RTLB Cluster 8

What RTLB Cluster 8 does

RTLB Cluster 8 (also known as Ngā Manu Āwhina) is a publicly funded educational support service established in 1999 as one of 40 Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour clusters operating nationally under the New Zealand Ministry of Education. The cluster provides specialist learning and behaviour support to schools in the Auckland region, focused primarily on students in Years 2-10 with learning and/or behaviour difficulties, with explicit attention to Māori students, Pasifika students, and children moving into State care. It is structured around a hub-based delivery model operating from three Auckland locations — Royal Oak Primary School (lead school and headquarters), Ōrākei School, and Tāmaki College — with a Liaison RTLB assigned to each partner school as the first point of contact. The cluster employs 33 staff in total: 1 Manager, 4 Practice Leaders, and 28 FTE RTLB positions, all employed by Royal Oak Primary Board of Trustees.

Service delivery is organized under the He Pikorua practice framework, a Ministry-aligned framework that brings learning support practitioners together with whānau and educators. Core service lines include RTLB casework (needs-driven support allocated through Request for Support meetings), professional development workshops (Incredible Years/Ngā Tau Mīharo Teacher and Autism programmes, CPI Verbal Intervention Training, Agility with Sound), structured literacy and dyslexia support, oral language and bilingual assessment, early intervention transition, and dedicated Māori and Pasifika cultural support. The cluster also delivers multiple social-emotional learning and wellbeing programmes (Seasons for Growth, FRIENDS Resilience, BOUNCE BACK, Zones of Regulation, DBT Skills in Schools) and Communities of Practice (Structured Literacy, Dyslexia, Autism/Neurodiversity, Oral Language, Playful Learning, Wellbeing, Secondary School).

RTLB Cluster 8 is funded by the Ministry of Education as part of the national RTLB service, with the lead school's Board of Trustees acting as the sole employer and fund holder. There is no direct commercial pricing for RTLB services; Ministry per-teacher contributions (NZD $1,000 per Incredible Years Teacher programme attendee; NZD $900 per Autism programme attendee) represent programme-level subsidies rather than primary revenue. The cluster does not engage in commercial sales motions and instead markets via direct school liaison relationships, workshops, the cluster website, and Communities of Practice. Strategic partnerships are concentrated with the Ministry of Education (funder/governor), Crisis Prevention Institute (authorized training provider), MacKillop Seasons (programme licensing), and the Incredible Years originator (programme content).

Name

RTLB Cluster 8

Legal name

RTLB Cluster 8

Website

https://rtlbcluster8.ac.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RTLB Cluster 8 is a publicly funded Auckland-based educational support service, one of 40 Ministry of Education clusters nationally, providing Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour to support Years 2-10 students with learning and behaviour difficulties across three hub locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

RTI/MTSS Framework Implementation & Tiered Supports (EDAJAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

High-Intensity Tutoring / Response to Intervention (RTI/MTSS Tier 2–3) (EDAKADAH), Behavioral Health & MTSS/RTI Tiered SEL Supports (EDAKAMAE), Behavioral Intervention & PBIS Supports (Tiered, Gen Ed) (EDAJAGAL)

Keywords

• Educational support services
• Learning behaviour support
• Specialist teaching services
• Inclusive education support
• School intervention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ministry of Education Funding: RTLB Cluster 8 is funded by the Ministry of Education as part of the national RTLB service. The national RTLB service operates with 40 clusters nationally, each with a lead school that acts as fund holder. The Board of Trustees of the lead school is the sole employer for cluster managers, practice leaders, and RTLB.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RTLB Cluster 8 (Ngā Manu Āwhina) delivers the Ministry of Education's Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) service to schools across Auckland, New Zealand. It supplies specialist itinerant teachers who work alongside classroom teachers, school leaders, families/whānau, and other professionals to support students in Years 2–10 with mild to moderate learning and behaviour difficulties so they can remain engaged in inclusive schooling. The service is publicly funded and organised at the cluster level to give schools coordinated access to specialist RTLB expertise.

Product overview

RTLB Cluster 8 (Ngā Manu Āwhina) is an educational support service operated within the New Zealand Ministry of Education's RTLB (Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour) framework. The organization is not a technology product company but rather a service provider consisting of approximately 28 FTE RTLB positions across three office hubs (Royal Oak Primary School, Ōrākei School, and Tāmaki College). Services are organized under the He Pikorua practice framework and include evidence-based programmes such as Ngā Tau Mīharo/Incredible Years (Teacher and Autism programmes), Seasons for Growth, Zones of Regulation, FRIENDS Resilience, BOUNCE BACK, DBT Skills in Schools, and Learning Through Adventure. The cluster provides specialist supports in Structured Literacy, Oral Language, Autism/ASD, Dyslexia, Bilingual Assessment, Early Intervention Transition, cultural support (Māori and Pasifika), Wellbeing, Social Emotional Learning, Student Voice, Playful Learning, Reframing Behaviour, and Technology/Assistive Technology. Training workshops include CPI Verbal Intervention and Agility with Sound.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) Service Specialist itinerant teacher support for students in Years 2–10 experiencing mild to moderate learning and behaviour difficulties, delivered in Auckland schools. RTLB specialists work alongside classroom teachers, school leaders, families/whānau, and other professionals to identify barriers, plan interventions, and build inclusive practice so students can succeed in mainstream schooling. Funded through the Ministry of Education and accessed by schools via the cluster.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTLB Cluster 8 is an authorized provider of the CPI Verbal Intervention Programme, an internationally recognized, evidence-based training that develops practical strategies for de-escalation and early intervention. The training is delivered by a trained CPI instructor following CPI's required structure and guidelines.
• Ministry of Education (Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga)coreOthersThe national RTLB service is funded and governed by the Ministry of Education. Cluster 8 operates under the PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) umbrella and delivers Ministry-funded programmes including Incredible Years (Ngā Tau Mīharo).
• Carolyn Webster-Stratton (Incredible Years)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Incredible Years programmes were developed by Carolyn Webster-Stratton over 35 years. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the programmes became known as Ngā Tau Mīharo, with Māori working with the founder to locate ethical practices within te ao Māori.
• Dr Shelley MooreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternationally recognized inclusive education expert who presented at a Cluster 8 full-day event on 'The Power and Strength of Diversity & Inclusion' in June 2026.
• Parent HelpminorOthersParent helpline resource recommended to parents for additional support
• 1737.org.nzminorOthersFree mental health support service recommended to parents
• MacKillop SeasonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCluster 8 offers two programmes from MacKillop Seasons suite: Seasons for Growth (children and young people) and Stormbirds, supporting those experiencing change, loss and grief.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Barnardos New Zealand: A large NZ child-focused NGO providing a range of social, educational, and family support services including school-based programmes. Overlaps with RTLB Cluster 8's wellbeing, behavioural, and transitions support remit but operates as a broader incumbent with multiple service lines.
• Ministry of Education (Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga) Learning Support: The parent funder and policy-setter for RTLB Cluster 8 and other learning support services including the Early Intervention Service (EIS) and Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L). It operates as the broad incumbent setting curriculum, professional standards, and funding allocations across NZ's school support ecosystem.

Emerging players

• IHC New Zealand: A New Zealand disability support organisation providing advocacy and learning support services for people with intellectual disabilities. Overlaps with RTLB Cluster 8's inclusion, neurodiversity, and behavior support remit but focuses on a more disability-specific population.
• Autism New Zealand: A NZ non-profit providing education, advocacy, and support for autistic individuals and their families. Shares overlap with RTLB Cluster 8's autism-specific programmes (e.g., Incredible Years Autism, Autism/ADHD workshops) but operates independently rather than through the Ministry-funded RTLB framework.
• Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand: A New Zealand charitable trust providing awareness, training, and support for people with dyslexia. Comparable to RTLB Cluster 8's Dyslexia Community of Practice and Agility with Sound literacy programme.

Others

• Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L): A Ministry of Education framework and set of initiatives under which RTLB Cluster 8 operates. Provides evidence-based resources and professional learning on school-wide positive behaviour support — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Family Works (Presbyterian Support): A New Zealand social services organisation providing family support, social work, and school-based programmes. Adjacent peer given its overlap with RTLB Cluster 8's parent/family engagement and child welfare support activities.

Direct peers

• SPELD New Zealand: A New Zealand not-for-profit providing specialist assessment, advice, and tutoring for children and adults with specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Directly comparable to RTLB Cluster 8's literacy, dyslexia, and structured literacy offerings to schools.
• Other RTLB Clusters (Clusters 1-7, 9-40): The 39 other RTLB clusters operating under the same Ministry of Education national RTLB service framework. They share the He Pikorua practice framework, the same funding model, and deliver the same core RTLB services to schools in their respective catchments across New Zealand (Cluster 4 is explicitly referenced in RTLB Cluster 8's data).
• Special Education (Inclusive Education), Ministry of Education NZ: NZ Ministry of Education's Special Education / Inclusive Education service, which delivers specialist support (including Ongoing Resourcing Scheme, ORS) for students with high needs. Operates alongside RTLB but covers more intensive and disability-specific support, making it a directly comparable learning support peer within the same government framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rtlb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about RTLB Cluster 8