Palmerston North Girls' High School
Fitzherbert Avenue, Palmerston North · Taranaki & Manawatū
See all schools in Palmerston North →
Composite score
Established
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #584 of scored NZ schools
In summary
ERO's 2024 review found that respectful relationships and a positive learning environment support learners' sense of belonging, and that leadership prioritises continuous improvement for equitable outcomes. Teachers show shared commitment to improving literacy outcomes through collective capability building.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Palmerston North looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.
Is Palmerston North Girls' High School a good school?
Palmerston North Girls' High School scores 77/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ 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
- Respectful relationships and a positive learning environment promote learners' sense of belonging and connection to the school
- Leadership prioritises and plans for continuous improvement to promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners
- Shared commitment by teachers to improve outcomes through building collective capability in effective literacy practice
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 90% · L2 86% · UE 71% · above band median (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 42% · Te Pūkenga 12% · Industry 5% · top quartile of band (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
89% to Y13 · above band median (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 8.9/1k · suspensions 1.6/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+6.8% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
85/100 from ERO review 2024-04 · 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
2024-04-15 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Respectful relationships and a positive learning environment promote learners' sense of belonging and connection to the school
- Leadership prioritises and plans for continuous improvement to promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners
- Shared commitment by teachers to improve outcomes through building collective capability in effective literacy practice
- Capacity and capability in internal evaluation, inquiry and knowledge building informs change to support improvement and innovation for learning
"to promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners, leadership prioritises and plans for continuous improvement"
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2015–2024. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Pacific student achievement improved significantly between 2015 and 2018. The 2015 report noted that "Pacific student achievement profile varies year to year" with "overall and cohort results trending downward," whereas the 2018 report confirmed that "Māori and Pacific student achievement has improved at all Levels in recent years, with leaders aware of disparities and actively addressing these."
2015-05 → 2018-12 diff source
Wellbeing evolved from an acknowledged area needing better balance with academic excellence to a strong strategic priority with deliberate, well-considered approaches. The 2015 report noted senior leaders were 'aware of the need to balance striving for excellence with fostering student wellbeing,' while the 2018 report affirmed that 'Sustaining and improving student wellbeing is a strong collective focus and a strategic priority' with culturally responsive practices explicitly enhancing Māori students' sense of belonging and identity.
2015-05 → 2018-12 diff source
Significant improvement in equity outcomes between 2015 and 2018. While the 2015 report noted a reduced Māori-Pākehā achievement gap and high Asian performance, it flagged that "Māori students do not feel their cultural identity is well recognised in school life." By 2018, the school demonstrated "highly effective" equitable outcomes with "Culturally responsive practices are increasingly evident" and "Māori and Pacific student achievement has improved at all Levels."
2015-05 → 2018-12 diff source
Teaching quality showed marked improvement between 2015 and 2018. The 2015 report identified "variability in levels of understanding and quality of teaching provision across subjects and classes," whereas the 2018 report emphasized culturally responsive teaching practices and a "curriculum that leads to high levels of academic achievement for all students" with no mention of variability in teaching quality.
2015-05 → 2018-12 diff source
Māori student achievement improved substantially between 2015 and 2018. While the 2015 report noted a 'substantially reduced gap between Māori and Pākehā achievement' at Levels 1 and 2, the 2018 report documented broader improvement 'at all Levels in recent years.' Critically, the earlier concern that 'Māori students do not feel their cultural identity is well recognised in school life' was addressed by 2018 through 'culturally responsive practices' that are 'increasingly evident' with 'deliberate approach to enhancing Māori students' wellbeing, sense of identity, belonging and engagement in learning.'
2015-05 → 2018-12 diff source
Audited financials
Year ended 2021 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$12.26M
Surplus / (deficit)
$599k
Net assets / equity
$2.78M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
90.4%
206 of 228 leavers
-5.5pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
86.0%
196 of 228 leavers
-4.8pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
70.6%
161 of 228 leavers
-4.9pt 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.
89.0%
2024 cohort · 228 students
-1.3pt 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
8.9
18 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
1.6
4 this year · NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Service Industries 27
- Creative Industries 18
- Social and Community Services 4
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
$12.18M
Per-student funding · 2022
$9,280
2018
$8.6M
2019
$9.0M
2020
$10.4M
2021
$11.6M
2022
$12.2M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 09 284
- Year 10 295
- Year 11 266
- Year 12 267
- Year 13+ 210
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 68.9%
- Asian 23.9%
- Māori 19.7%
- Pacific 8.7%
- Other / MELAA 5.0%
- International 1.9%
International students
SIEBA member · Day school only
Location
Fitzherbert Avenue, 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 Girls' High School.
College Street Normal School
Contributing · 0.7km · 629 roll
63
-14 vs this
Palmerston North Intermediate
Intermediate · 1km · 718 roll
71
-6 vs this
Manawatu Community High School - Manawatu Kura a Iwi
Activity Centre · 1.1km · roll n/a
76
-1 vs this
Palmerston North Adventist Christian School
Contributing · 1.2km · 105 roll
55
-22 vs this
St James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi
Contributing · 1.3km · 159 roll
57
-20 vs this
Hokowhitu School
Contributing · 1.4km · 399 roll
63
-14 vs this
Frequently asked
Is Palmerston North Girls' High School a good school?
Palmerston North Girls' High School scores 77/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ 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 2024-04 review identified 4 key findings. Respectful relationships and a positive learning environment promote learners' sense of belonging and connection to the school
How do I enrol my child at Palmerston North Girls' High School?
Contact the school directly on 06-3579194, email office@pnghs.school.nz, or visit www.pnghs.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 Girls' 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 Girls' High School has 1,312 students, with an EQI of 433 (mid-range socio-economic context). It is a girls school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed Palmerston North Girls' High School in 2024-04, 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
- web.archive.org
- sieba.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- pnghs.school.nz
- crimestats.co.nz