Last updated October 2026
Te Kura Waenga O Rutherford | Rutherford Intermediate School is a state, co-educational intermediate school for Years 7 and 8 at 32 Toi Street, Tawhero, Whanganui. It opened in 1963 and had 143 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The school’s site lists kapa haka with its group Ngā Kōriporipo o te Awa, a band programme that enters Bandquest, and a Showquest stage production, along with a house system and sport including netball, volleyball, football, hockey, rugby, basketball, mountain biking and ki-o-rahi. It also describes a gymnasium, artificial turf and specialist rooms for music, food and art, and free healthy lunches each school day through the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme.
At a glance
- Principal
- Hayden Hepburn
- Address
- 32 Toi Street, Tawhero, Whanganui
- Phone
- 06 349 0022
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 143 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 Report from November 2025. ERO noted that a limited statutory manager who had been working with the board had finished that role, and that leaders and the board had acted on the areas raised in the previous review.
Most students arrive well behind expected curriculum levels. A small majority meet the expected level in reading, fewer than half do so in writing and maths, and results are not yet equitable across groups.
Fewer than half of students attend regularly, so the school is behind the government’s attendance target, although it has a suitable plan and attendance is improving.
On the positive side, ERO found a strong sense of belonging built on the school’s values, learning that weaves mātauranga Māori through the curriculum, good support for students with complex needs, and teacher professional learning that is strengthening English and maths teaching.
ERO’s key priorities are to lift achievement in literacy and maths, improve attendance to reach the government target, make teaching and assessment consistent with curriculum requirements, and build teachers’ ability to meet students’ varied needs. Leaders are to set achievement targets for priority students, report attendance to the board regularly, and use classroom observations to sharpen teaching.
Read the ERO reports for Te Kura Waenga O Rutherford | Rutherford Intermediate School
Enrolling
The school has no enrolment zone, so any student can apply. Its enrolment page links to an online enrolment form, also offers printable forms or an enrolment pack from the office, and invites families to meet the principal to talk about their child’s needs and whānau aspirations.
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 Tawhero Whanganui
Te Kura Waenga O Rutherford | Rutherford Intermediate School is in Tawhero Whanganui. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Tawhero Whanganui guide →Questions parents ask
Is Te Kura Waenga O Rutherford | Rutherford Intermediate School zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 7 to 8.
How many students go there?
143 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?
539. 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). 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).