to the city campus in 2024.

Why does Auckland need another school?

For many Auckland families, choosing a secondary school is about more than academic performance. Where they live can determine which schools their children can attend.

The highly sought-after Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls Grammar zones have long influenced housing decisions in surrounding suburbs.

Both schools also have substantial student populations.

According to Ministry of Education roll figures cited in reporting on the proposal, Auckland Grammar has approximately 2,770 students, while Epsom Girls Grammar has around 2,300.

Seymour argues that another school could relieve pressure on these institutions and nearby Mt Albert Grammar.

A co-educational option would also give local families an alternative to the established single-sex Grammar schools.

However, the extent to which a new school would reduce enrolment pressure would depend on its eventual capacity, admission arrangements and the number of students choosing to attend.

The biggest question: Who will pay for it?

The former Epsom campus is a substantial piece of land, covering approximately 15 hectares.

Its value is also significant.

Auckland Council valued the main title at 74 Epsom Avenue at $115 million in 2024. Figures reported by the NZ Herald have ranged from approximately $150 million for the site to $250 million for the wider campus.

These figures are not an agreed government purchase price.

No funding has been announced for acquiring the property or establishing the proposed school.

Any purchase would also need to be considered alongside other school property requirements across Auckland and the wider country.

For families hoping to see the proposal become reality, funding remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.

The land cannot simply be handed over

The University of Auckland still owns the property and is working through the legal processes associated with its potential sale.

Those processes include Treaty settlement considerations, with iwi having rights of first refusal under relevant arrangements.

The Public Works Act and the Ministry of Education may also have roles in determining what happens to the site.

Seymour has argued that retaining the land for education would be preferable to seeing it developed for housing.

However, the future use of the property has not been settled.

A government decision to pursue a school would not remove the need to follow the applicable legal processes.

Would the school really be open to everyone?

One of the proposal’s most interesting features is Seymour’s suggestion that the new school would be unzoned.

That could appeal to parents living outside the existing Grammar school zones.

But there is an important practical question.

Under New Zealand’s school enrolment rules, state schools facing overcrowding may be required to introduce enrolment schemes, which generally include home zones.

If demand for the proposed school exceeded the places available, its admission arrangements would need to be addressed.

There is currently no detailed public explanation of how an unzoned school would operate if applications significantly exceeded capacity.

The proposed governance arrangement also requires further work.

Having two established state schools jointly sponsor a third would raise questions about its board, leadership, staffing and operational funding.

Those details have not yet been publicly set out.

What has the Education Minister said?

Seymour says he has raised the proposal with Education Minister Erica Stanford.

According to the response reported by the NZ Herald, decisions about new schools are made through the Ministry of Education and depend on factors including local demand, available capacity, land costs and wider school network priorities.

The response did not amount to a commitment to purchase the campus or establish a school.

School property responsibilities are also due to move to a new national body from 1 October.

That means any proposal would need to progress through the relevant government assessment and funding processes.

An idea with a longer history

Although the proposed co-educational school is a recent development, Seymour’s interest in the Epsom campus is not new.

He says he first discussed the university’s plans for the site in 2019 and held a public meeting about its future in 2024.

He has also previously raised concerns about pressure on the area’s established schools.

Earlier discussions focused partly on protecting educational facilities and playing fields used by nearby schools.

The latest proposal goes further by suggesting that the campus could accommodate an entirely new secondary school.

It has emerged during the campaign for the 7 November general election, giving the future of the site renewed public attention.

What happens next?

For now, the proposal remains an idea rather than an approved school development.

The university’s property disposal process must continue, the relevant government agencies would need to assess the educational case, and funding would have to be secured.

The principals and boards of the two Grammar schools would also need to clarify their proposed involvement and how the arrangement would work.

For Auckland parents, the proposal raises a question about how the city should accommodate growing demand for secondary education.

A new school on the Epsom campus is one possible approach. Expanding existing schools or investing in other parts of the school network are alternatives that would also need consideration.

No opening date, enrolment process or construction timetable has been announced.

The future of the former Epsom campus, and whether it will once again become a place of learning, remains undecided.

Source: NZ Herald reporting, David Seymour’s public statements, University of Auckland information and Ministry of Education roll data. The NZ Herald first reported the proposal.