Key facts
- School number3006
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 April 1905
About St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)
St Francis de Sales School — also known by its te reo Māori name Te Kura o Hāto Werahiko te Hēra — is a Catholic Integrated primary school in Island Bay, Wellington, catering to boys and girls from Year 1 to Year 8. The school roll is capped at 320 students, with places for sixteen non-preference students.
The school traces its origins to 1905, when the Sisters of the Sacred Heart opened the first school on Avon Street in Island Bay. After relocating and operating under different names, the school integrated with the state system in 1983 and moved to its current site on Mersey Street, adjacent to the parish church. It was officially opened under the name Saint Francis de Sales School in January 1985. The te reo Māori name was later gifted to the school by Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard.
As a Catholic integrated school, St Francis de Sales maintains a Catholic Special Character, which is described as something all who join the community must understand and value. The school's motto — drawn from its patron saint — is "the measure of love is to love without measure." Its stated vision centres on each student developing a Love of God, Love of Learning, and Love of Life.
The school is organised into three syndicates, each named after figures from Te Ao Māori:
- Tangaroa — Junior Syndicate (Year 0–3)
- Papatūānuku — Middle Syndicate (Year 4–6)
- Ranginui — Senior Syndicate (Year 7–8)
The Year 7 and 8 cohort follows a programme that includes an annual outdoor education week — a bushcraft camp in odd years and a field trip to Hawke's Bay in even years.
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 St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) 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 St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 87 students (43.7%)
- Asian — 77 students (38.7%)
- Pacific — 17 students (8.5%)
- Māori — 21 students (10.6%)
- MELAA — 23 students (11.6%)
- Other — 3 students (1.5%)
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 · 2.2 km
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Evans Bay Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 3.1 km
-
Tawa Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 19.9 km
-
Wainuiomata High School Secondary · Years 9–15 · 16.5 km
Location
- Street address11 Mersey Street
- SuburbIsland Bay
- CityWellington
- Local authorityWellington City
Official contact details
- ContactNikolai Solia
- Phone+64 4 939 7370
- Emailoffice@sfds.school.nz
- Websitewww.sfds.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay), regardless of year level.
-
Island Bay School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 247 m
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Houghton Valley School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.1 km
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Owhiro Bay School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.3 km
-
Berhampore School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.9 km
-
Lyall Bay School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.1 km
Explore schools in Wellington
Browse Wellington schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) is a Catholic school operating a preference enrolment scheme. Under the 2020 Education and Training Act, at least 95% of the student roll must be preference or Catholic students. The remaining 5% may be non-preference enrolments, subject to available space. A waiting list exists for non-preference places.
To determine whether a child qualifies as a preference or non-preference applicant, the school directs families to its Criteria of Preference document.
The enrolment process requires the following steps:
- Complete the online enrolment form
- Complete the preference form and have it signed by a Catholic Parish Priest — families belonging to St Francis de Sales Parish should phone the parish office on (04) 383 8625 to arrange this
- Provide an original birth certificate or passport for copying and certification at the school office
The school confirms enrolment as soon as possible and sends starting information the term before the child begins. Enquiries can be directed to the school office on (04) 939 7370 or at sfds@sfds.school.nz.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)'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 St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)'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) | St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)'s official website | Current | 16 October 2026 |