Palmerston North Girls' High School

It’s been over a decade since I attended this school but I do have fond memories. For a public school it wasn’t too bad. Yes there were teachers who played favourites or came across as rude/mean but you’re going to get that anywhere you go. It may not be relevant now but I would have recommended it at the time. I would send my daughter there if I still lived in the area.

I spent the whole of year 9 at this school but am moving to a different school now and i would recommend to send your daughter to a different school. Lunchtime is sooo boring all people do is just sit around the whole time and when you actually try to have fun like normal teenagers do they get mad at you. They basically trained us to be boring. If you talked in class or tried to have fun then you would be shut down. And don’t even get me started on the uniforms. They’re expensive as anything and when students are less fortunate the teachers don’t really care. But mostly your experience at this school will depend on who you decide to be friends with. In my opinion it’s just better to be friends with the nerds?. They’re cooler anyways. Shoutout to Ms Papaluca shes one of the only good teachers I’ve come across at Pnghs. Also Pnghs is quite sexist and don’t offer as many oppourtunities as I would like, for instance there is no woodwork class or anything of that matter. But they do have food tech! Which I don’t think is sending the best message to young girls.

Terrible school. I do not recommend it at all , the racism at this school is out of it. Disgusting, not only are the students there racist but the teachers. Especially the principal. They do nothing to solve any problems that happen when it’s with Māori , Pasifika students. They give the punishment to them without even getting to the bottom of what happened. They cover up the racism that goes on behind the scenes at this school by using phrases such as “Im not racist I have a Māori granddaughter” Those words were the words of Ms Hamling. They discriminate against young brown students who already have it hard as soon as they walk through those gates. They do not encourage diversity at all. Teachers have told students to stop talking in their native tongue because it’s “New Zealand” english should be spoken. Can you imagine how that student mustve felt ? I suggest you take your young beautiful daughters to any other school but girls high if you are not european. School staff are useless as well when it comes to student voices not being heard. The staff and the principal need to do better for the Non european students.

As an ex student having spent a good while in this school, I have really mixed feelings with this school. This school is pretty good but it isn't as good as expected. My biggest thing is that this school is not all what it is made out to be. Like you see lots and lots of students coming to this school in year 9 and stay for like a year or two or a few months before deciding to go somewhere else. There aren't a lot of opportunities that you can get with this school especially with sports (and even with sports teams, they don't select players for teams fairly), and not alot of support especially with bullying which is actually pretty bad and very toxic at this school everyone can know anything or say anything about you just because they've heard it once then suddenly half the school doesnt like you (everyone no matter who comes here will experience some level of bullying or just dumb things) but there is a range of different students who go here, and come from a range of different backgrounds but there is a strong clique culture at this school though sometimes with ethnicity as well which makes "fights" and "breakups" really obvious. And canteen food is not that good and is so expensive for no reason. Oh but the most annoying thing I hated was in the morning especially winter (FREEZING COLD) mornings they would lock all the classrooms and the one library would be full with everyone trying not to literally freeze outside in the cold and during the summer the classrooms would also be locked AND during lunches and breaks we aren't allowed to have our lunch in a classroom or anywhere inside and there would not be enough shady areas to have lunch either. And it's really boring here as well, especially with no phones it's really really boring... I would say the most common phrases I've heard from students are "it's so boring here there's nothing to do" and "I hate this school" But anyway going to school here is okay, although there are ups and downs it all depends on you (But just keep in mind there's a reason why not many girls stay too long at this school). Best of luck to you though!

do not send your children to this skl bc it is not a good skl teachers always talk down on you especially this one scioence teaher mrs bosh who is really rasist to everyone in the class and makes us do the work of year 10 when your not in year 10 she yells at you for no reason at all she is a ugly person and does not care about who you are and what you do she thinks that everyone is at the same smartness level for verything even thought we arent she expects us to know everything and we dont want to learn about being a scients or want to learn about her life stories. DP NOT GO TO PNGHS ITLL BE A MISAKE

I hate the school and the teacher especially Mrs bosh since she is racist in class and yells at us for nothing and just breathing she teaches the most unnecessary things and gets mad at us all the time for nothing gives us a bunch of homework pages and says what is important but when it comes to the tests then nothing that was important was in the test at all she always talks about herself and try’s to be a clown

It is a good school I suppose. Pretty mediocre. I guess the important thing is to not be swept up by bad influences and dedicate your time to important. The subjects and teachers here are pretty nice and as long as you keep up with the work, you would do average. The extensions and extra groups are quite fun and I think because Girl’s High is such a large school, there are plenty of interesting and inspirational people to meet.

Hi I went to this school from year 9 to year 10. This school is not a school I would recommend unless u are wanting to be patronised by not only your teachers in class but the principals as well. Oh you have a learning disability no you don’t no not at pnghs, I have been told by the people that should of been helping me ( the learning support department ) that I was quite literally just giving up that I was throwing my life away. Even with proof that I had been diagnosed with 2 learning disabilities. Feeling like the your teachers are one are not wanting to be there two don’t care about you and your success, is not a great feeling and I know others can agree. It is 2023 and this school still has the mentality as if they are stuck in the 1900s, very archaic. I have had the the opportunity to another school and you can see that there are many ways of think not just one. PNGHS needs to rethink there process. The discrimination toward neurodiversity is appalling, if you not fit into there idea of there normal then i wish u all the best.

such a bad school, teachers don’t care about students at all only the education. the school tries to make the school look so so good but it’s so bad

Pretty good. Soo many opportunities that are well advertised and the school does try their best to be respectable of different types of people (tho maybe not always succesfully). Eg. Using correct names. Sometimes the school does make some strange rules and decisions though, and are often bad are communicating to parents and students. Needs more shade outside and there is often a lot of work given out but it seems to pay off in results. Also, got a great art department so if you're looking into that, I'd definitely recommend for good ncea results. Personally, once I made friends and got over myself, I've had a great time.

its pretty good, but that comes from a place of privilege as i am NZ European and do not experience hardships faced by other students. I have found an amazing group of friends that i love and everyone i have encountered is very friendly. Some teachers are quite questionable tho, and they almost have too many opportunities that you end up missing out on stuff.

worst school out. don’t send your kids here. end up coming out of school depressed.

the school does not represent or embrace the diverse cultures within the school. teachers have told students to stop talking in their native tongue and does not make an effort to learn the basics of the language (hello etc.) if you are of european descent, pnghs is the school for you:)

I have been attending this school for four years and hate it more and more every day, the teachers are terrible at their jobs and half of them don’t know what they are doing. They also don’t have subjects that actually interest me like wood work and Spanish.

I definitely recommend, such great opportunities and such lovely people!