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Full Primary · State

Whakarongo School

Stoney Creek Road, Palmerston North · Taranaki & Manawatū

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Total roll 481
EQI 424
Founded 1877
72

Composite score

Established

B+

Above median

Rank #1,007 of scored NZ schools

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Accepts international students (SIEBA member) SIEBA member State school Co-educational Full Primary (Years 1-8)

In summary

Whakarongo School has maintained consistently high achievement since its previous ERO review in 2018. The school successfully accelerates learning for most students, particularly Māori students in mathematics, and demonstrates a collaborative culture among leaders, teachers, parents and whānau that supports high expectations and student wellbeing. An innovative curriculum approach encourages creative and critical thinking to prepare students for a changing world.

Best suited for

Students aged 5-11 in Palmerston North looking for a state-funded setting with an established ERO profile.

Is Whakarongo School a good school?

Whakarongo School scores 72/100 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

  • A culture of collaboration among leaders, teachers, parents and whānau that maintains high expectations for teaching and learning throughout the school
  • A focus on wellbeing that is responsive to students' needs and supports their learning success
  • An innovative approach to curriculum delivery that supports students to think creatively and critically and be prepared for a changing world

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.

How this is computed
Wellbeing
35%
standdowns 20.1/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=518) · why?
Composite of stand-downs, suspensions, and exclusions per 1,000 students (lower is better). Formula: standdowns/1k + 2× suspensions/1k + 5× exclusions/1k. Small primary schools with no rows score top of band ("no incidents reported"). Source: Education Counts student engagement. Year: 2024. Peer comparison: near band median (n=518).
80
Trajectory
25%
-10.5% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · below band median (n=515) · why?
5-year change in total roll. −20% → 0 score, 0% → 50, +20% → 100. Source: Education Counts roll history. Year: 2025. Peer comparison: below band median (n=515).
37
ERO review
40%
86/100 from ERO review 2018-12 · top 10% of band (n=520) · why?
Composite score from the most recent Education Review Office report (Haiku-extracted 0–100 from the published review text). For primary schools this is the heaviest axis (40%) because NCEA-style outcomes data isn't applicable. Source: ERO via Wayback archive. Year: 2018. Peer comparison: top 10% of band (n=520).
86

⚠ 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): 86/100.

Latest ERO review

2018-12-20 · Phil Cowie, Central Region

ERO report
  • Achievement has remained consistently high since previous report; school continues to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for most students
  • School is successful in accelerating learning of most students, especially Māori students in mathematics, with almost all target students in writing and majority in mathematics on track
  • Leaders collaboratively establish clear goals and expectations ensuring organized, well-aligned supportive environment with learner-focused relationships highly evident
  • Innovative curriculum approach in STEM and foundation/conceptual curriculums supports students to think creatively and critically
  • Well-established systems and processes with clearly defined assessment practices enable identification and monitoring of student progress
"Leaders collaboratively establish clear goals and expectations that ensure an organised, well-aligned and supportive environment for student wellbeing and learning."
— ERO, 2018-12-20 (leadership)

Composite score across reviews

2 ERO reviews on file, 2016–2018. Click a point to read that review.

latest 86
0 25 50 75 100 20162018 2016-02-16 · 83/100 2018-12-20 · 86/100

Audited financials

Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified

Annual report

Total revenue

$5.24M

Surplus / (deficit)

$12k

Net assets / equity

$0.60M

Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)

Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.

Education Counts

Stand-downs · 2024

20.1

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.

Education Counts

Total Crown funding · 2022

$3.64M

Per-student funding · 2022

$7,567

2018

$3.4M

2019

$3.3M

2020

$3.6M

2021

$3.8M

2022

$3.6M

Roll by year level

July 2025 roll return.

Education Counts
  • Year 01
    53
  • Year 02
    63
  • Year 03
    66
  • Year 04
    59
  • Year 05
    62
  • Year 06
    61
  • Year 07
    69
  • Year 08
    34

Roll by ethnicity

Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.

Education Counts
  • European/Pākehā
    71.5%
  • Asian
    22.0%
  • Māori
    21.2%
  • Other / MELAA
    6.0%
  • Pacific
    3.7%

International students

SIEBA member · Day school only

ESOL support

full immersion

Years accepted

5-13

Location

Stoney Creek Road, Palmerston North. Nearby schools marked in grey.

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Schools nearby

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Frequently asked

Is Whakarongo School a good school?

Whakarongo School scores 72/100 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 2018-12 review identified 5 key findings. Achievement has remained consistently high since previous report; school continues to achieve equitable and excellent outcomes for most students

How do I enrol my child at Whakarongo School?

Contact the school directly on 06-3569640, email office@whakarongo.school.nz, or visit www.whakarongo.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?

Whakarongo School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.

What is the roll size?

Whakarongo School has 481 students, with an EQI of 424 (mid-range socio-economic context).

When was the school last reviewed by ERO?

The Education Review Office last reviewed Whakarongo School in 2018-12, signed by Phil Cowie. 2 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.

Last updated

31 Dec 2024

Source documents

5 cited

Spot an error?

Report a correction

Sourced from

  • ero.govt.nz
  • whakarongo.school.nz
  • sieba.nz
  • schoolsdata.co.nz
  • crimestats.co.nz