Palmerston North Boys' High School
Featherston Street, Palmerston North · Taranaki & Manawatū
See all schools in Palmerston North →
Composite score
Established
Above median
Rank #1,031 of scored NZ schools
In summary
The school's 2024 ERO review focused on international student support. The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 and has attested compliance with all aspects. ERO found the school has robust self-review processes, effective pastoral care procedures with experienced personnel, and thorough pre-enrolment and induction processes supporting student transition. Twenty-nine international students were attending at the time of review.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Palmerston North looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Palmerston North Boys' High School a good school?
Palmerston North Boys' High School scores 71/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Robust self-review processes to maintain positive experience for international students
- Effective procedures and experienced personnel ensuring pastoral care needs are met
- Thorough pre-enrolment and induction processes supporting student transition
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.
L1 88% · L2 78% · UE 50% · bottom quartile of band (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 34% · Te Pūkenga 8% · Industry 15% · above band median (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
85% to Y13 · below band median (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 0.0/1k · suspensions 7.2/1k · exclusions 2.8/1k · below band median (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+7.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2024-01 · top quartile of band (n=520) · 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): 85/100.
Latest ERO review
2024-01-25 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 and has attested compliance with all aspects of the Code
- Twenty-nine international students were attending the school at the time of review
- The school has robust self-review processes to maintain a positive experience for international students
- Effective procedures and experienced personnel ensure pastoral care and needs of international students are met
- Thorough pre-enrolment and induction processes support students to transition into the school
"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
2 ERO reviews on file, 2017–2024. Click a point to read that review.
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
87.5%
287 of 328 leavers
-2.3pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
77.7%
255 of 328 leavers
-4.5pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
50.0%
164 of 328 leavers
+1.6pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
84.8%
2024 cohort · 328 students
+1.7pt vs 2023
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
0.0
· NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
7.2
25 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
2.8
8 this year · NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Creative Industries 13
- Primary Industries 7
- Service Industries 6
- Construction and Infrastructure 4
- Social and Community Services 1
- Manufacturing and Technology 1
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
$14.43M
Per-student funding · 2022
$8,388
2018
$12.3M
2019
$13.0M
2020
$14.3M
2021
$13.8M
2022
$14.4M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 385
- Year 10 412
- Year 11 361
- Year 12 368
- Year 13+ 276
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 71.7%
- Māori 23.4%
- Asian 18.0%
- Pacific 10.3%
- Other / MELAA 5.6%
- International 1.7%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
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 Palmerston North Boys' High School.
Queen Elizabeth College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 0.5km · 359 roll
45
-26 vs this
Mana Tamariki
Composite · 0.5km · 74 roll
90
+19 vs this
Central Normal School
Contributing · 0.6km · 492 roll
40
-31 vs this
Russell Street School
Contributing · 0.9km · 367 roll
73
+2 vs this
Carncot Independent School
Full Primary · 1km · 143 roll
78
+7 vs this
Palmerston North Adventist Christian School
Contributing · 1.5km · 105 roll
55
-16 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Palmerston North Boys' High School a good school?
Palmerston North Boys' High School scores 71/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Above median nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2024-01 review identified 6 key findings. The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 and has attested compliance with all aspects of the Code
How do I enrol my child at Palmerston North Boys' High School?
Contact the school directly on 06-354 5176, email admin@pnbhs.school.nz, or visit www.pnbhs.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?
Palmerston North Boys' High School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
Palmerston North Boys' High School has 1,720 students, with an EQI of 441 (mid-range socio-economic context). It is a boys school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Palmerston North Boys' High School in 2024-01, 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
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- pnbhs.school.nz
- crimestats.co.nz