Central Normal School
201 Featherston Street, Palmerston North · Taranaki & Manawatū
See all schools in Palmerston North →
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,236 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Central Normal School is a contributing primary school in Palmerston North with a roll of 492 students. The Board's assurance review in September 2024 confirmed the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements, with board administration and curriculum confirmed. No composite achievement score is currently available.
Best suited for
Students in Palmerston North looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Central Normal School a good school?
Central Normal School scores 40/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- School is compliant with the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
standdowns 100.7/1k · suspensions 10.5/1k · exclusions 10.2/1k · bottom quartile of band (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
+6.8% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
64/100 from ERO review 2024-09 · bottom quartile of band (n=471) · why? ▼ hide
⚠ Insufficient EQI-band peers (n<10) to compute per-axis percentile context. The score above is absolute; treat it as a single-school read rather than a peer comparison.
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 64/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-09-20 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021
- The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the code
- The school has identified a key priority to undergo a full review of all systems, processes and programmes in place to effectively support international students
- No international students were enrolled at the time of the ERO review
"The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2024. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$6.68M
Surplus / (deficit)
$77k
Net assets / equity
$1.31M
2 years of audited data on file · View full history (Pro)
Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)
Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.
Stand-downs · 2024
100.7
18 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
10.5
1 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
10.2
1 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$4.64M
Per-student funding · 2022
$9,440
2018
$3.3M
2019
$3.6M
2020
$3.9M
2021
$3.9M
2022
$4.6M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 79
- Year 02 83
- Year 03 68
- Year 04 87
- Year 05 70
- Year 06 73
- Year 07 9
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 57.1%
- Māori 49.0%
- Pacific 14.6%
- Asian 11.0%
- Other / MELAA 0.6%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
201 Featherston Street, Palmerston North. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Central Normal School.
Queen Elizabeth College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 0.5km · 359 roll
45
+5 vs this
Palmerston North Boys' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.6km · 1,720 roll
71
+31 vs this
Mana Tamariki
Composite · 1.1km · 74 roll
90
+50 vs this
Palmerston North Adventist Christian School
Contributing · 1.2km · 105 roll
55
+15 vs this
Palmerston North Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.3km · 718 roll
71
+31 vs this
Our Lady of Lourdes School (P North)
Contributing · 1.4km · 161 roll
82
+42 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Central Normal School a good school?
Central Normal School scores 40/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-09 review identified 4 key findings. The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021
How do I enrol my child at Central Normal School?
Contact the school directly on 06-3593337, email office@centralnormal.school.nz, or visit www.centralnormal.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
Central Normal School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Central Normal School has 492 students, with an EQI of 491 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Central Normal School in 2024-09, signed by Shelley Booysen. 5 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- centralnormal.school.nz
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz