St Bernadette's School (Forbury)
Contributing · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 181
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 16 Forbury Road, Dunedin
- Territorial authority
- Dunedin City
- Phone
- 03-455 7408
- office@stbernadettes.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Dunedin · schools in Otago
What would the day look like?
The practical things this school states on its own website — the hours, the uniform, the term dates, and how children get there. These are the school’s own words, not the Ministry’s record and not ERO’s.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- Uniform
- Required
Summer / Sports Uniform - Girls and Boys Top $33.00 Shorts $25.00 Hat $10.00
- Required
What does the school say about itself?
Quoted, not summarised. Every school describes itself well, so this is here to be read as the school’s own case rather than as a finding — and a school that states nothing simply has no row.
Quoted from this school’s own website, as we read it on 13 August 2026. A web page carries no date of its own, so that is the day we read it — not a statement that any of this is still the case. Each line quotes the words it came from.
- Special character
- We are a community united and strengthened by our Catholic Faith, who values each person in our community as being born in the image and likeness of God. Jesus is at the heart of our schools and the measure of all we do as people and as educators. The principles of social justice and equity are important to us, as is ensuring pastoral care is given to those in need.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 99
- Māori
- 26
- Pacific
- 38
- Asian
- 51
- MELAA
- 6
- Other
- 0
- International
- 0
Roll by year level and age
Shown as context, not ranked, not compared to any average. As at 30 June 2026, from the same annual return as the roll count above.
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 01 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 42 |
| Year 02 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 26 |
| Year 03 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 34 |
| Year 04 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 27 |
| Year 05 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 06 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 29 |
| Year 07 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 34 | 41 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 105 | 0 | 187 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 42 |
| Age 06 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 25 |
| Age 07 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 34 |
| Age 08 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 27 |
| Age 09 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 10 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 27 |
| Age 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 34 | 41 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 105 | 0 | 187 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
17.9%
| St Bernadette's School (Forbury) | 17.9% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 36.7% |
| Māori | 79.6% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 29.4% |
| Total | 17.9% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| St Bernadette's School (Forbury) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 4.6% |
| Contributing | 3.5% |
| State : Integrated | 1.6% |
| New Zealand | 4.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison suspension rates data (2024)
Age-standardised exclusion rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| St Bernadette's School (Forbury) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 2% |
| Contributing | 1.5% |
| State : Integrated | 0.5% |
| New Zealand | 1.8% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 0% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 0% |
| Total | 0% |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0 — Table 2: Comparison exclusion data (2024)
About the school
- Equity Index (EQI)
- 425
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 31 January 1935
The Equity Index is used by the Ministry to allocate equity funding. It describes the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, not how good the school is. How the Equity Index works
What did ERO find?
The Education Review Office reviews every school and publishes what it finds in full. We quote ERO’s report here, section by section, in ERO’s own words and order, and link to it. We do not summarise a report, pick a line out of one, or turn one into a score. How ERO reviews schools
- Reports ERO holds
- 4
- Last reviewed
- 13 March 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (13 March 2023)
A board assurance statement is the board’s own account of whether it took all reasonable steps to meet its legal obligations, on the date shown. It is not ERO’s finding. ERO reports separately, in the same report, on any non-compliance it identified during that process.
The board assurance report of 13 March 2023 carries no actions-for-compliance section — the section ERO uses when it names non-compliance it identified. That is what this report contains; it is not ERO saying it found none. Other reports ERO holds for this school may say something different.
The roll ERO recorded, and when
ERO writes a roll into each report it publishes: a count taken for that report, on the day shown, by the review team that was there. The Ministry of Education’s current roll for this school is 181 — the figure at the top of this page, and the one to use for how big the school is now. These are a different measurement by a different body, so they will rarely agree, and a difference between them is not a change in the school.
August 2019
184
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 14 October 2019
November 2015
158
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 11 March 2016
We draw no line between these. Each was counted for its own report, years apart, by a different review team, and a roll moves between reviews for reasons none of these figures record — so the difference between any two of them measures nothing.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 13 March 2023 — “Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
Background
This Profile Report was written within 12 months of the Education Review Office and St Bernadette’s School (Forbury) working in Te Ara Huarau , an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
St Bernadette’s (Forbury) is a Catholic state integrated school for students in Year’s 1-6. It is a member of Dunedin Catholic Schools’ Kāhui Ako , which includes all Dunedin Catholic primary schools and Trinity Catholic College.
St Bernadette’s School (Forbury)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
foster a cultural community of learners who progress and achieve their potential through a high quality diverse local curriculum
effectively encourage and facilitate the development of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ across our school community.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on St Bernadette’s School (Forbury)’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate whether their local curriculum reflects the diversity and special character of the community, is engaging for all learners and is designed to ensure students achieve success.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that:
the focus aligns with strategic actions around the curriculum refresh
significant work on culturally responsive practice has been undertaken through participation in the Māori Achievement Collaborative (MaC) and a Pasifika research project and the school recognises there is a need to evaluate the impact on this for learners
the school acknowledges the importance of engaging parents and caregivers more effectively in their child’s learning through effective consultation and communication
achievement data shows that writing is consistently an area where achievement and engagement are lower than other core curriculum areas
the school recognises the need for the development of a more systematic approach to the teaching of aspects of literacy.
The school expects to see ākonga , staff and whānau engaging together to collectively enhance practice and achievement. The local curriculum will reflect the diversity and aspirations of the community with a focus on equity and excellence for all. Achievement and attitude to writing will improve across the school and this improvement will be consistent and sustained.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to have a local curriculum that reflects the diversity of the community, is engaging for all learners and is designed to ensure students achieve success:
students’ culture, knowledge, strengths, and interests are respected, known and valued
whānau and community involvement in incorporating the school values at school and at home
pastoral care systems, underpinned by Gospel values, that support well-being for all
a strong, collaborative and committed leadership
a staff commitment to on-going professional learning and the use of growth, team, and future focused coaching as a driver for school improvement.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
implementing a school-wide structured literacy programme so there will be consistency of practice throughout the school
undertaking an extensive consultation process and working alongside PLD providers to design an engaging local curriculum that reflects the diverse community
continuing to embed culturally responsive pedagogies across the school
continuing to grow the coaching culture across the school.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Kathy Lye Acting Director Review and Improvement Services (Southern) Southern Region | Te Tai Tini
13 March 2023
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
Read the full report on ero.govt.nz →
All 4 reports ERO holds for this school
ERO reviews a school every few years — around four years between reviews is the usual cycle — so an older date here reflects where a school sits in that cycle, not how it is doing.
Source: Education Review Office, CC BY 4.0.
Roll date: 30 June 2026 (2026).