Last updated October 2026
Fordell School is a state, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 21 Budge Street, Fordell. It opened in 1883 and had 130 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes parts of Fordell, Okoia and Whangaehu; the zone map below shows the full boundary. Its site sets out the school vision, Growing Empowered Navigators Together, and four learning muscles it builds in students: resilience, resourcefulness, reflectiveness and reciprocity.
At a glance
- Principal
- Yvette Moorhouse
- Address
- 21 Budge Street, Fordell
- Phone
- 06 342 7828
Home zone
Parts of these suburbs: Fordell, Okoia and Whangaehu: 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 130 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 outcomes becoming more equitable, with most learners, Māori learners among them, at or above expectations in maths and a large majority at or above expectations in literacy.
Learners at risk of falling behind are tracked closely and some make accelerated progress. Students show a sense of belonging and pride, the curriculum draws on the local setting, te reo and tikanga Māori are woven into class programmes, and parents are treated as partners in learning.
ERO noted a gap for boys in writing that the school has yet to close, and attendance work aimed at the government target.
The agreed next steps are to lift progress for all learners, especially boys in writing, make teaching more consistent across curriculum areas, keep checking the impact of reading, writing and maths initiatives, and embed the attendance initiatives that are working.
Read the ERO reports for Fordell School
Enrolling
Children who live in the home zone have the right to enrol at any stage. Out-of-zone places are offered under the school’s enrolment scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places. The school advertises its out-of-zone places in the local newspaper each year, and families can register their interest at any time.
Families can contact the school office for an enrolment pack. The enrolment zone page has the zone description, zone map and enrolment scheme.
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 Fordell
Fordell School is in Fordell. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Fordell guide →Questions parents ask
Is Fordell School zoned?
It has a home zone covering parts of Fordell, Okoia and Whangaehu.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
130 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?
455. 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).