A litany of failures have been laid bare in a scathing review of historical sexual and physical abuse at Auckland's Dilworth School

The abuse, dating back to the 1950s, wasn't investigated properly, most wasn't reported to Police, and known abusers were able to quietly leave with their careers intact.

Frances Joychild KC says the lack of systems in place to protect children had damaging and long-lasting consequences for them.

She says the ongoing cloak of silence, and the determination to protect the school's reputation allowed the abuse to continue.