Key facts
- School number2678
- School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established26 January 1926
About St Joseph's School (Central Hawke's Bay)
St Joseph's School is a state-integrated Catholic primary school located in Central Hawke's Bay. It was established on 1 February 1926, originally staffed by the Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth, and became integrated into the state system in 1982, retaining its Special Catholic Character. Following the closure of St Columba's School in Waipawa in 2002, St Joseph's became the Catholic school for the Holy Trinity Parish, Central Hawke's Bay.
The school's character is defined by its Catholic faith. Enrolment carries an expectation that families will participate in Sunday Mass or services, support religious education at home, and contribute to the school's faith community through attendance dues and involvement in the Religious Education Programme. The Religious Education Programme taught at the school is the Religious Education Programme for Catholic Primary Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, developed by the Bishop's Conference.
The school's stated values are Spirituality, Respect, Responsibility, and Community, alongside Gospel Values, and these form the basis of its Positive Behaviour for Learning Programme.
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 St Joseph's School (Central Hawke's 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 Joseph's School (Central Hawke's Bay)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 68 students (63%)
- Asian — 26 students (24.1%)
- Pacific — 1 students (0.9%)
- Māori — 25 students (23.1%)
- MELAA — 2 students (1.9%)
- Other — 1 students (0.9%)
Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.
Location
- Street address6 Russell Street
- CityWaipukurau
- Local authorityCentral Hawke's Bay District
Official contact details
- ContactBridget Tully
- Phone+64 6 858 9221
- Emailoffice@stjosephschb.school.nz
- Websitewww.stjosephschb.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to St Joseph's School (Central Hawke's Bay), regardless of year level.
-
Argyll East School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 15 km
-
Pukehou School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 18.9 km
-
Flemington School (Waipukurau) Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 19.8 km
-
Tikokino School Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 21.3 km
-
Sherwood School (Hawkes Bay) Full Primary · Years 1–8 · 22.1 km
Explore schools in Waipukurau
Browse Waipukurau schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
St Joseph's School operates as an integrated Catholic school. Enrolment places are allocated in two categories: preference and non-preference.
Preference students are those who can establish a Catholic connection with the school, and account for 95% of enrolments. Non-preference students — those without a Catholic connection — make up the remaining 5%; this category is currently full and a waiting list is in place. Non-preference students transferring from another Catholic school are granted enrolment, with dispensation sought from the Catholic Education Office in Palmerston North.
All enrolment forms are available from the school office. The following documents are required when enrolling a child starting school for the first time:
- Birth certificate or proof of date of birth
- Immunisation record from birth to age five (available from a practice nurse)
Students transferring from another New Zealand school should bring details of their previous school and any workbooks or reports. The school will contact the previous school directly to arrange transfer of records.
Students enrolling from another country must bring passports and visas for both parents and the child so the school can determine eligibility and whether fees apply.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from St Joseph's School (Central Hawke's 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 Joseph's School (Central Hawke's 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 Joseph's School (Central Hawke's Bay)'s official website | Current | 16 October 2026 |