Last updated October 2026
Hiwinui School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at Watershed Road, Palmerston North. It opened in 1891 and had 134 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes parts of Bunnythorpe and Ashhurst; the zone map below shows the full boundary. The school’s site describes explicit teaching, play-based learning in the junior school, environmental programmes and education outside the classroom, with intervention and acceleration programmes for students who need them.
Extra-curricular options include Kainui cluster sport, music lessons and a school band, choir, dance, robotics and technology clubs, and academic competitions in maths, literacy and science.
At a glance
- Principal
- Anna Hagan
- Address
- Watershed Road, Palmerston North
- Phone
- 06 326 8078
Home zone
Parts of these suburbs: Bunnythorpe Palmerston North and Ashhurst Palmerston North: check your street.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
Who goes here
Share of the 134 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 Evaluation Report from February 2025. ERO found that most learners make steady progress and meet curriculum expectations in reading, writing and maths, with Māori and Pacific learners achieving at similar levels to their peers. Students know the school’s PEAK values and feel a strong sense of belonging and pride.
A large majority attend regularly, but attendance does not yet meet the government’s target. ERO also noted leaders who build trust and collaboration among staff, inclusive teaching that is becoming more responsive to each learner, regular use of achievement information by leaders, teachers and the board, and families whose views are sought and valued.
The agreed next steps are to make stronger use of achievement information so teachers can tailor programmes, narrow the school’s evaluation to the initiatives that matter most for learning and attendance, and keep building partnerships with whānau, the wider community and local iwi and hapū.
Read the ERO reports for Hiwinui School
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol, and proof of residence in the zone is needed. Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
The school advertises out-of-zone places for new entrants each year, and its enrolment page sets out which year levels are open to out-of-zone students and links to the out-of-zone application form.
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 Bunnythorpe Palmerston North
Hiwinui School is in Bunnythorpe Palmerston North. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Bunnythorpe Palmerston North guide →Questions parents ask
Is Hiwinui School zoned?
It has a home zone covering parts of Bunnythorpe Palmerston North and Ashhurst Palmerston North.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
134 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
It may. It is not in the donation scheme, so it can ask families for donations.
What is its Equity Index?
415. 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.
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). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (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).