Some Auckland schools are being told to improve when it comes to teaching non-English-speaking children.

An Education Review Office report on 38 schools found two out of five could do better.

74 early childhood centres were also assessed, with three out of five needing to improve.

Mt Roskill Primary School is held up as an exemplar when it comes to teaching non-English-speaking children.

Principal Mike O'Reilly says around 85 percent of the school's pupils speak at least two languages.

"We have expert teachers who have had additional training and they can take responsibility for all the children in their class, whether they've got good levels of English or not."

One of the keys to success, O'Reilly claims, is ongoing teacher training programmes.