St Brendan's School (Heretaunga)
Full Primary · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 277
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 56 Palmer Crescent, Heretaunga, Upper Hutt
- Territorial authority
- Upper Hutt City
- Phone
- 04-9391909
- office@stbrendans.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Wellington Region
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
Families must ensure uniform guidelines are observed and garments must be clearly named. Staff will make contact with families if the uniform is not being worn appropriately.
- Required
- Getting there
- Ministry of Education school bus service, currently provided by Tranzit, to/from Whiteman's Valley, departing school at 3pm daily from the Sutherland Avenue bus stop
The Ministry of Education school bus service, currently provided by Tranzit, transports students to/from Whiteman’s Valley. The bus departs school at 3pm daily from the Sutherland Avenue bus stop.
- Ministry of Education school bus service, currently provided by Tranzit, to/from Whiteman's Valley, departing school at 3pm daily from the Sutherland Avenue bus stop
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.
- In their words
- You will find St Brendan’s Catholic School challenges students to be the best that they can be, whilst walking hand in hand with Christ.
- G
- Gospel
- Being like Jesus in everything we do
- R
- Respect
- Kind hearts, kind hands, kind voices
- A
- Aspire
- Aim high
- C
- Compassion
- Caring in action
- E
- Explore
- Be courageous, curious, creative
- Special character
- Our school is enriched with a “Special Character” that sets us apart—our commitment to the faith of the Roman Catholic Church. At St Brendan’s, our mission is to nurture the intellectual, physical, and spiritual growth of the children entrusted to us through the love of Jesus Christ.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 140
- Māori
- 21
- Pacific
- 33
- Asian
- 117
- MELAA
- 15
- Other
- 2
- 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 | 1 | 7 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 39 |
| Year 02 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 33 |
| Year 03 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 36 |
| Year 04 | 3 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 41 |
| Year 05 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 36 |
| Year 06 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 32 |
| Year 07 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 0 | 33 |
| Year 08 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 22 |
| Total | 25 | 35 | 98 | 12 | 2 | 158 | 0 | 272 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 36 |
| Age 06 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 36 |
| Age 07 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 37 |
| Age 08 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 36 |
| Age 09 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 38 |
| Age 10 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 35 |
| Age 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 28 |
| Age 12 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 13 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Total | 25 | 35 | 98 | 12 | 2 | 158 | 0 | 272 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
65.7%
| St Brendan's School (Heretaunga) | 65.7% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 24.7% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 115.4% |
| Māori | 72.4% |
| Pacific | 356.7% |
| Asian | 22.3% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 42.7% |
| Total | 65.7% |
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 Brendan's School (Heretaunga) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 2.6% |
| Full Primary | 3.9% |
| 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 Brendan's School (Heretaunga) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 0.9% |
| Full Primary | 1.7% |
| 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)
- 391
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1961
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
- 3
- Last reviewed
- 30 May 2024
- Latest report
- School Evaluation Report
- Report type
- Evaluation report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (30 May 2024)
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 30 May 2024 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 277 — 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.
March 2018
247
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 15 May 2018
This is one count taken for one report. It says what the roll was on that day, and nothing about how the roll has moved.
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 30 May 2024 — “School Evaluation Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School Evaluation Report
Tēnā koutou e mau manawa rahi ki te kaupapa e aro ake nei, ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te kaupapa. Mā wai rā e kawe, mā tātau katoa.
We acknowledge the collective effort, responsibility and commitment by all to ensure that the child remains at the heart of the matter.
Context
St Brendan’s School ( Heretaunga ) is a state-integrated Catholic primary school located in Upper Hutt provides education for students in Years 1 to 8. The school maintains its special character through its values, challenging students to strive for excellence, celebrate success, grow spirituality and become positive contributors to society.
There are two parts to this report.
Part A: An evaluative summary of learner success and school conditions to inform the school board’s future strategic direction, including any education in Rumaki /bilingual settings.
Part B: The improvement actions prioritised for the school’s next evaluation cycle.
Part A: Current State
The following findings are to inform the school’s future priorities for improvement.
Learner Success and Wellbeing
Most learners make sustained progress and achieve at the appropriate curriculum level.
Achievement information from 2021 to 2023 identifies achievement in writing to be a priority area for improvement across the school.
Achieving equity for groups of learners in all curriculum areas, particularly for Māori and Pacific students, remains a priority.
Attendance information from 2023 shows a majority of learners attend school more than 90% of the time; close monitoring and support is provided by leaders and teachers to improve attendance rates of learners.
Conditions to support learner success
Leadership uses multiple sources of evidence well to plan and monitor the strategic goals for improved learner outcomes.
Improvement goals and targets are specifically set to improve and accelerate the progress of learners at risk of not achieving.
Clear expectations for high-quality, inclusive teaching and learning practices are monitored and knowing the impact of these practices on learner's progress and improvement is strengthening.
Professional learning needs of staff are well supported and resourced to improve student attendance and outcomes.
Teachers are establishing responsive teaching and learning practices that are consistent and cohesive across the school.
Staff know learners well and work together to provide purposeful, well-paced learning opportunities for all learners.
Learners are supported to engage, inquire and apply new learning within an inclusive, positive learning environment.
Teachers are strengthening capability in responsive practices to meet the needs of all learners.
The board effectively works with the school community and manages resourcing to provide conditions to realise the improvement priorities and goals related to learning, wellbeing, achievement and progress.
The board actively works with leaders, staff and whānau for strategic direction and is proactive in seeking more engagement from the school community.
Parents and whānau are respected for what they bring to their child’s learning and their views are actively sought to bring about school improvement.
Relationships between staff, learners and whānau , founded on mutual trust, promotes wellbeing and inclusion.
Part B: Where to next?
The agreed next steps for the school are to:
continue to improve the achievement outcomes for all learners, particularly for Māori and Pacific students and for all students in writing
further develop effective teaching practices focused on strengthening learner engagement and achievement in writing
strengthen responsive teaching and learning practices, with a focus on affirming and meeting the diverse learning needs and interests of students.
The agreed actions for the next improvement cycle and timeframes are as follows:
Within six months:
review planning and learning programmes to support and promote improved outcomes for all learners, particularly Māori and Pacific learners
identify and implement actions to purposefully address barriers to learner progress and success in writing
select a framework to evaluate current teacher practice and collect baseline data for improving responsive practice.
Every six months:
review and report on the effectiveness of changes to teaching practice, particularly in writing, through teacher observation, collection of learner voice and learner outcomes to plan future actions
moderate, monitor and report on the progress, attendance and achievement of target learners, with a particular focus on writing progress and achievement.
Annually:
review the achievement information of target learners to identify initiatives that have been most successful in accelerating progress and develop next steps for strategic planning
review, report, and use information about effective teaching of writing, to help set key strategic and annual implementation goals
conduct a wellbeing survey that includes aspects of responsive practices with staff, learners, and families, to assist with evaluating agency, engagement and sense of belonging.
Actions taken against these next steps are expected to result in:
reduced disparity and improved achievement outcomes for all learners
responsive teaching and learning practices schoolwide, resulting in improved achievement outcomes for all learners, particularly in writing
learners who are actively supported to develop a strong sense of identity, culture and belonging, leading to improved agency and engagement in learning.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Me mahi tahi tonu tātau, kia whai oranga a tātau tamariki Let’s continue to work together for the greater good of all children
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
30 May 2024
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 3 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).