Key facts
- School number2449
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1958
About St James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi
St James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi is a Catholic primary school located on Albert Street in Palmerston North. It was founded by the Mercy sisters in 1958. In 2023, the Ministry of Education approved a formal name change from St James' School to its current bilingual name.
The school operates within a Catholic faith framework, with its motto — Veritatem Vivere (To Live the Truth) — drawn from St James. Its guiding concept, Te Whakaruruhau (a sheltering place), was given to the school by James Kenrick and describes an environment where all people are welcomed, supported, and nurtured.
The school's current principal is Christine Cosgrove (Tumuaki). Performance groups active at the school include Pae Tamariki, Pasifika, and Jump Jam, reflecting a cultural breadth in its co-curricular life.
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 James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi 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 James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi's own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 74 students (51.7%)
- Asian — 58 students (40.6%)
- Pacific — 16 students (11.2%)
- Māori — 26 students (18.2%)
- MELAA — 8 students (5.6%)
- Other — 2 students (1.4%)
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.
-
Palmerston North Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 1.9 km
-
Ross Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 2.5 km
Location
- Street address304 Albert Street
- SuburbHokowhitu
- CityPalmerston North
- Local authorityPalmerston North City
Official contact details
- ContactChristine Cosgrove
- Phone+64 6 357 9719
- Emailprincipal@stjamescatholic.school.nz
- Websitewww.stjamescatholic.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to St James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi, regardless of year level.
-
Winchester School (P North) Contributing · Years 1–6 · 918 m
-
Carncot Independent School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 1.5 km
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Palmerston North Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 1.9 km
-
Palmerston North Adventist Christian School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 2.1 km
-
Ross Intermediate Intermediate · Years 7–8 · 2.5 km
Explore schools in Palmerston North
Browse Palmerston North schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
St James' Catholic School accepts enrolments for Years 1 to 6 (ages 5–11). The school operates a preference system based on criteria set by the Catholic Bishops of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Applicants with an established religious connection to the Catholic faith are given preferential placement. Qualifying connections include having a Catholic parent or grandparent, being baptised, or having a family member previously enrolled at St James' or another Catholic school. Non-preference (non-Catholic) enrolments are capped at five per cent of the total roll and are subject to available vacancies.
Eligibility for preference or non-preference status is determined solely by a member of the Parish Catechetical Team at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, 197 Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North. The school notes that families choosing where to live may wish to consult the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Boundary and St Patrick's Parish Boundary Map.
The enrolment process involves the following steps:
- Request an Enrolment Pack from the school office.
- Arrange an appointment with the Parish Catechetical Team at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Catholic applicants should bring a copy of the child's or parent's Baptism Certificate.
- Return the completed Preference Form to the school before any place can be confirmed.
- Submit the Enrolment Form along with the child's Birth Certificate or Passport and a copy of Immunisation Certificates.
- Attend an appointment with the Principal.
Once enrolment is confirmed, new entrants are invited to attend Te Pihinga transition visits, held on Wednesday mornings from 8.50 am to 10.50 am in Learning Space 9 or 10. Sessions are run by Mrs Tracey Gunn and/or Mrs Sally Aitken-Cade. Attendance over three weeks is recommended but not compulsory, there is no cost, and each child must be accompanied by an adult.
The school states that financial assistance with school fees or Attendance Dues is available — families may arrange an appointment with the Principal or Fr Joe Grayland at the Parish.
Co-curricular Activities
The following named group is identified in the school's co-curricular information:
- Whakaruruhau — the school's Kapa Haka ropu, which practises weekly
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from St James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi'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 James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi'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 James' Catholic School Te Kura Katorika o Hato Heemi's official website | Current | 13 October 2026 |