Key facts
- School number4022
- School typeContributing · Years 1–6
- AuthorityState : Integrated
- GenderCo-Educational
- BoardingNo
- Language of instructionEnglish medium / other settings
- Established2 February 1931
About St Theresa's School (Invercargill)
St Theresa's School is a state-integrated Catholic primary school located at 161 King Street, Windsor, Invercargill, catering for students from New Entrants to Year 6. The school has a roll of approximately 300 students.
The school opened on 1 February 1931, founded under the Diocese of Dunedin. It began with two rooms and 43 children. Originally a Year 1–8 school, it was restructured to Year 1–6 in 2005 as part of a review of Invercargill schools.
St Theresa's is a Catholic integrated school whose special character is shaped by the charism of Saint Therese of Lisieux and the Dominican order. Its mission statement, "Doing the Little Things Well", is drawn from the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux. The school's Catholic education is framed around five gospel values: Truth (Pono), Respect (Tapu), Perseverance (Hiringa), Courage (Maia), and Love (Aroha).
The school is supported by the St Theresa's Parish Community, a parent group, and a Board of Trustees. The principal is Julian Ineson.
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 Theresa's School (Invercargill) 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 Theresa's School (Invercargill)'s own roll, so the shape of it is clear at a glance.
- European — 208 students (75.1%)
- Asian — 54 students (19.5%)
- Pacific — 13 students (4.7%)
- Māori — 46 students (16.6%)
- MELAA — 12 students (4.3%)
- Other — 1 students (0.4%)
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.
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Southland Boys' High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1 km
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James Hargest College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.3 km
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Southland Girls' High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 2.1 km
Location
- Street address161 King Street
- CityInvercargill
- Local authorityInvercargill City
Official contact details
- ContactJulian Ineson
- Phone+64 3 217 6502
- Emailadmin@saint-theresas.school.nz
- Websitesaint-theresas.school.nz
Nearby schools
Schools physically closest to St Theresa's School (Invercargill), regardless of year level.
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Windsor North School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 731 m
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Waverley Park School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 997 m
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Southland Boys' High School Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1 km
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Salford School Contributing · Years 1–6 · 1.2 km
-
James Hargest College Secondary · Years 7–15 · 1.3 km
Explore schools in Invercargill
Browse Invercargill schools by type, including primary, intermediate, secondary, composite and other schools.
Enrolment
St Theresa's School has a maximum roll of 300 students. Places are allocated primarily to Preference students — those with a Catholic connection as defined by the Bishop Conference — with up to 15 places (5% of the roll) reserved for Non-Preference students.
Non-Preference priority criteria
Non-Preference places are allocated in the following order of priority:
- Siblings of non-preference students currently enrolled
- Siblings of former non-preference students
- Children of current staff or Board members
- Non-preference students transferring from another integrated school with the same special character
Non-preference applicants who cannot be placed immediately may join a waiting list.
Enrolment steps and required documents
To enrol at St Theresa's School, families must complete an online enrolment form, collect an enrolment pack from the school office, and meet with the principal, Julian Ineson. Catholic families are also required to meet with a parish priest.
Documents required at enrolment include:
- Birth certificate
- Completed enrolment form
- Diocese Attendance Dues contract
- Baptism certificate (Catholic students)
- Visa or passport (non-New Zealand citizens)
- Preference or Open Placement Form
Attendance Dues are a compulsory fee, set by the Proprietor up to a maximum approved by the Minister of Education, covering property, insurance, and related costs. All enrolling families are legally required to commit to paying them.
Frequently asked
These aren't generic answers — each one is built directly from St Theresa's School (Invercargill)'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 Theresa's School (Invercargill)'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 Theresa's School (Invercargill)'s official website | Current | 16 October 2026 |