Last updated October 2026
Sacred Heart School is a state-integrated, co-educational primary school for Years 1 to 6 at 435 North Road, Waikiwi, Invercargill. It opened in 1962 and had 87 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. Its website describes a Catholic education built around the Education in Faith programme, with daily prayer, class and school Masses and a sacramental programme.
Students can play seasonal sports such as netball, hockey, touch, cricket, basketball and table tennis, and take part in cross country and athletics, and the school supplies iPads so children do not need to bring their own device.
At a glance
- Principal
- Catherine Colvin
- Address
- 435 North Road, Waikiwi, Invercargill
- Phone
- 03 215 7317
Home zone
No home zone: any student can apply to enrol. If more students apply than there are places, the school decides how places are offered.
Who goes here
Share of the 87 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Report from July 2026. ERO gave its highest rating to engagement and belonging, finding that children feel cared for and backed by a school culture that puts wellbeing and inclusion first. It judged leadership, teaching, the curriculum, support for students with additional needs, governance and attendance as doing well, with a large majority of students attending regularly and attendance improving.
ERO also raised concerns: fewer than half of students reach the expected level for their year in reading and in writing, and only a small majority do so in maths, although there are early signs of improvement.
Chronic absence is not yet falling, and ERO rated equity as improvement required because results are not even across groups, with boys behind girls in writing and girls behind boys in maths.
ERO’s next steps are for leaders and teachers to strengthen assessment, using it to set targets for every student, track progress over time and target support to speed up progress for all groups, to refine teaching so that good-quality practice is consistent across the school, and to lift regular attendance.
Read the ERO reports for Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi)
Enrolling
Sacred Heart School is a state-integrated Catholic school with no home zone. Its website says Catholic families, and families preparing to become Catholic, are given preference, and that a small number of places can go to non-Catholic families who share the school’s values when there is room. Compulsory attendance dues apply and go to the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin towards land and building costs.
The school takes enrolments at any time of the year and asks families to get in touch to arrange a visit.
Schools nearby
Where students go next
Based on home zones around the school’s own address. Families can apply to any school, and your own address decides which zones you are in.
In Waikiwi
Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi) is in Waikiwi. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Waikiwi guide →Questions parents ask
Is Sacred Heart School (Waikiwi) zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 6.
How many students go there?
87 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
No. It is in the donation scheme, so it only asks for donations for school camps.
What is its Equity Index?
430. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 22 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).