Fire-gutted Auckland Normal Intermediate School may move on to University of Auckland Epsom campus

Fire-damaged Auckland Normal Intermediate School may reopen next month in the next-door University of Auckland Epsom campus (above). Photo / File

Fire-gutted Auckland Normal Intermediate School hopes to reopen a week later than planned, possibly on the next-door University of Auckland campus.

Principal Jill Farquharson said the school could not open as scheduled on Tuesday and would stay closed all next week.

At this stage she hopes the school will open in the following week beginning February 4, possibly on the university's adjoining Epsom campus.

She believes it is "highly unlikely" that the school will be able to reopen on its existing site in Poronui St, where a large part of the school was destroyed in yesterday's fire and remaining buildings were severely water-damaged after 90 firefighters battled to contain the blaze.

Investigators are on the site this morning still looking for the cause of the fire, which started at about 2.30pm yesterday.

Farquharson said staff from the university's education faculty visited the school while the fire was still burning to offer support.

"They were proactive. They came over to see how they could help out with space. They don't go back till March," she said.

Smoke billowed from Auckland Normal Intermediate School yesterday. Photo / Michael Craig

Ministry of Education staff also rushed to the school and have already located prefabs that could be moved in to house the school's 667 students.

"They were amazing," Farquharson said. "They really got their act together and got stuck into it. So many people give them grief, but when the chips are down it's amazing."

The ministry's acting head of education infrastructure, Sharyn Pilbrow, said the ministry had a contractor fencing-off the site yesterday and had a demolition team on standby.

"We are sourcing temporary classrooms and investigating other accommodation," she said.

"However, there is no doubting that a fire of this size so close to the start of the school year will cause some disruption."

Farquharson told Newstalk ZB last night that the fire largely destroyed the school's historic hall, technology suites, science, dance and drama and music rooms and possibly an arts room and two classrooms.

About 90 firefighters and 22 fire engines fought the blaze. Photo / Michael Craig

She said the fire was "devastating".

"I'm feeling pretty gutted at the moment, probably more so for the teachers that have had their rooms all set up, but also this is a historical building," she said.

"These are the original buildings at the school and they are the only ones that are left, so it is devastating."

The site was originally part of the Auckland Teachers' College (now the university education faculty) and was converted for the intermediate school in 1945, upgrading existing primary school facilities linked to the college.

The University of Auckland's Epsom campus may house Auckland Normal Intermediate students until the school can be rebuilt. Photo / File

The university is due to leave the site by next year, moving all remaining education faculty staff on to its city campus after staff cuts last year.

This morning Farquharson said the Fire Service had not yet released the buildings for entry.

"The investigators are coming in this morning," she said. "Once we've had a chat with them we'll know what's happening."

She said her first priority was to look after her staff who were on site for a teacher-only day when the school caught fire.

"It's pretty traumatic, like your own house fire," she said.

"We are working with emergency planners Harrison Tew, who are amazing. The priority at the moment is the health and safety of the site, support for the staff where we can, and also keeping our families informed."

Updates are being posted on the school's website.