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Sacred Heart School (Timaru)

Full Primary · Years 1–8 · Co-Educational · Timaru

A state-integrated Catholic primary school in Timaru, New Zealand, serving students from New Entrant to Year 8 (ages 5 to 13). It has operated for more than 140 years, with its Catholic character rooted in the traditions of the Society of Mary, the Society of the Sacred Heart, and the Sisters of Mercy.

Last checked 16 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

Jump to: About · Enrolment · Curriculum

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationTimaru
RegionCanterbury Region
School number3498
232
Students
as at September 2026
438
Equity Index
No
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number3498
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState : Integrated
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established26 January 1885
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About Sacred Heart School (Timaru)

Sacred Heart School is a Catholic integrated primary school located at 54 Heaton Street, Timaru, catering to students from New Entry through to Year 8 (ages 5 to 13).

The school has operated for more than 140 years and draws its character from three founding religious societies: the Society of the Sacred Heart (founded by Madeleine Sophie Barat), the Marist Brothers (founded by Marcellin Champagnat), and the Sisters of Mercy (founded by Catherine McAuley). The values of these three societies — including service, compassion, family spirit, and hospitality — are collectively described by the school as its charism.

These founding values have been distilled into five core phrases, referred to as the "Heart for Living" values, which the school applies across its curriculum and community life:

  • Help others in need
  • Everyone matters
  • Aspire to make a difference
  • Respect God in everyone
  • Take God's love with you

The school maps each of these values to corresponding strands within the New Zealand Curriculum values framework, such as equity, integrity, diversity, and ecological sustainability.

School donations

The Ministry of Education profile states that: "Donations should not be requested, unless for a school camp".

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 School (Timaru) actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
438
Scale: 344–569
Band: Below Average (2026)
WHAT IT MEANS

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 →

EQI scale (344–569)
Directory avg 445
Sacred Heart School (Timaru) 438

Student ethnicity

The Ministry publishes this as a raw table — here it's visualised directly against Sacred Heart School (Timaru)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.

  • European — 149 students (64.2%)
  • Asian — 64 students (27.6%)
  • Pacific — 21 students (9.1%)
  • Māori — 37 students (15.9%)
  • MELAA — 7 students (3%)
  • 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.

Current stage — Sacred Heart School (Timaru)
Full Primary · Years 1–8
Potential next stage
Secondary options (further away or later entry)

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address54 Heaton Street
  • CityTimaru
  • Local authorityTimaru District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to Sacred Heart School (Timaru), regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Timaru

Browse Timaru schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.

Secondary schools (3) Full Primary schools (1) All schools in Timaru →

Enrolment

Sacred Heart School is a state integrated Catholic school in Timaru, catering for students in Years 1 to 8 (ages 5 to 13). The school operates two categories of enrolment:

  • Preference enrolment — available to children with a Catholic connection, either through Baptism or through another Catholic family member, up to the school's maximum permitted roll.
  • Non-preference enrolment — available to children without a Catholic connection, capped by the government at 15 students (5% of the total roll). The school is not currently accepting non-preference enrolments, though places occasionally become available. Parents of non-preference students are required to be supportive of the school's Catholic values.

The school's stated first step for prospective families is to contact the admin team to arrange a visit with the principal. No further details about required documents, specific application steps, or zone boundaries are provided.

Curriculum

Sacred Heart School (Timaru) is a state integrated Catholic primary school serving students in Years 1 to 8 (ages 5 to 13). The school describes its curriculum as operating within a Catholic context, guided by the vision statement "Growing a Heart for Living and a Heart for Learning in a Catholic Context", with an stated aim of developing students spiritually, academically, physically, and socially.

As a primary school, the school does not offer NCEA. No specific named subjects or distinctive curriculum programmes are detailed in the available school information.

Frequently asked

These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from Sacred Heart School (Timaru)'s own official Ministry of Education data already shown on this page, so what you read here always matches the figures above.

Sacred Heart School (Timaru) is classified as a Full Primary school serving Years 1–8.

It's a state school in the Canterbury region. New Zealand domestic students are generally entitled to free enrolment and education at state schools.

Yes. It's a co-educational school, enrolling both boys and girls.

232 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers Sacred Heart School (Timaru)'s students face, on average. The Ministry uses the Equity Index to help target funding and support. It is not a measure of school quality or academic performance.

Sources & methodology

Every fact on this page traces back to one of the rows below — official Ministry of Education data, or Sacred Heart School (Timaru)'s own published information, reviewed before publication. Nothing here is inferred or estimated beyond what its source actually states.

DataSourceData periodLast 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 School (Timaru)'s official website Current 16 October 2026