Palmerston North Girls' High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · State
- Year levels
- 9–13
- Total roll
- 1,329
- Enrolment zone
- Yes
- Gender
- Girls School
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- Fitzherbert Avenue, Palmerston North
- Territorial authority
- Palmerston North City
- Phone
- 06-3579194
- office@pnghs.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.pnghs.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.
- Uniform
- Required
In keeping with our school values of respect, social responsibility and resilience, it is expected that our uniform is worn with pride.
- Required
- Term dates
- 2027: Year 9, new students and connections leaders Thursday 28 January; Years 12-13 Friday 29 January; Years 10-11 Monday 1 February; ends Friday 9 April
Year 9, new students and connections leaders: Thursday 28 January Years 12-13: Friday 29 January Years 10-11: Monday 1 February Friday 9 April - end
Year stated as2027 SCHOOL TERM DATES
- 2027: Year 9, new students and connections leaders Thursday 28 January; Years 12-13 Friday 29 January; Years 10-11 Monday 1 February; ends Friday 9 April
What does the school say about itself?
Quoted, not summarised. Every school describes itself well, so this is here to be read as the school’s own case rather than as a finding — and a school that states nothing simply has no row.
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.
- International students
- Accepted, as stated
Each year, we celebrate the diversity at Palmerston North Girls’ High School by admitting a number of international students.
- Accepted, as stated
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
- Badminton
You could be one of the 200 students playing Badminton on a Monday night
- Netball
part of one of our 35 Netball teams playing on a Saturday
- Badminton
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 904
- Māori
- 261
- Pacific
- 125
- Asian
- 326
- MELAA
- 52
- Other
- 21
- International
- 23
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 09 | 72 | 20 | 61 | 10 | 5 | 204 | 0 | 284 |
| Year 10 | 63 | 30 | 69 | 5 | 5 | 207 | 6 | 295 |
| Year 11 | 42 | 25 | 62 | 14 | 4 | 180 | 3 | 266 |
| Year 12 | 48 | 24 | 58 | 7 | 4 | 182 | 13 | 267 |
| Year 13+ | 38 | 14 | 39 | 5 | 4 | 159 | 3 | 210 |
| Total | 263 | 113 | 289 | 41 | 22 | 932 | 25 | 1322 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Age 13 | 63 | 19 | 48 | 9 | 4 | 176 | 0 | 243 |
| Age 14 | 63 | 29 | 65 | 7 | 5 | 211 | 1 | 288 |
| Age 15 | 42 | 21 | 58 | 13 | 5 | 182 | 5 | 263 |
| Age 16 | 49 | 28 | 56 | 3 | 3 | 183 | 6 | 260 |
| Age 17 | 37 | 13 | 47 | 7 | 4 | 151 | 11 | 217 |
| Age 18 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 45 |
| Age 19+ | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 263 | 113 | 289 | 41 | 22 | 932 | 25 | 1322 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Academic results
Percentage with NCEA level 1 or above — 2025
95.7%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 95.7% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 84.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 88% |
| State: Not integrated | 83.6% |
| New Zealand | 85.2% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 95.7% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 89.1% |
| Pacific | 94.1% |
| Asian | 100% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 96.7% |
| Total | 95.7% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 1 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 2 or above — 2025
93.9%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 93.9% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 76.7% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 81% |
| State: Not integrated | 75.4% |
| New Zealand | 77.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 93.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 89.1% |
| Pacific | 88.2% |
| Asian | 100% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 95.6% |
| Total | 93.9% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 2 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with NCEA level 3 or above — 2025
81%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 81% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 55.5% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 61.8% |
| State: Not integrated | 55.2% |
| New Zealand | 59% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 81% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 67.4% |
| Pacific | 64.7% |
| Asian | 92.3% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 81.2% |
| Total | 81% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison NCEA level 3 data (2023-2025)
Percentage with VP Award — 2025
21.6%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 21.6% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 14.5% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 15.2% |
| State: Not integrated | 14.4% |
| New Zealand | 14.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 21.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 23.9% |
| Pacific | 23.5% |
| Asian | 15.4% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 24.3% |
| Total | 21.6% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison Vocational Pathway data (2023-2025)
Retention
Percentage staying until at least 17th birthday — 2025
92.6%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 92.6% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 81.1% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 83.5% |
| State: Not integrated | 81.4% |
| New Zealand | 83% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 92.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not applicable |
| Māori | 84.8% |
| Pacific | 88.2% |
| Asian | 100% |
| MELAA | Too few to report |
| Other | Too few to report |
| European/Pākehā | 92.8% |
| Total | 92.6% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison trend data (2023-2025)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
— 2024
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 1: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education one year after leaving school (2022-2024 leaver cohorts)
— 2023
not reported
| Female | not reported |
|---|---|
| Male | not reported |
| Māori | not reported |
| Pacific | not reported |
| Asian | not reported |
| MELAA | not reported |
| Other | not reported |
| European/Pākehā | not reported |
| Total | not reported |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: School leavers enrolled in tertiary education two years after leaving school (2021-2023 leaver cohorts)
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
8.9%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 8.9% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 45.5% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 35.8% |
| State | 40.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 8.9% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Māori | 21.3% |
| Pacific | 29.1% |
| Asian | 2.4% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 6.1% |
| Total | 8.9% |
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
1.6%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 1.6% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 6.2% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 4% |
| State | 4.5% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 1.6% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Māori | 4.4% |
| Pacific | 12.1% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0.6% |
| Total | 1.6% |
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
0%
| Palmerston North Girls' High School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Manawatū-Whanganui Region | 2.8% |
| Secondary (Year 9-15) | 1.7% |
| State | 1.9% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | Not available (source marker: "nd") |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 433
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 31 January 1902
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
- 15 April 2024
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (15 April 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 same report — the board assurance report of 15 April 2024 — also sets out actions for compliance: the non-compliance ERO identified during that process. This is that section of the report in full, in ERO’s words.
ERO and the board have identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:
ensure all staff employed have a current police vet. [ s 104 Education and Training Act 2020]
The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.
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 1329 — 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.
October 2018
1240
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 11 December 2018
March 2015
1264
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 19 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 15 April 2024 — “Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
Background
This Profile Report was written within 11 months of the Education Review Office and Palmerston North Girls’ High School working in Te Ara Huarau , an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Palmerston North Girls’ High School is located in central Palmerston North and provides education for young women in Years 9 to 13. The school’s values of whakaute, whakamana, whakatangata underpin the vision of inspiring young women as successful learners who act with integrity.
Palmerston North Girls’ High School ’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi
to promote consistent quality teaching and learning
to nurture a positive, sustainable school environment.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Palmerston North Girls’ High School ’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how effectively whole school learning and teaching strategies in literacy support equitable and excellent progress towards success for all learners.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
to improve in equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners, particularly for Māori and Pacific learners
to improve literacy foundations that will empower all learners as they transition through their schooling, ensuring equity of access to the full curriculum and meaningful pathways
to continue to develop the capacity and capability of teachers in effective literacy practices within a culturally responsive, relational pedagogy.
The school expects to see:
equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners
improved capacity, capability and confidence of teachers to implement effective teaching strategies across all curriculum areas
assessment practices support learner agency and promote progress and achievement.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal of effective literacy teaching across the curriculum:
respectful relationships and a positive learning environment promote learners’ sense of belonging and connection to the school
to promote equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners, leadership prioritises and plans for continuous improvement
the capacity to effect improvement through the 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.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
implementation of a school wide approach for effective literacy strategies supported through professional learning opportunities
assessment for adaptive teaching strengthened to further inform teaching and learning to meet the literacy needs for all learners
effective tracking and monitoring of progress to respond to all learners needs
further embedding of culturally responsive pedagogy and Mātauranga Māori across the curriculum.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
15 April 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).