Invercargill Middle School principal Stan Tiatia with some of the schools students. Middle school is a finalist in the National Prime Ministers excellence award.

Invercargill Middle School has been named as a finalist for the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards.

The school is a finalist in the Excellence in Teaching and Learning category, up against three others, two from from Auckland and one from Gisborne.

The four schools were selected from more than 200 entries.

Principal Stan Tiatia said he was rapt to be a finalist.

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He hit the ground running on improving National Standards as soon as he became principal five years ago.

The school uses the Accelerated Learning Method, which recognises that everyone has a preferred learning style. The school taylors its teaching to suit each pupil.

"Instead of deficit thinking, we are going to become experts in accelerated learning," Tiatia said.

"We are using the challenges in our community and turning them into strengths, things like English as a second language and a lower socio-economic area."

The school has a range of nationalities, including a high Maori population.

"Everyone's getting the absolute best, always," he said.

"I have full confidence in the staff and what we do."

Eight staff members will go to Auckland for the awards night on June 13.

Tiatia was impressed with the school's achievements throughout the past five years.

In 2011, 79 per cent of students were achieving at or above the expected National Standards. This increased to 86 per cent in 2015.

Writing improved from 59 per cent achieving at or above the expected National Standards to 82 per cent in those five years.

The data showed that Maori students improved their standard in reading, writing and maths better than for non-Maori students.

Invercargill MP Sarah Dowie said it was great to see the school's contribution be publicly and formally recognised.

"With a relentless focus on student achievement, Invercargill Middle School is now a strong school that looks at all the available learning and makes the best decisions for its students."

Category winners will receive $20,000 and the supreme winner will receive an additional $30,000.

Longford Intermediate in Gore was named as a finalist in the Excellence in Teaching and Leaning category in 2015.