Key facts
- School number3461
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established1 February 1957
About Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch)
Our Lady of the Assumption School (OLA) is a Catholic primary school located in Christchurch, New Zealand. As a Catholic school, it operates within a faith-based framework centred on Catholic values, with religious observance — including Lent, Easter, and prayer — integrated into school life alongside academic learning.
The school's stated educational philosophy emphasises developing the whole child, encompassing intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, psychological, and physical dimensions. It is part of a wider network of New Zealand Catholic schools and shares parish connections with at least one other local school, St Peter's School, with which it coordinates some activities.
The school uses team-based groupings named after notable New Zealanders, including a Batten team (Years 5–6) and a Hillary team (Years 7–8). Year 8 students take on formal leadership roles across several areas, including Sports Leaders (PALs), Young Vinnies, Eco Leaders, and a Media Team.
School donations
The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations may be requested".
Check directly with the school for current charges, contributions or other costs. Learn more on the donations scheme or fees and charges at school, both on education.govt.nz.
Equity Index
The Ministry publishes this figure as a bare number — KuraData shows it against the directory-wide average, so you can see where Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch) actually sits, not just the number on its own.
The Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers students face, on average, and is used to inform government funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.
Higher values indicate a higher level of estimated socio-economic barriers; lower values indicate fewer. Learn how the Equity Index is calculated →
Student ethnicity
The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 244 students (72.8%)
- Asian — 85 students (25.4%)
- Pacific — 19 students (5.7%)
- Māori — 38 students (11.3%)
- MELAA — 13 students (3.9%)
- Other — 2 students (0.6%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Education pathway
Nearby schools serving the next or previous year levels are shown as potential pathway options. They do not indicate formal enrolment pathways or actual student transfers.
-
Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.4 km
-
Catholic Cathedral College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 4.4 km
-
Te Aratai College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 5.7 km
-
Cashmere High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 1.4 km
-
Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College Secondary · Years 9–15 · 3.3 km
-
Riccarton High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 4.6 km
Location
- Street address89 A Sparks Road
- SuburbHoon Hay
- CityChristchurch
- Local authorityChristchurch City
Official contact details
- ContactMatthew Malone
- Phone+64 3 338 9503
- Emailadmin@ola.school.nz
- Websitewww.ola.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch), regardless of year level.
-
Te Ara Koropiko West Spreydon School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 666 m
-
Cashmere High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 1.4 km
-
Te Kura Tuarua o Horomaka Hillmorton High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.4 km
-
Te Whānau o Ōtūmatua Specialist School · 3.1 km
-
Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College Secondary · Years 9–15 · 3.3 km
Explore schools in Christchurch
Browse Christchurch schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Our Lady of the Assumption School – Te Kura o Tūpaki operates a preference enrolment system, as a Catholic state-integrated school. Prospective families are invited to make an appointment with the Principal by emailing admin@ola.school.nz.
An annual pre-enrolment notice is published in the Our Lady Queen of Peace (South Parish) church bulletin and on the school website on the first Friday of August of the year before intended enrolment. This notice states the deadline for pre-enrolment and the likely number of places available.
Required documents
A complete pre-enrolment application must include all of the following — partial submissions are not accepted:
- Signed pre-enrolment form
- Child's birth certificate
- Proof of address
- Preference certificate from the Parish Priest
Preference criteria
Preference certificates are granted according to criteria set by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference. The criteria, in the order listed, are:
- The child has been baptised or is being prepared for baptism in the Catholic Church.
- One or more siblings have already been baptised in the Catholic faith.
- At least one parent or guardian is Catholic and the child's participation in the school could lead to baptism.
- A grandparent or other significant adult (such as an aunt, uncle, or godparent) undertakes, with parental agreement, to support the child's formation in the Catholic faith.
- One or both non-Catholic parents or guardians is preparing to become Catholic.
Children who are not Catholic may also apply, using a non-preference form. Catholic schools may enrol a maximum of 5% non-preference students.
Waitlist and confirmation
Children who do not gain a place are recorded on a waitlist in ballot order within their priority group and may be offered a place if one becomes available. Once a place is offered, parents have one week to complete online enrolment confirmation.
Curriculum
Our Lady of the Assumption School structures its curriculum around a Conceptual Curriculum, organised into four overarching conceptual understandings that rotate across the school on a four-year cycle, with one conceptual understanding as the focus per year.
Co-curricular Activities
The following named group is described in the school's co-curricular information:
- Kapa haka — the group performs at events including the school's Welcoming Ceremony for new families and the end-of-year prizegiving.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch)'s own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.
Sources & methodology
Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch)'s own published information, reviewed before publication. Nothing here is inferred or estimated beyond what its source actually states.
| Data | Source | Data period | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| School characteristics | Ministry of Education | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Student roll | Ministry of Education / Education Counts | September 2026 | 15 October 2026 |
| Equity Index | Education Counts | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Address & coordinates | Ministry of Education | — | 15 October 2026 |
| Contact details | NZ Schools Directory | Current | 15 October 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Our Lady of the Assumption School (Chch)'s official website | Current | 7 October 2026 |