Last updated October 2026
Westmere School – Whanganui is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 135 Rapanui Rd, Whanganui. It opened in 1894 and had 238 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes parts of Westmere, Otamatea, Kai Iwi and Brunswick; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school’s website describes a rural school with its own community swimming pool, Saturday sport in summer and winter codes, camps and education outside the classroom, and an operetta or other public performance most years. It runs a bus for most rural children and employs a teacher for children who need extra help with reading.
At a glance
- Principal
- Phil Walker
- Address
- 135 Rapanui Rd, Whanganui
- Phone
- 06-345 6919
Home zone
Parts of these suburbs: Westmere, Otamatea Whanganui, Kai Iwi and Brunswick: 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 238 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 July 2024. ERO found that most learners make steady progress and reach the expected curriculum levels in reading, writing and maths, and that a large majority attend school regularly.
Leaders set improvement goals from achievement data, teachers look into their own practice together, and the school’s values support an inclusive, caring culture. Staff are also building their confidence with te reo Māori, tikanga and te ao Māori.
Writing remains the main area to lift, particularly for boys and Māori learners. ERO and the school agreed to make sharper use of literacy and maths data so teachers can tailor their programmes, to keep working on attendance, and to keep growing teachers’ capability in te reo Māori and te ao Māori.
Read the ERO reports for Westmere School – Whanganui
Enrolling
Children who live in the home zone have the right to enrol. Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, with priority for siblings of current students and then the other groups the scheme sets out, and by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
Out-of-zone families start by returning an Expression of Interest form. The school advertises its out-of-zone places each year and explains the steps, including any ballot, on its enrolment page.
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 Westmere
Westmere School - Whanganui is in Westmere. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Westmere guide →Questions parents ask
Is Westmere School - Whanganui zoned?
It has a home zone covering parts of Westmere, Otamatea Whanganui, Kai Iwi and Brunswick.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
238 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?
427. 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, 29 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).