Last updated October 2026
Carncot Independent School is a private, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 263 Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North. It opened in 1881 and had 128 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The school’s site describes the Cambridge International curriculum as its core curriculum in English, maths, science and art, specialist teachers for subjects such as maths, science, art, physical education and languages from Year 1, and weekly te reo Māori plus French or Spanish lessons for Years 7 and 8. It also lists kapa haka, music tuition, annual camps from Year 4, a Year 7 and 8 technology programme, the William Pike Challenge, after-school care and a daily school van to and from Feilding.
At a glance
- Principal
- Shelley Driver
- Address
- 263 Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North
- Phone
- 06 353 2302
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 128 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 report from May 2024 on whether it meets the criteria for registration as a private school. These reviews are narrower than those for state schools and check premises, staffing, equipment, curriculum, teaching standards, management and student safety.
ERO found the school met every criterion. During the review it identified two gaps in safety checks, identity checks when appointing teachers and police vetting of everyone the school engages, and the school took steps to address both.
ERO also looked at the school’s care for international students. The school has signed up to the code of practice for the pastoral care of international learners and reviews how it applies the code each year, and ERO found that international students take part fully in school life and share in the pastoral care offered to all students.
Read the ERO reports for Carncot Independent School
Enrolling
As a private school, Carncot charges tuition fees, which vary by year level and are billed each term, with extra charges for optional activities such as camps, sports teams and music lessons. The school’s fees page has its current schedule of fees and terms and conditions.
Enrolment starts with registering interest through the school office and a school tour, followed by a pre-enrolment meeting with a member of the leadership team, and often a trial day. If the application for admission is successful, the school makes a formal offer of a place, and paying an enrolment bond secures it.
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 Palmerston North Central
Carncot Independent School is in Palmerston North Central. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Questions parents ask
Is Carncot Independent 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?
128 at 1 Sep 2026.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
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).