Key facts
- School number3462
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established17 November 1858
About Our Lady of the Snows School (Methven)
Our Lady of the Snows is a fully integrated Catholic primary school located at 20 Main Street, Methven, in Mid-Canterbury. It serves students from New Entrant to Year 8 and operates across two classes: Totara – Room 2 (New Entrant to Year 3) and Kauri – Room 1 (Years 4–8).
The school was established in 1912, when the Sisters of Mercy opened a convent school in Methven at the invitation of the local parish priest. It operated under the Sisters of Mercy for 71 years before integrating into the state system in 1982. The current name, Our Lady of the Snows, was adopted when a purpose-built school was blessed and opened on 9 March 1958.
The school's Catholic character shapes its curriculum and daily life. Religious education is integrated across the broader curriculum, School Mass is held at least once per term, and the school incorporates the values of its founding order into a formal values programme. That programme draws on both Sisters of Mercy values and Tikanga Māori values, organised under four named values:
- Compassion — kindness, listening, and caring for others
- Awhina — supporting and helping others, and caring for the school and community
- Respect — good manners, healthy living, and service to the church and parish
- Excellence — personal best, perseverance, and awareness of next learning steps
The school is situated on three hectares of grounds in Methven, a township of approximately 1,500 permanent residents located 60 minutes from Christchurch, near the Mt Hutt ski area. A weekly skiing programme runs during Term 3.
Enrolment
No enrolment scheme listedNo enrolment scheme is currently listed for Our Lady of the Snows School (Methven) in the available Ministry of Education data. Check the current Ministry of Education information or contact the school for the latest enrolment arrangements.
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 Snows School (Methven) 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 Snows School (Methven)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 21 students (51.2%)
- Asian — 14 students (34.1%)
- Pacific — 5 students (12.2%)
- Māori — 1 students (2.4%)
- MELAA — 2 students (4.9%)
- Other — 1 students (2.4%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street addressMain Road
- CityMethven
- Local authorityAshburton District
Official contact details
- ContactPattie Ree
- Phone+64 3 302 8250
- Emailoffice@ladysnow.school.nz
- Websitewww.ladysnow.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Our Lady of the Snows School (Methven), regardless of year level.
-
Methven Primary School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 410 m
-
Ashburton Christian School Composite · Years 1–10 · 31.8 km
-
Darfield High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 40.3 km
-
Clearview Primary Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 59.2 km
-
Rolleston School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 59.3 km
Explore schools in Methven
Browse Methven schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Our Lady of the Snows School (Methven)'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 Snows School (Methven)'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 | — | 7 September 2026 |
| Student roll | Ministry of Education / Education Counts | August 2026 | 7 September 2026 |
| Equity Index | Education Counts | — | 7 September 2026 |
| Address & coordinates | Ministry of Education | — | 7 September 2026 |
| Contact details | NZ Schools Directory | Current | 7 September 2026 |
| School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) | Our Lady of the Snows School (Methven)'s official website | Current | 20 September 2026 |