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St Mary's School (Blenheim)

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

A state-integrated Catholic primary school in Blenheim, it traces its origins to 1865 and is the only Catholic school in the town. The current school formed in the early 1970s when St Joseph's and St Mary's Parish schools merged.

Last checked 16 October 2026 · Roll data from September 2026

At a glance

TypeFull Primary · Years 1–8
LocationBlenheim
RegionMarlborough Region
School number3012
176
Students
as at September 2026
440
Equity Index
No
Enrolment scheme
Open
School status

Key facts

  • School number3012
  • School typeFull Primary · Years 1–8
  • AuthorityState : Integrated
  • GenderCo-Educational
  • BoardingNo
  • Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
  • Established26 January 1973
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About St Mary's School (Blenheim)

St Mary's School is a Catholic primary school located in Blenheim, known in te reo Māori as Te Kura o Hato Mere. It operates as a faith-based school whose character is shaped by Catholic teaching and a stated commitment to the spiritual, social, emotional, and cultural development of students alongside academic learning.

The school's principal is Bridget Comer. The school describes its community as encompassing partnerships between home, school, and parish.

Three core values, expressed in both English and te reo Māori, underpin the school's culture:

  • Whakaute (Respect) — applied to self, others, and the environment
  • Manawanui (Perseverance) — an emphasis on resilience and commitment when facing challenges
  • Whakamana (Empowerment) — encouraging students to take ownership of their learning and to develop leadership

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

OFFICIAL DATA
440
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
St Mary's School (Blenheim) 440

Student ethnicity

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

  • European — 65 students (36.9%)
  • Asian — 75 students (42.6%)
  • Pacific — 30 students (17%)
  • Māori — 34 students (19.3%)
  • MELAA — 5 students (2.8%)
  • Other — 1 students (0.6%)

Percentages may sum to more than 100% because students can identify with more than one ethnic group.

Location

View larger map on OpenStreetMap
  • Street address3 Stephenson Street
  • CityBlenheim
  • Local authorityMarlborough District

Official contact details

Nearby schools

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

Explore schools in Blenheim

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

Contributing schools (4) Full Primary schools (4) Composite schools (1) All schools in Blenheim →

Enrolment

St Mary's School (Blenheim) accepts enrolment applications by email, post, or in person at the school office. The email address for applications is admin@stmb.school.nz.

The following documents are required as part of the enrolment process:

  • A completed Enrolment Application Form
  • A completed Preference Certificate, signed by the St Mary's Star of the Sea Parish Priest

Attendance dues are paid to the Archdiocese of Wellington; the school submits the relevant paperwork and payments go directly to the Archdiocese.

Frequently asked

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

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

It's a state school in the Marlborough 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.

176 students, according to the September 2026 roll data.

It reflects the estimated socio-economic barriers St Mary's School (Blenheim)'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 Mary's School (Blenheim)'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) St Mary's School (Blenheim)'s official website Current 16 October 2026