Elmwood Normal School
Aikmans Road, Merivale · Canterbury
Composite score
Established
Below median
Rank #1,250 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Elmwood Normal School is a contributing primary school located in Merivale, Christchurch, with a roll of 529 students. The school's 2022 ERO review identified strong leadership that builds relational trust and promotes collaboration, high levels of stakeholder engagement with commitment to individual student success, and a rich curriculum offering targeted learning opportunities. The school has a composite score of 73.
Best suited for
Students in Merivale looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Elmwood Normal School a good school?
Elmwood Normal School scores 68/100 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
- High levels of stakeholder engagement, with a commitment to individual student success
- Strong leadership that builds relational trust and actively promotes a culture of collaboration and commitment to ongoing improvement, and builds leaders across the school
- A rich curriculum that enhances students' learning through a broad range of targeted learning opportunities and experiences
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 25.0/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · below band median (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
+1.0% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
73/100 from ERO review 2022-08 · bottom quartile of band (n=539) · 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): 73/100.
Latest ERO review
2022-08-18 · Dr Lesley Patterson, Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
- High levels of stakeholder engagement with commitment to individual student success
- Strong leadership that builds relational trust and promotes collaboration and ongoing improvement
- Rich curriculum that enhances students' learning through broad range of targeted learning opportunities
- School working to ensure all learners have equitable access to culturally responsive, localised curriculum
- Need to address in-school variance and affirm students' different cultural identities
"strong leadership that builds relational trust and actively promotes a culture of collaboration and commitment to ongoing improvement, and builds leaders across the school"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2016–2022. Click a point to read that review.
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
25.0
5 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· 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
$3.65M
Per-student funding · 2022
$6,893
2018
$2.5M
2019
$2.8M
2020
$3.0M
2021
$3.2M
2022
$3.6M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 67
- Year 02 66
- Year 03 86
- Year 04 86
- Year 05 86
- Year 06 85
- Year 07 20
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 63.5%
- Asian 34.4%
- Māori 6.6%
- Other / MELAA 6.0%
- Pacific 2.6%
- International 1.1%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
Aikmans Road, Merivale. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Elmwood Normal School.
He Tīwai Mātauranga Heaton Normal Intermediate
Intermediate · 0.4km · 530 roll
65
-3 vs this
Rangi Ruru Girls' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 0.6km · 696 roll
87
+19 vs this
Ferndale Te Ahu
Specialist School · 0.7km · 137 roll
51
-17 vs this
Selwyn House School
Full Primary · 0.7km · 298 roll
75
+7 vs this
St Andrew's College (Christchurch)
Composite · 0.8km · 1,609 roll
85
+17 vs this
St Margaret's College
Composite · 0.8km · 848 roll
86
+18 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Elmwood Normal School a good school?
Elmwood Normal School scores 68/100 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 2022-08 review identified 5 key findings. High levels of stakeholder engagement with commitment to individual student success
How do I enrol my child at Elmwood Normal School?
Contact the school directly on 03-3557192, email office@elmwood.school.nz, or visit www.elmwood.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?
Elmwood Normal School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Elmwood Normal School has 529 students, with an EQI of 376 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Elmwood Normal School in 2022-08, signed by Dr Lesley Patterson. 4 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
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz