St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)
Full Primary · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 196
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 11 Mersey Street, Island Bay, Wellington
- Territorial authority
- Wellington City
- Phone
- 04-9397370
- office@sfds.school.nz
- Website
- http://www.sfds.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Wellington · 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
In keeping with the tradition of our Catholic school and that of other Catholic schools, it is considered necessary that the children wear a school uniform.
- Required
- Term dates
- Term 1, 2026: Monday 9 February - Thursday 2 April
Term 1 | Monday 9 February | Thursday 2 April
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 2, 2026: Monday 20 April - Friday 3 July
Term 2 | Monday 20 April | Friday 3 July
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 3, 2026: Monday 20 July - Friday 25 September
Term 3 | Monday 20 July | Friday 25 September
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 4, 2026: Monday 12 October - Thursday 17 December
Term 4 | Monday 12 October | Thursday 17 December
Year stated asTerm Dates 2026
- Term 1, 2026: Monday 9 February - Thursday 2 April
- How to enrol
- https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/3006
- Click here to Complete the [online enrolment form](https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/3006)
- https://enrolments.linc-ed.com/apply/NZ/3006
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
- All those at St Francis de Sales School live by the fruits of the Holy Spirit. These are:
- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.
- Special character
- At St Francis de Sales, Catholic beliefs and principles underpin quality education.
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 89
- Māori
- 22
- Pacific
- 19
- Asian
- 72
- MELAA
- 24
- Other
- 3
- 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 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 30 |
| Year 02 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Year 03 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 17 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 28 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 21 |
| Year 06 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 07 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 31 |
| Year 08 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 38 |
| Total | 31 | 21 | 64 | 20 | 4 | 113 | 0 | 211 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 06 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| Age 07 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 22 |
| Age 08 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 29 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 24 |
| Age 10 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 11 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 12 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 37 |
| Age 13 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 31 | 21 | 64 | 20 | 4 | 113 | 0 | 211 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
7.3%
| St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) | 7.3% |
|---|---|
| Wellington Region | 24.7% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 0% |
|---|---|
| Male | 16.5% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 0% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 0% |
| European/Pākehā | 10.8% |
| Total | 7.3% |
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 Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) | 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 Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) | 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)
- 395
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 25 April 1905
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
- 3 July 2024
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (3 July 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 3 July 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 196 — 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.
September 2017
305
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 15 December 2017
August 2014
295
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 9 October 2014
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 3 July 2024 — “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 with the Education Review Office and St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) 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 Francis De Sales School (Is Bay) is an integrated Catholic character school located in the southern Wellington suburb of Island Bay. It caters for students in Years 1 – 8.
St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:
implement, evaluate and further development of the St Francis De Sales localised curriculum to support student engagement, learning and success
experience and learn about te reo me ōna tikanga Māori
strengthen student understanding of and confidence to participate in Masses.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of new reporting processes to strengthen partnerships for learning between board, leaders, teachers, families and students.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is to:
capture student achievement more widely, and to share this in a timely manner
strengthen learning partnerships by supporting families to understand their children’s progress, achievement and next learning steps
enable the board to better inform resourcing and decision-making that supports student achievement.
The school expects to see staff effectively using the school’s new management system to record student achievement, interests and to share successes and actions in real time. It also expects staff to use information to better plan for and implement learning programmes that support improved engagement, achievement and wellbeing of all students.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal for better reporting of student progress and achievement:
a recently reviewed local curriculum that has real purpose and provides clarity around desired student outcomes
strong support for students with additional needs and an inclusive school culture that assists these students to achieve
a caring and nurturing school culture where learners receive ongoing support to achieve, and wellbeing is valued.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise further development of:
timely and informed planning of programmes to support student success, including that of neuro-divergent students, and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics
staff skills to record and share student information to inform planning and to better share progress with whānau
whānau understanding of how their child’s achievement and progress will be more frequently shared and how they can support new learning
the board’s use and understanding of achievement information to support strategic planning, continuous monitoring of success and evaluation of learning support provisions.
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.
Shelley Booysen Director of Schools
3 July 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 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).