This article presents the culmination of the first author's experience of work at a Deaf Education Centre in Aotearoa New Zealand, alongside the themes stemming from a literature review on wellbeing and the development and maintenance of social and emotional skills for deaf students in both mainstream and special education. The predominant themes identified suggest inconclusive outcomes for students being placed in mainstream or special education in terms of wellbeing and its components such as belonging, identity, and the development of social and emotional skills. Areas for ongoing development and research are outlined, including a need to ascertain the student voice in future research and intervention.