A barrister representing Gloriavale leavers says the Christian community's school should've been shutdown decades ago.

The Ministry of Education wants to cancel the school's registration, effectively closing it, after a special report by the Education Review Office (ERO) found it was not providing a physically and emotionally safe place for students.

It's the Ministry of Education's second move to cancel the school's registration in less than a year.

The school remains open after an attempt in December was challenged at the High Court by the school's board.

On Thursday the ministry applied to the court to lift the orders preventing the school's closure, which has a roll of about 80 students.

Barrister Brian Henry, who has fought for Gloriavale leavers to be recognised as employees, backed the move, but simultaneously criticised the ministry for what he described as decades of inaction.

He said the ERO report revealed nothing new and that the school should have been closed 20 years ago.

"They have, as a historic department, not done their job. Finally someone's done it and I applaud them for that."

However, Henry said the fact that it had taken two attempts to cancel the registration was "appalling".

He said the ministry should have been ready to follow through with it in December but wasn't, meaning the school's closure got "bunged up" in litigation.

The ministry rejected Henry's criticism and said closing a registered school was a significant statutory decision that had to follow a robust process.

After Gloriavale filed court proceedings, the ministry and the school agreed to defer the decision until the legal process had finished, it said.

Henry wouldn't speculate on when the school would shut its doors, but said the students would need to be educated elsewhere.

"They just need to put on a school bus and shift them - like all country kids are shifted - to a public school."

Education services deputy secretary Geoff Short said the ministry would work with the school community to determine the most practical timing for the school's closure.

In a statement, the Gloriavale Christian School board said it was considering its options.

"The school strongly disagrees with the ministry's decision and is currently considering its options to challenge it. Given that the matter is ongoing, we will not be making any further comment at this time," the board said.

The ERO special review report said the school had failed to meet one of eight criteria - to provide a physically and emotionally safe place for students.

While the school met the other criteria, such as providing suitable premises, provision of tuition, and suitable staffing, and that there had been "some improvement", it said the improvement was "partial and, in key areas, not yet sustained".

"ERO is not yet confident that the school's systems are sufficiently embedded, consistent and reliable to ensure ongoing compliance with the requirements for registration over time."