Central Normal School
Contributing · State
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 462
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 201 Featherston Street, Palmerston North
- Territorial authority
- Palmerston North City
- Phone
- 06-3593337
- office@centralnormal.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Palmerston North · schools in Manawatū-Whanganui
Can my child go here?
This school has an enrolment scheme, so a place is not open to every address. How enrolment zones work
Loading zone map…
Zone boundaries shown here are approximate. Ministry of Education data warns these boundaries do not have high spatial precision and can place neighbouring addresses on different sides of a line. This is not a confirmation of enrolment eligibility — always confirm directly with the school. Zone geometry also does not reflect enrolment priority rules (siblings, special character categories, ballots) — it shows the mapped boundary only.
Check if your address is in zone →
Source: Ministry of Education, CC BY 3.0 NZ
What would the day look like?
The practical things this school states on its own website — the hours, the uniform, the term dates, and how children get there. These are the school’s own words, not the Ministry’s record and not ERO’s.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- How to enrol
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4vG8rfSvpHeGXnafCD2aAEQtaobjBX03dpUmh41TxGWtZSw/viewform?usp=sf_link
All you need to do is fill in this from from home: [Pre-enrol Form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4vG8rfSvpHeGXnafCD2aAEQtaobjBX03dpUmh41TxGWtZSw/viewform?usp=sf_link).
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4vG8rfSvpHeGXnafCD2aAEQtaobjBX03dpUmh41TxGWtZSw/viewform?usp=sf_link
What is on offer beyond the classroom?
The sports, arts, clubs and groups this school names on its own website. Not a complete list of what any school offers, and not a count — a school that names more here has written more down, which is not the same as doing more.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- On offer
- T-Ball
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- Volleyball
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- Flippaball
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- Summer Soccer
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- Winter and Summer Hockey
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- Basketball
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- Netball
We offer a wide range of sports including T-Ball, Volleyball, Flippaball, Summer Soccer, Winter and Summer Hockey, Basketball & Netball.
- four Kapa Haka groups
We have four Kapa Haka groups that run throughout the week.
- T-Ball
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 270
- Māori
- 227
- Pacific
- 72
- Asian
- 55
- MELAA
- 2
- Other
- 0
- International
- 0
Roll by year level and age
Shown as context, not ranked, not compared to any average. As at 30 June 2026, from the same annual return as the roll count above.
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 01 | 45 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | 79 |
| Year 02 | 38 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 52 | 0 | 83 |
| Year 03 | 37 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 68 |
| Year 04 | 38 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 0 | 87 |
| Year 05 | 38 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 70 |
| Year 06 | 33 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 0 | 73 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Total | 232 | 78 | 46 | 2 | 3 | 277 | 0 | 469 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 43 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 74 |
| Age 06 | 34 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 0 | 75 |
| Age 07 | 40 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 74 |
| Age 08 | 40 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 85 |
| Age 09 | 37 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 75 |
| Age 10 | 34 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 41 | 0 | 75 |
| Age 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Total | 232 | 78 | 46 | 2 | 3 | 277 | 0 | 469 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
100.7%
| Central Normal School | 100.7% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 45.5% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 12.3% |
|---|---|
| Male | 174.6% |
| Māori | 154.9% |
| Pacific | 32.7% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 49.9% |
| Total | 100.7% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
10.5%
| Central Normal School | 10.5% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 6.2% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 19.2% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 18.8% |
| Total | 10.5% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison suspension rates data (2024)
Age-standardised exclusion rate per 1,000 students — 2024
10.2%
| Central Normal School | 10.2% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 2.8% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 18.6% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 18.3% |
| Total | 10.2% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 491
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- Some students taught in te reo Māori
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1873
The Equity Index is used by the Ministry to allocate equity funding. It describes the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, not how good the school is. How the Equity Index works
What did ERO find?
The Education Review Office reviews every school and publishes what it finds in full. We quote ERO’s report here, section by section, in ERO’s own words and order, and link to it. We do not summarise a report, pick a line out of one, or turn one into a score. How ERO reviews schools
- Reports ERO holds
- 5
- Last reviewed
- 20 September 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (20 September 2024)
A board assurance statement is the board’s own account of whether it took all reasonable steps to meet its legal obligations, on the date shown. It is not ERO’s finding. ERO reports separately, in the same report, on any non-compliance it identified during that process.
The board assurance report of 20 September 2024 carries no actions-for-compliance section — the section ERO uses when it names non-compliance it identified. That is what this report contains; it is not ERO saying it found none. Other reports ERO holds for this school may say something different.
The roll ERO recorded, and when
ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 462 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.
September 2019
435
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 30 October 2019
May 2015
429
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 29 May 2015
We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 20 September 2024 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School Evaluation Report
Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa .
We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.
Context
Central Normal School is located in Palmerston North and provides education for learners in Years 1 to 6. The school’s vision Whaia Kia Tutuki , is that learners and staff strive to reach their potential.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.
Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
T he school is working towards equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.
Most learners are achieving at expected curriculum expectations in reading, with a large majority in writing and mathematics; the school is yet to achieve equitable outcomes for some groups of learners.
Learners who require additional support are well supported and make progress against appropriately challenging goals set in their individual learning plans.
Most learners regularly attend; the school is not yet meeting the Ministry of Education target for attendance.
Learners have a strong sense of wellbeing; wellbeing data is regularly gathered, analysed, and acted on to ensure learner experiences are mana enhancing and to inform improvement actions.
Conditions to support learner success
Leadership fosters a professional culture focused on high-quality teaching, and equity and excellence in learner outcomes.
School leaders ensure expectations for high-quality practice are clear, shared, monitored and purposefully focused on improved outcomes for all learners.
Leadership is strengthening teacher practice through professional development for improved outcomes, particularly for those learners most at risk of underachievement.
Leadership builds and sustains high levels of relational trust, collaboration, and communication focused on improved professional practice.
Teachers increasingly use evidence based, and culturally responsive strategies to support positive outcomes for all learners.
Teachers increasingly use appropriate and good quality assessment information to plan for and adapt teaching practice to respond to learner strengths and needs.
Leaders and teachers value the cultural backgrounds of their learners and demonstrate this through the school’s programmes, initiatives and practices.
Staff use teaching and learning resources effectively to support curriculum delivery, teaching and learning.
The school is strengthening systems, processes and the organisational conditions for improved outcomes for all learners.
A shared approach to the collection and management of assessment information is being enhanced as staff grow their data analysis capability to support learner success.
Staff are strengthening their understanding of how their practice impacts on learner outcomes.
School leaders are focused on deepening schoolwide understanding of how to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and building in their partnership with mana whenua .
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are:
to provide professional development and guidance for teachers so that they use practices most effective in accelerating progress for learners most at risk of underachievement
to strengthen the ways in which the school is giving effect to the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi , to provide learning experiences and opportunities that further enhance learner engagement and support improved outcomes, particularly for Māori learners
for the school board, leaders and staff to develop a collective and shared understanding of the aspirations of learners and whānau to inform strategic direction, schoolwide practices and teaching and learning programmes.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows.
Within six months:
leaders to model in-depth data analysis to strengthen data literacy across the school and collective capacity in evidence-informed practices
develop systems, processes and a timeline for the schoolwide Manaaki programme, focused on strengthening learner self-management and interpersonal relationships
school leaders to seek support to further develop schoolwide understanding of the articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi , strengthening culturally sustaining practices to result in equitable outcomes for Māori learners
the school board to develop a process of self-evaluation to ensure the effectiveness of their own performance
Every six months:
school leaders and staff closely analyse learner progress and achievement data, identifying what is working and for who and next steps, resulting in teaching and learning practices and programmes that meet the needs of all learners
the board to scrutinise schoolwide progress and achievement data to understand the impact of teaching programmes and to inform improvement actions
leadership and staff to evaluate the impact of schoolwide practices designed to enhance learner engagement and achievement, focused on reducing any equity gaps between groups of learners
Annually:
school leaders and staff use in-depth analysis of learner attendance, progress and achievement data from across the year to identify how they need to adapt practice to ensure excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners
the school board rigorously scrutinise schoolwide attendance, progress and achievement data to understand the impact of programmes, and to inform improvement actions, annual and strategic planning
school leaders gather whānau , hapū , iwi and learner voice about the quality of learning partnerships and the extent to which the school is giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
the board evaluates the effectiveness of their own performance and adapts practice and decision-making accordingly.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
excellent and equitable outcomes for all learners
high levels of data literacy across the staff and evidence-informed practices leading to accelerated progress for those most at risk of underachievement
a high level of attendance and engagement from all learners, who know who they are as learners, and how to reach their potential.
realising the school’s goal to have whānau , hapū , iwi and learners as equal partners in schoolwide decision making.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Me mahi tahi tonu tātau , kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
20 September 2024
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 5 reports ERO holds for this school
ERO reviews a school every few years — around four years between reviews is the usual cycle — so an older date here reflects where a school sits in that cycle, not how it is doing.
Source: Education Review Office, CC BY 4.0.
Roll date: 30 June 2026 (2026).