Last updated November 2026
Kairanga School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 1099 Kairanga-Bunnythorpe Road, Palmerston North. It opened in 1888 and had 155 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes parts of Westbrook, Kairanga, Longburn, Tiakitahuna, Cloverlea and Milson; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school’s site describes a focus on literacy and maths alongside the arts, kapa haka, technology, sport and leadership, with school teams in sports including hockey, rugby, netball and basketball, a whole-school production every second year and major camps in the other years.
Students can raise calves and lambs through the Boys and Girls Agricultural Club, Year 8s run a leadership programme with a Wellington trip, there is no compulsory uniform, and no school bus runs to the school.
At a glance
- Principal
- Richard Lawton
- Address
- 1099 Kairanga-Bunnythorpe Road, Palmerston North
- Phone
- 06 329 0824
Home zone
Parts of these suburbs: Westbrook Palmerston North, Kairanga, Longburn Palmerston North, Tiakitahuna near Palmerston North, Cloverlea Palmerston North and Milson 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 155 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 Te Ara Huarau School Profile Report from August 2023. This kind of report sets out what ERO and the school will evaluate together, here how well the school’s local curriculum delivers the skills, priorities and dispositions it wants for its learners, and what its teaching and curriculum achieve for equity and excellence.
ERO pointed to leaders, teachers and trustees who work together towards the school’s vision and goals, teaching staff who are well supported through relevant professional learning and chances to share and inquire into key curriculum areas, and a learning environment that reflects the school’s values and keeps students positively engaged.
Next, the school plans to work with whānau, iwi and other key partners to draw on local community resources in developing its curriculum, keep staff learning aligned with its strategic priorities and culturally responsive teaching, and gather views from its community to judge how well its curriculum is serving every learner.
Read the ERO reports for Kairanga School
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol, and the school takes in-zone enrolments at all levels through the year. In-zone families provide proof of residence, and birth and immunisation certificates are needed for new enrolments.
Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places. Out-of-zone families apply through the ballot application form on the school’s enrolment page, and the school invites families to get in touch early to arrange a visit.
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 Kairanga
Kairanga School is in Kairanga. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Kairanga guide →Questions parents ask
Is Kairanga School zoned?
It has a home zone covering parts of Westbrook Palmerston North, Kairanga, Longburn Palmerston North, Tiakitahuna near Palmerston North, Cloverlea Palmerston North and Milson Palmerston North.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
155 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?
449. 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).