Key facts
- School number2985
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1899
About Sacred Heart Cathedral School
Sacred Heart Cathedral School is a Catholic primary school led by Principal Mrs Bernadette Murfitt. The school operates under a Catholic faith framework, with a mission statement of "To educate our children within a Catholic environment to achieve their full spiritual, cultural, academic and personal potential."
The school describes its approach to teaching as one that does not apply a single uniform method to all students, instead aiming to address individual learning needs across classroom practice, learning opportunities, and how learning is recognised and celebrated.
The school is governed by a Board of Trustees and supported by a parent community. Enrolments are open for the 2028 school year, with applications due by 31 July 2027.
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 Sacred Heart Cathedral School 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 Sacred Heart Cathedral School's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 108 students (45%)
- Asian — 104 students (43.3%)
- Pacific — 53 students (22.1%)
- Māori — 15 students (6.3%)
- MELAA — 18 students (7.5%)
- Other — 1 students (0.4%)
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.
-
South Wellington Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 4.7 km
-
Evans Bay Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 4.7 km
-
Tawa Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 13.3 km
-
Wainuiomata High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 13.7 km
Location
- Street addressGuilford Terrace
- SuburbThorndon
- CityWellington
- Local authorityWellington City
Official contact details
- ContactBernadette Murfitt
- Phone+64 4 472 4047
- Emailcathy@sacred-heart.school.nz
- Websitesacred-heart.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to Sacred Heart Cathedral School, regardless of year level.
-
Thorndon School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 412 m
-
Clifton Terrace Model School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 866 m
-
Wadestown School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 1.6 km
-
Kelburn Normal School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 1.7 km
-
Te Aro School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 2 km
Explore schools in Wellington
Browse Wellington schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
Applications for enrolment must be submitted by 31 July of the year preceding intended entry (for example, 2027 enrolments close 31 July 2026 at 12:00 noon). Applications received after this deadline are placed on a waiting list. Parents are typically notified by email in August whether a place is available.
Preference criteria
The school uses a preference system to prioritise places. In order, preference is given to:
- Children who have been baptised or are being prepared for baptism in the Catholic Church
- Children whose parents/guardians have already allowed one or more siblings to be baptised in the Catholic faith
- Students living in the Cathedral Parish of the Sacred Heart
- Siblings of current students (not covered by the above criteria)
- Students living in Central Wellington (CBD)
- Students in Mt Victoria Parish
- Students in the Newlands area
- Students from other areas
- Siblings of non-preference students already enrolled
- Non-preference students from Catholic schools
The school offers a maximum of 12 non-preference places. Non-preference enrolment may be suspended when the school roll reaches 85% capacity and remains suspended while the roll stays at or above that level.
Required documents
The enrolment pack must be completed and submitted to the SHCS administration office along with the following documents:
- Birth certificate or passport
- Completed enrolment forms and a Preference Form signed by the Catholic Parish Priest
- Baptismal certificate (if applicable)
- Proof of address
- Immunisation record
After acceptance
Once an offer is accepted, the administration provides information on registration, school fees, uniforms, and the start of the academic year. For Year 1 new entrants, the new entrant teacher arranges up to three visits for parents and children to meet the class before starting.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Sacred Heart Cathedral School'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 Sacred Heart Cathedral School'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) | Sacred Heart Cathedral School's official website | Current | 10 October 2026 |