Fernlea School
25a Lees Grove, Wainuiomata · Wellington
See all schools in Wainuiomata →
Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #2,106 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Fernlea School's February 2025 ERO review found that a large majority of students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics, with equitable outcomes across all learner groups. Students report strong belonging and wellbeing support, and the school's collaborative leadership approach deliberately strengthens outcomes through focused improvement strategies. The school has a composite score of 83.
Best suited for
Students in Wainuiomata looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Fernlea School a good school?
Fernlea School scores 44/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. ERO trajectory is improving across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Strong student engagement and achievement across reading, writing and mathematics with equitable outcomes for all groups
- Positive school culture with students expressing strong sense of belonging and pride
- Collaborative leadership approach with deliberate focus on school improvement
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 312.6/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · bottom 10% of band (n=468) · why? ▼ hide
-4.9% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · near band median (n=469) · why? ▼ hide
83/100 from ERO review 2025-02 · top 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): 83/100.
Latest ERO review
2025-02-05 · Sharon Kelly, ERO
- A large majority of students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; results are equitable for all groups of learners
- Learners express a strong sense of belonging and pride in their school; wellbeing information shows that students are well supported to succeed
- Collaborative leadership creates positive conditions that strengthen outcomes for learners through deliberate, well considered approaches to school improvement
- Regular attendance is lower than the Ministry of Education 2024 attendance target; the school is working with parents and whānau and other agencies to support regular attendance
- Trustees, leaders and teachers increasingly giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through partnerships with Māori whānau and local iwi
"A large majority of students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; results are equitable for all groups of learners."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2016–2025. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Fernlea School's overall achievement performance improved significantly between 2016 and 2019, with the ERO score increasing from 68 to 80. The 2019 report documents concrete gains in student achievement across literacy and numeracy, particularly noting that "the percentage of students achieving well in writing increased significantly during 2018" including improved outcomes for Māori, Pacific, and boy students. While the 2016 report highlighted emerging systems and processes for achievement acceleration, the 2019 report confirms these were implemented effectively with measurable results.
2016-08 → 2019-08 diff source
Fernlea School demonstrated continued progress in Māori student achievement between 2016 and 2019. In 2016, the school had begun addressing disparities in mathematics and approximately 20% of targeted Māori students achieved accelerated progress in writing. By 2019, "the achievement of Māori students" was explicitly noted as part of a significant increase in students achieving well in writing, suggesting broader and more sustained improvement across the cohort.
2016-08 → 2019-08 diff source
Equity focus strengthened with measurable achievement gains for priority groups. The 2016 report identified disparity issues and strategic planning; the 2019 report demonstrates concrete progress, noting that 'Percentage of students achieving well in writing increased significantly during 2018, including Māori, Pacific and boys.' However, the 2019 report introduces a new concern: leaders must continue investigating effective consultation and cultural inclusiveness embedding.
2016-08 → 2019-08 diff source
Teaching at Fernlea School evolved from strong foundational systems focused on inquiry and alignment (2016) to demonstrated effectiveness with measurable student achievement gains (2019). The 2019 report shows concrete improvements in writing and mathematics outcomes, particularly for priority learners, and introduces a newly developed, values-driven curriculum responsive to student and whānau aspirations.
2016-08 → 2019-08 diff source
Governance strengthened from 'strong trustee governance despite recent succession' in 2016 to more actively engaged trustees by 2019 who 'scrutinise the effectiveness of the school in achieving valued student outcomes linked to the school's strategic direction.' The focus shifted from trustees managing succession and establishing basic structures to trustees providing informed oversight of student achievement outcomes.
2016-08 → 2019-08 diff source
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
312.6
28 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
$1.70M
Per-student funding · 2022
$7,857
2018
$1.5M
2019
$1.6M
2020
$1.7M
2021
$1.8M
2022
$1.7M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 24
- Year 02 37
- Year 03 44
- Year 04 29
- Year 05 35
- Year 06 35
- Year 07 10
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 76.9%
- Māori 39.4%
- Pacific 15.3%
- Asian 9.3%
- Other / MELAA 4.2%
Location
25a Lees Grove, Wainuiomata. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Fernlea School.
St Claudine Thevenet School
Full Primary · 0.7km · 211 roll
59
+15 vs this
Konini Primary School (Wainuiomata)
Contributing · 1km · 277 roll
74
+30 vs this
Wainuiomata Intermediate
Intermediate · 1.3km · 323 roll
57
+13 vs this
Wainuiomata High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1.4km · 695 roll
58
+14 vs this
Pukeatua Primary School (Wainuiomata)
Full Primary · 1.5km · 160 roll
61
+17 vs this
Wainuiomata Primary School
Contributing · 1.9km · 248 roll
42
-2 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Fernlea School a good school?
Fernlea School scores 44/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Below median nationally. ERO trajectory is improving across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2025-02 review identified 5 key findings. A large majority of students achieve at or above expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics; results are equitable for all groups of learners
How do I enrol my child at Fernlea School?
Contact the school directly on 04-5646066, email office@fernlea.school.nz, or visit www.fernlea.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?
Fernlea School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Fernlea School has 216 students, with an EQI of 481 (mid-range socio-economic context).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Fernlea School in 2025-02, signed by Sharon Kelly. 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
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz