Hiwinui School
Watershed Road, Palmerston North · Taranaki & Manawatū
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Composite score
Developing
Below median
Rank #1,935 of scored NZ schools
In summary
Hiwinui School's most recent ERO review (February 2025) found most learners meeting curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics, with Māori and Pacific learners achieving at similar levels to their peers. The school demonstrates strengthening leadership focused on relational trust and collaboration, with teachers increasingly using intentional, responsive teaching practices tailored to learner needs. The composite score of 73 reflects these developing strengths across leadership, teaching, and inclusive learning environments.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Palmerston North looking for a state-funded setting.
Is Hiwinui School a good school?
Hiwinui School scores 50/100 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
- Board has attested compliance across all six regulatory domains as of April 2024
- Board has remediated identified non-compliance areas
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 64.4/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · bottom 10% of band (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
-12.8% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · bottom quartile of band (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
73/100 from ERO review 2025-02 · 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
2025-02-20 · Sharon Kelly, ERO
- Board attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements across Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
- Two areas of non-compliance identified: Māori student achievement policies/plans/targets not developed in consultation with Māori community, and firearms policy guidelines compliance
- Board has since addressed both identified areas of non-compliance
"in consultation with the school's Māori community, developed and made known to the school's community policies, plans and targets for improving the progress and achievement of Māori students"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2016–2025. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2022 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$1.34M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$24k
Net assets / equity
$0.57M
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
64.4
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
$0.94M
Per-student funding · 2022
$6,993
2018
$1.1M
2019
$1.3M
2020
$1.1M
2021
$0.9M
2022
$0.9M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 23
- Year 02 12
- Year 03 17
- Year 04 20
- Year 05 13
- Year 06 17
- Year 07 17
- Year 08 11
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 93.3%
- Māori 17.0%
- Pacific 5.9%
- Other / MELAA 3.0%
- Asian 2.2%
Location
Watershed Road, Palmerston North. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with Hiwinui School.
Ashhurst School
Full Primary · 4.9km · 463 roll
64
+14 vs this
- no score yet
Bunnythorpe School
Full Primary · 6km · 29 roll
Whakarongo School
Full Primary · 6.5km · 481 roll
72
+22 vs this
Colyton School
Full Primary · 6.8km · 171 roll
71
+21 vs this
TKKM o Manawatu
Full Primary · 7.9km · 123 roll
70
+20 vs this
Cornerstone Christian School
Composite · 8km · 608 roll
63
+13 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Hiwinui School a good school?
Hiwinui School scores 50/100 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 2025-02 review identified 3 key findings. Board attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements across Board Administration, Curriculum, Health/Safety/Welfare, Personnel Management, Finance, and Assets
How do I enrol my child at Hiwinui School?
Contact the school directly on 06-3268078, email office@hiwinui.school.nz, or visit hiwinui.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?
Hiwinui School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Hiwinui School has 135 students, with an EQI of 415 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Hiwinui 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
- web.archive.org
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz