St Joseph's School (Nelson)
Full Primary · State : Integrated
- Year levels
- 1–8
- Total roll
- 356
- Enrolment zone
- No
- Gender
- Co-Educational
Where is it, and how do I get in touch?
- Address
- 1/18 Manuka Street, Nelson
- Territorial authority
- Nelson City
- Phone
- 03-5484050
- office@stjon.school.nz
- Directions
- Get directions
Other schools nearby: schools in Nelson
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
GIRLS: Summer – Terms 1 & 4 - Royal blue / White Gingham Dress.
- Required
- Term dates
- Term 1, 2026: Tuesday 3rd Feb – Thursday 2nd Apr
- Term 2, 2026: Monday 20th Apr – Friday 3rd Jul
- Term 3, 2026: Monday 20th Jul – Friday 25th Sep
- Term 4, 2026: Monday 12th Oct – Tuesday 15th Dec
- Term 1, 2027: TBA – Friday 9th Apr
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
- Our Values Are The Gospel Values as lived in the life of Jesus.
- Our Values underlie all that we do.
- Caring For Ourselves
- Caring For Others
- Caring for Our World
- I strive to do my best and be the best I can
- I value everyone
- I will use the world’s resources responsibly
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
- Matariki
Matariki is a wonderful opportunity for staff, students and whānau to come together for a star-spangled evening of kai, waiata, and lantern walks.
- House music
- School band
- House Swimming Competition
- House Cross Country
- Summer Tournament
Summer Tournament / Winter Tournament with Local Intermediate Schools
- Winter Tournament
Summer Tournament / Winter Tournament with Local Intermediate Schools
- cross country
These can include cross country, touch rugby, netball, frisbee
- touch rugby
These can include cross country, touch rugby, netball, frisbee
- netball
These can include cross country, touch rugby, netball, frisbee
- frisbee
These can include cross country, touch rugby, netball, frisbee
- Matariki
Who goes here?
Ethnicity breakdown of the total roll, shown as context. Not ranked, and not compared against any average.
- European
- 255
- Māori
- 33
- Pacific
- 25
- Asian
- 86
- MELAA
- 16
- 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 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 30 |
| Year 02 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 37 |
| Year 03 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 35 |
| Year 04 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 0 | 43 |
| Year 05 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 29 |
| Year 06 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 0 | 60 |
| Year 07 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 48 | 0 | 64 |
| Year 08 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 48 |
| Total | 29 | 24 | 77 | 13 | 5 | 259 | 0 | 346 |
| Māori | Pacific | Asian | MELAA | Other | European/ Pākehā | International students | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age 05 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 06 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 31 |
| Age 07 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 0 | 39 |
| Age 08 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 0 | 42 |
| Age 09 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 30 |
| Age 10 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 0 | 57 |
| Age 11 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 40 | 0 | 55 |
| Age 12 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 43 |
| Age 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 19 |
| Total | 29 | 24 | 77 | 13 | 5 | 259 | 0 | 346 |
Source: Education Counts, Ministry of Education, CC BY 4.0
Student engagement
Age-standardised stand-down rate per 1,000 students — 2024
16.5%
| St Joseph's School (Nelson) | 16.5% |
|---|---|
| Nelson Region | 49.5% |
| Full Primary | 35.6% |
| State : Integrated | 16.2% |
| New Zealand | 37.1% |
Trend and demographic breakdown
| Female | 8.5% |
|---|---|
| Male | 24% |
| Māori | 0% |
| Pacific | 58.5% |
| Asian | 0% |
| Other | 70.5% |
| European/Pākehā | 10.4% |
| Total | 16.5% |
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 School (Nelson) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Nelson Region | 4.9% |
| 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 Joseph's School (Nelson) | 0% |
|---|---|
| Nelson Region | 2.4% |
| 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)
- 401
- Boarding
- No
- Language of instruction
- All students taught in English/other setting
- Urban / rural
- Large urban area
- Date opened
- 16 November 1858
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
- 26 June 2023
- Latest report
- Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
- Report type
- Profile report
- Board assurance
- The board attested to all areas (26 June 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 26 June 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 356 — 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.
November 2018
393
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 8 March 2019
October 2015
343
Counted while ERO’s review team was at the school. Education Review Office, report of 15 December 2015
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 26 June 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 14 months of the Education Review Office and St Joseph’s School (Nelson) 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 Joseph’s School is located in central Nelson and provides a special character Catholic education for learners in Years 1 to 8. The school’s motto is ‘virtue and knowledge’, underpinned by The Gospel values. The school’s vision is that we may have life and have it to the full ( John 10:10 ).
St Joseph’s School (Nelson)’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are a commitment to:
wairua ora – nurturing school-wide spiritual and cultural hauora
ako – maximising learning opportunities and outcomes for all ākonga through high quality teaching and learning
whanaungatanga – strengthening and growing the community.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on St Joseph’s School (Nelson)’s website.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate how the school builds capability in literacy teaching, underpinned by a culturally responsive pedagogy of relationships.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
the school has successfully grown teaching and learning in mathematics, and wants to apply this approach to now grow literacy
an external facilitator is working closely with teachers and teacher aides to grow assessment for learning and high impact teaching strategies
the school is involved in growing cultural capability to support success for Māori and other priority learners.
The school expects to see consistency in teaching pedagogy across Years 1 to 8 for literacy, with enhanced outcomes for learners. Leaders will prioritise enhanced curriculum knowledge and strategies for support. Ākonga will develop confidence and capability, to progressively grow agency across the school. The school will support whānau to purposefully connect to the learning and celebrate their children’s successes, fostering a sense of belonging. The learning experiences will be collaboratively grown and will reflect diverse cultures, supporting equity and excellence.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to enhance literacy teaching and learning:
embedded values that foster pastoral care and relationships of respect, fostering collective wellbeing for the St Joseph’s community
purposeful professional development for staff to grow a culturally responsive pedagogy of relationships that weaves through all learning, and through the school’s culture
strategic leadership, with embedded systems and structures to support capability-building for teachers and teacher aides as a collaborative team
well-considered engagement with whānau Māori, Pacific families and those of English language learners, to share information and aspirations that inform programmes for equity and excellence.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
using an evaluation plan to review and rationalise outcomes of professional development on teaching and learning
updating literacy guiding documents accordingly, to underpin a shared pedagogy for effective curriculum, assessment, planning and teaching practices
determining how to further engage with the school’s communities to specifically enhance literacy outcomes.
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
26 June 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).