St Joseph's Cathedral School
Contributing · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–6
- Total roll
- 150
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 43 Elm Row, City Rise, Dunedin
- Territorial authority
- Dunedin City
- Phone
- 03-477 3416
- office@stjoescath.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
We take pride in our uniform and expect full uniform to be worn correctly at all times.
- 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
- St Joseph’s Cathedral School is a Roman Catholic school and its Special Catholic Character is driven through all areas of school life and is in the forefront of everything we do.
What is on offer beyond the classroom?
The sports, arts, clubs and groups this school names on its own website. Not a complete list of what any school offers, and not a count — a school that names more here has written more down, which is not the same as doing more.
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.
- On offer
- Maori club
These students lead our Maori club, support school waiata, welcome visitors and assist with cultural events through the year.
- Pasifika Sunrise group
We also have a strong Pasifika Sunrise group run by our parent community who meet each week.
- whole school productions
As a school, we also put on whole school productions, which are performed on stage at Trinity Catholic College Auditorium.
- futsal
The school offers a wide range of sports for children to be involved in such as futsal, touch rugby, netball, miniball and hockey.
- touch rugby
The school offers a wide range of sports for children to be involved in such as futsal, touch rugby, netball, miniball and hockey.
- netball
The school offers a wide range of sports for children to be involved in such as futsal, touch rugby, netball, miniball and hockey.
- miniball
The school offers a wide range of sports for children to be involved in such as futsal, touch rugby, netball, miniball and hockey.
- hockey
The school offers a wide range of sports for children to be involved in such as futsal, touch rugby, netball, miniball and hockey.
- cross country
compete with local schools in our Cluster Days for cross country and athletics
- athletics
compete with local schools in our Cluster Days for cross country and athletics
- Kiwi Sport
We have a Kiwi Sport with the Year 12 students from Trinity Catholic College each year.
- Maori club
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 75
- Māori
- 13
- Pacific
- 11
- Asian
- 66
- MELAA
- 10
- Other
- 1
- 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 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 26 |
| Year 02 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 19 |
| Year 03 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 32 |
| Year 04 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 23 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 25 |
| Year 06 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 22 |
| Year 07 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 13 | 16 | 66 | 13 | 3 | 75 | 0 | 153 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 06 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 20 |
| Age 07 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
| Age 08 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 26 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 25 |
| Age 10 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 23 |
| Age 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 13 | 16 | 66 | 13 | 3 | 75 | 0 | 153 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| St Joseph's Cathedral School | 0% |
|---|---|
| Otago Region | 36.8% |
| Contributing | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
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 stand-down rates data (2024)
Age-standardised suspension rate per 1,000 students — 2024
0%
| St Joseph's Cathedral School | 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 Joseph's Cathedral School | 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)
- 401
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Major urban area
- Date opened
- 25 January 1862
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
- 12 February 2026
- Latest report
- School Report
- Report type
- Review report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (30 January 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 30 January 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.
What this report states about the school
As stated in ERO’s report of 12 February 2026 — not necessarily the position now. Each line quotes the sentence it came from.
- Year levels
- Years 1 to 6
provides education for students in Years 1 to 6
- Years 1 to 6
What ERO wrote in its latest report
This is ERO’s report of 12 February 2026 — “School Report” — section by section, under ERO’s own headings, in ERO’s own order. Nothing is summarised, shortened or reordered.
School 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.
Every New Zealand state and state integrated school has an ERO review at least once every four years to evaluate what is working well for learners and what needs to be improved.
About the School
St Joseph’s Cathedral School is a special character Catholic state integrated school, that provides education for students in Years 1 to 6. The school has a roll of 161 students, comprising 41% Pākehā /New Zealand European, 39% Asian, 7% Māori , 6% MELAA (Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African) and 6% Pacific heritage.
The school’s vision is We Care like Christ, and its Gospel values are Respect - Mana , Compassion - Aroha ,Forgiveness - Murunga Hara and Honesty - Ngākaupono.
Education Counts provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement, school enrolments and school zones. educationcounts.govt.nz/home
An explanation of the terms and judgements used in this report can be found here: Reporting | Education Review Office
Improvement and progress
This section is about the progress the school has made since the January 2023 ERO report. It includes an explanation of the expected improvements and findings.
Expected improvements
The school planned to evaluate the ongoing development of the school’s local curriculum design to increase learner agency and improve learning outcomes for all.
Findings
The school made a strategic change from evaluating and developing the local curriculum to prioritising changes to the curriculum and professional learning in literacy and numeracy. Teachers and leaders engaged in professional development and successfully implemented structured literacy and mathematics programmes. The school intentionally continued to develop its Deeper Learning inquiry units so that elements of the local curriculum remain integrated into the wider school programme. Overall, the curriculum supports learning success and achievement while fostering the development and strengthening of students’ learner qualities.
What we know about learner success
This section provides a summary of learner success and wellbeing. The judgments are based on the ERO School Improvement Framework and the evidence provided to ERO during the evaluation.
How well are learners succeeding? Learners experience high levels of success and make excellent progress; outcomes are similarly high for all groups.
What is the quality of teaching and learning? Learners benefit from excellent quality teaching practice that improves progress and achievement in reading, writing and mathematics.
How well does the school curriculum respond to all learners needs? Learners have rich opportunities to learn across the breadth and depth of the curriculum. There is a consistent focus on supporting learners to gain skills in foundational skills in literacy and mathematics. Learners with complex needs are well supported to achieve their education goals.
How well does school planning and conditions support ongoing improvement? School planning and conditions to support high quality education for learners are driving excellent school performance.
How well does the school include all learners and promote their engagement and wellbeing? The school successfully promotes learners’ engagement, wellbeing and inclusion.
How well does the school partner with parents, whānau and its community for the benefit of learners? The school reports usefully and accurately to parents / whānau about their child’s learning, achievement and progress. The school responds well to a wide range of information gathered through community consultation, to inform strategic planning and curriculum decisions.
Student Health and Safety The school board is taking reasonable steps to ensure student health and safety.
Achievement in Years 1 to 6
This section is about learner achievement. It outlines how well learners across the school meet or exceed the expected curriculum level of The New Zealand Curriculum in foundational skills.
Less than a third Less than half Small majority Large majority Most Almost all
0 to 33% 34 to 49% 50 to 64% 65 to 79% 80 to 90% Over 90%
Reading Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Writing Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Mathematics Most learners meet or exceed the expected curriculum level. Results are equitable for all groups of learners.
Attendance
This section is about school attendance and the progress the school is making towards meeting the Government target of 80% regular attendance.
The small majority of students attend school regularly.
The school is approaching the target of 80% regular attendance.
The school has a suitable plan in place to improve attendance.
Regular attendance is not yet improving towards or beyond the target.
Chronic absence is reducing over time.
Assessment
This section is about how the school assesses learner progress and achievement.
The school uses an appropriate approach and reliable practices to find out about achievement against the curriculum.
Assessment information is used well to adjust teaching practices to ensure ongoing improvement in teaching and student progress.
Progress
This section is about how well the school supports all learners to make sufficient progress.
The school has good quality planning to increase the rate of progress for all groups of students.
The school has significantly improved achievement and progress for those learners most at risk of not achieving since the previous review.
The school has to some extent extended achievement and progress for learners working at or above curriculum levels since the previous review.
The school is meeting Government reading, writing and mathematics targets set for 2030.
Next steps for improvement
This section provides more detail for the school to include in its strategic and annual planning for ongoing improvement across the school. It outlines what the school is doing well and identifies actions for improvement.
Areas of strength
A caring, inclusive culture is evident throughout the school, where diverse cultures, languages and identities are highly valued.
Students with diverse learning needs are effectively identified and supported through targeted strategies that promote learning and achievement.
The curriculum is rich and increasingly reflects local contexts, offering a variety of activities that enable learners to see themselves in their learning.
Leadership fosters a strong professional culture focused on the consistent delivery of high-quality teaching and learning, with regular opportunities for collaboration and sharing best practices.
Teaching practices, particularly those aligned with the school’s Learner Qualities, promote learner agency and prepare students for future success.
Structured literacy and mathematics approaches are becoming embedded schoolwide to align with curriculum requirements.
Reflective practices and ongoing review by the school Board, principal and teachers inform continuous improvement and strategic direction, supported by meaningful community partnerships.
Key priorities
Develop and implement clear, visible learning pathways across all year levels to ensure students understand their progression and achievement expectations.
Deepen and sustain connections with the school’s diverse communities to enhance engagement and partnership.
Improve regular student attendance to meet or exceed government targets.
Actions to bring about improvement
Every six months:
leaders engage and collaborate with parents and whānau and the community to sustain active participation and engagement in school decision-making
leaders review and analyse attendance information and adapt plans for ongoing improvement
Annually:
the school Board use learner progress, achievement, wellbeing and engagement information, including feedback from students, teachers and whānau, to strengthen decision-making for continuous improvement
leaders and teachers review the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices and the implementation of updated curriculum and assessment requirements.
Expected outcomes
Students clearly understand their learning pathways and can confidently describe their progress and next steps aligned with curriculum and assessment expectations.
Strong partnerships are evident through increased community participation, shared decision-making and input into curriculum and school priorities.
Improved and sustained rates of regular attendance that meet or exceed government targets.
Regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report is about how the school meets regulatory and legislative requirements
Board assurance with regulatory and legislative requirements
This section of the report reviews the school's policies, procedures, documentation, and checks that it meets all regulations, maintains a safe environment, and supports students' wellbeing.
During this review the Board has attested to meeting regulatory and legislative requirements in the following areas:
Board administration
Yes
Curriculum
Yes
Management of health, safety and welfare
Yes
Personnel management
Yes
The next public report on ERO’s website will be a School Report and is due within four 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
Sharon Kelly Director of Schools
12 February 2026
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).