Best primary schools in Invercargill City (2026)
Contributing, full primary, intermediate and composite schools offering Years 1–8. Ranked by the Success Index (NZ) from official New Zealand data; 22 schools in Invercargill City, Southland. Rank positions shown on each profile are within New Zealand and Southland.
- 179St Theresa's School (Invercargill)Invercargill · State integrated ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 405 · 277 students
- 268Waihopai SchoolGladstone · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 428 · 354 students
- 367Otatara SchoolOtatara · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 412 · 247 students
- 465Myross Bush SchoolMyross Bush · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 414 · 173 students
- 564Windsor North SchoolWindsor · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 422 · 326 students
- 663St John's Girls' School (Invercargill)Invercargill · State integrated Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 417 · 126 students
- 763Salford SchoolHargest · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 422 · 250 students
- 859Makarewa SchoolMakarewa · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 440 · 155 students
- 958Southland Adventist Christian SchoolWaikiwi · State integrated Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 439 · 129 students
- 1057Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi)Waikiwi · State integrated ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 430 · 87 students
- 1147St Joseph's School (Invercargill)Invercargill · State integrated Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 465 · 153 students
- 1245Donovan Primary SchoolWaikiwi · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 464 · 378 students
- 1342St Patrick's School (Invercargill)Georgetown · State integrated ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 468 · 282 students
- 1440Tisbury SchoolInvercargill · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 467 · 126 students
- 1534Invercargill Middle SchoolInvercargill · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 484 · 155 students
- 1632New River PrimaryKew · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 522 · 229 students
- 1732Waverley Park SchoolGlengarry · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 495 · 263 students
- 1830Fernworth Primary SchoolStrathern · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 535 · 266 students
- 1928Newfield Park SchoolNewfield · State ContributingEquity Index (EQI) 506 · 223 students
- 2025Ascot Community SchoolHawthorndale · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 516 · 237 students
- 2125Bluff SchoolBluff · State Full PrimaryEquity Index (EQI) 511 · 115 students
- 2223Te Wharekura o ArowhenuaInvercargill · State CompositeEquity Index (EQI) 536 · 192 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index (NZ) | Equity Index (EQI) | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Theresa's School (Invercargill) Invercargill · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State integrated | 79.0 Top 10% | 405 | 277 |
| 2 | Waihopai School Gladstone · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 68.1 Top 25% | 428 | 354 |
| 3 | Otatara School Otatara · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 66.5 Top 50% | 412 | 247 |
| 4 | Myross Bush School Myross Bush · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 65.1 Top 50% | 414 | 173 |
| 5 | Windsor North School Windsor · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 63.5 Top 50% | 422 | 326 |
| 6 | St John's Girls' School (Invercargill) Invercargill · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State integrated | 63.0 Top 50% | 417 | 126 |
| 7 | Salford School Hargest · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 62.8 Top 50% | 422 | 250 |
| 8 | Makarewa School Makarewa · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 59.1 Top 50% | 440 | 155 |
| 9 | Southland Adventist Christian School Waikiwi · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State integrated | 58.2 Top 50% | 439 | 129 |
| 10 | Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi) Waikiwi · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State integrated | 56.7 Top 50% | 430 | 87 |
| 11 | St Joseph's School (Invercargill) Invercargill · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State integrated | 47.4 Lower 50% | 465 | 153 |
| 12 | Donovan Primary School Waikiwi · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 45.1 Lower 50% | 464 | 378 |
| 13 | St Patrick's School (Invercargill) Georgetown · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State integrated | 41.7 Lower 50% | 468 | 282 |
| 14 | Tisbury School Invercargill · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 40.2 Lower 50% | 467 | 126 |
| 15 | Invercargill Middle School Invercargill · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 34.2 Lower 50% | 484 | 155 |
| 16 | New River Primary Kew · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 31.9 Lower 50% | 522 | 229 |
| 17 | Waverley Park School Glengarry · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 31.5 Lower 50% | 495 | 263 |
| 18 | Fernworth Primary School Strathern · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 30.1 Lower 50% | 535 | 266 |
| 19 | Newfield Park School Newfield · Contributing · Years 1–6 | State | 27.8 Lower 50% | 506 | 223 |
| 20 | Ascot Community School Hawthorndale · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 25.1 Lower 50% | 516 | 237 |
| 21 | Bluff School Bluff · Full Primary · Years 1–8 | State | 24.5 Lower 50% | 511 | 115 |
| 22 | Te Wharekura o Arowhenua Invercargill · Composite · Years 1–13 | State | 22.9 Lower 50% | 536 | 192 |
St Theresa's School (Invercargill) in Invercargill leads the 2026 list of primary schools in Invercargill City with a Success Index (NZ) of 79.0. Of the 22 schools shown, 16 are state, 6 are state integrated.
For the full picture see the wider Southland primary schools rankings, every school on the Invercargill City page, or the comparison tool to put a shortlist side by side.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track for NCEA?
Success Tutoring runs personalised English and Maths tutoring for Years 1–13 in New Zealand. Start with a free assessment mapped to the New Zealand Curriculum.
- Personalised learning plan mapped to the Australian Curriculum
- English & Maths from Kindergarten to Year 12
- Flexible memberships, no lock-in contracts
- Centres across NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA and ACT
Frequently asked questions
What is the best primary school in Invercargill City?
St Theresa's School (Invercargill) in Invercargill, Southland ranks first among primary schools in Invercargill City with a Success Index (NZ) of 79.0 out of 100 (Equity Index (EQI): 405).
How are primary schools in Invercargill City ranked?
Each school's Success Index (NZ) combines 5 factors: equity index (fewer barriers is higher) (45%), roll size (10%), roll growth (5 years) (15%), school leavers with ncea level 2+ (20%), school leavers with university entrance (10%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type across New Zealand. Schools with fewer than 60 students are excluded from rankings.
Are these 2026 rankings official?
No. They are computed by Success Tutoring from official New Zealand data (Ministry of Education – Schools Directory; Ministry of Education – School leaver attainment (Find a school)). The Equity Index describes the student community, not teaching quality.