Last updated October 2026
Ballance School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 15 Post Office Road, Pahiatua. It opened in 1880 and had 23 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The school’s site describes a country school with a localised curriculum built around its outdoor learning areas, edible gardens and Enviroschools work, with its own heated swimming pool and a device for every student.
Year 7 and 8 students travel to Tararua College in Pahiatua for technology classes, and a bus is available for families who need transport.
At a glance
- Principal
- Brenda Sutton
- Address
- 15 Post Office Road, Pahiatua
- Phone
- 06 376 7826
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
Who goes here
Share of the 23 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Report from March 2026. ERO found that consultation with whānau and the community had produced a broad, coherent curriculum, that success and progress are rising for all learners, and that strong teaching is improving results in reading, writing and maths.
A large majority of learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level in writing and maths, with even results across groups, while a small majority do so in reading, where results are not yet even. Almost all learners attend regularly, above the government’s target, and learners with complex needs are well supported.
ERO also found that the board needs to make sure the school is a physically and emotionally safe place, and identified gaps in compliance: its policy framework, its complaints process, its child protection policy, its education outside the classroom policy and safety checks on staff, including identity checks and police vetting.
The board had fixed the child protection policy by the time of the report but not the other areas, and ERO said it would talk to the Ministry of Education about support or intervention on policies and procedures.
ERO’s priorities are to bring all policies into line with current law, make teaching in structured literacy and maths more consistent, and reduce uneven results between groups of learners through closer use of data and explicit teaching.
Read the ERO reports for Ballance School
Enrolling
With no home zone, any student can apply. Families enrol by contacting the school office, and new entrants need a birth certificate or passport when enrolling.
The school welcomes children for weekly visits once they turn four, increasing as they settle in, and runs a playgroup and preschool session each week for children up to five and their families.
Schools nearby
Where students go next
Based on home zones around the school’s own address. Families can apply to any school, and your own address decides which zones you are in.
In Ballance near Palmerston North
Ballance School is in Ballance near Palmerston North. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Ballance near Palmerston North guide →Questions parents ask
Is Ballance School zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
23 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
504. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 24 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).