Last updated October 2026
Fernworth Primary School is a state, co-educational primary school for Years 1 to 6 at 288 Pomona Street, Strathern, Invercargill. It opened in 2005 and had 266 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. Its website, which uses the name Te Kura o Whare-rā, describes mornings built around literacy, a maths programme taught in small groups, and mixed-age inquiry hubs three afternoons a week covering science, social sciences, technology, health and PE, and the arts.
The school also runs a daily breakfast club, provides free lunches through the government scheme and fruit every day, and gives whānau access to a social worker.
At a glance
- Principal
- Alison Cook
- Address
- 288 Pomona Street, Strathern, Invercargill
- Phone
- 03 216 9659
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 266 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 December 2025. ERO found that children are making more progress and achieving more over time, helped by strong teaching in reading, writing and maths, with a large majority at or above the expected level in each. It noted that more than half of children arrive at the school well behind where they should be, and praised the inclusive culture built around the school’s values, the help given to children who need extra support, and close links with families.
ERO also found that results in reading and maths are not yet equitable across groups of learners, and that only a small majority of children attend regularly, although attendance is improving. Its priorities are to speed up progress and lift achievement in reading, writing and maths with fairer outcomes for every group, make strong teaching consistent in all classrooms, and raise regular attendance to the Government target.
Read the ERO reports for Fernworth Primary School
Enrolling
Fernworth Primary School has no enrolment scheme, so any student can apply. The school’s website invites families to get in touch to talk about enrolling or to arrange a tour, including outside work hours, and links to an online enrolment 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 Strathern
Fernworth Primary School is in Strathern. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Strathern guide →Questions parents ask
Is Fernworth Primary School zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 6.
How many students go there?
266 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?
535. 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, 22 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).