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St Joseph's School (Queenstown)

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

A Catholic primary school in Queenstown, New Zealand, catering to students from Year 1 through Year 8. It follows the New Zealand National Curriculum alongside Religious Education as a core learning area.

Last checked 22 September 2026 · Roll data from August 2026

Jump to: About · Curriculum · Student support

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationQueenstown
RegionOtago Region
School number4016
130
Students
as at August 2026
393
Equity Index
Yes
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number4016
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState : Integrated
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established26 January 1915
See NZ school term dates & holidays →

About St Joseph's School (Queenstown)

St Joseph's School is a state integrated full primary school in Queenstown, catering for students from New Entrants to Year 8. It holds a special Catholic character, with Gospel values forming the basis of school life and conduct.

The school has been on its current site since 1883, when the Dominican sisters arrived to teach there. That Dominican connection remains a defining feature: the school identifies four pillars — prayer, learning, community, and service — as central to its character and approach.

The school's maximum roll is 175 students, with typical attendance around 140 students across six or seven classrooms. Enrolment at the school may require Catholic connections; prospective families can contact the principal for clarification on this requirement.

Enrolment

Enrolment scheme on record

St Joseph's School (Queenstown) has an enrolment scheme (a home zone) on record. Living inside it guarantees a place; living outside it does not, though out-of-zone applications may still be considered.

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 Joseph's School (Queenstown) actually sits, not just the number on its own.

OFFICIAL DATA
393
Scale: 344–569
Band: Fewest (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 442.2
St Joseph's School (Queenstown) 393

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 88 students (67.7%)
  • Asian — 39 students (30%)
  • Pacific — 4 students (3.1%)
  • Māori — 6 students (4.6%)
  • MELAA — 3 students (2.3%)
  • Other — 5 students (3.8%)

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 — St Joseph's School (Queenstown)
Full Primary · Years 1–8
Secondary options (further away or later entry)

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address25 Beetham Street
  • CityQueenstown
  • Local authorityQueenstown-Lakes District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

Schools physically closest to St Joseph's School (Queenstown), regardless of year level.

Explore schools in Queenstown

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

Full Primary schools (2) Secondary schools (1) All schools in Queenstown →

Curriculum

St Joseph's School teaches across the New Zealand National Curriculum, organised into nine learning areas:

  • Religious Education
  • English
  • Mathematics & Statistics
  • The Arts
  • Health & Physical Education
  • Technology
  • Science
  • Social Sciences
  • Learning Languages

Rather than assigning a fixed programme to each year level, the school groups students according to assessed learning needs and plans against curriculum levels that span two-year bands. A single class may operate across more than one curriculum level simultaneously.

Years 7 and 8 students have a distinct programme that includes servant leadership development. Year 8 students hold named student leadership roles — including Kaitiaki, Whānau Leader, Media Leader, Awhina Leader, Hākinakina Leader, Toi Leader, and Audio Visual Leader — and attend an annual Leadership Conference in Dunedin.

Pastoral Care and Student Support

St Joseph's School organises its pastoral care around four School Whānau Groups. Each group includes students from across the full school, from New Entrants to Year 8, and is led by student Whānau Leaders and staff members. Whānau Group leaders organise activities throughout the year to help students build connections across year levels.

Each of the four Whānau Groups is named after a Dominican saint and associated with a local maunga:

  • Catherine Whānau — patron saint St Catherine of Siena, associated with Coronet Peak
  • Martin Whānau — patron saint St Martin de Porres, associated with Tititea/Aspiring
  • Dominic Whānau — patron saint St Dominic, associated with Kawarau/The Remarkables
  • Rose Whānau — patron saint St Rose of Lima, associated with Pikirakatahi/Earnslaw

Frequently asked

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

St Joseph's School (Queenstown) is classified as a Full Primary school serving Years 1–8.

It's a state school in the Otago 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.

Yes. St Joseph's School (Queenstown) has an enrolment scheme (a home zone) on record. Living inside it guarantees a place; living outside it does not, though out-of-zone applications may still be considered.

130 students, according to the August 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers St Joseph's School (Queenstown)'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 St Joseph's School (Queenstown)'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 — 7 September 2026
Student roll Ministry of Education / Education Counts August 2026 7 September 2026
Equity Index Education Counts — 7 September 2026
Address & coordinates Ministry of Education — 7 September 2026
Contact details NZ Schools Directory Current 7 September 2026
School information (AI-curated, human-reviewed) St Joseph's School (Queenstown)'s official website Current 22 September 2026