Our School Values

St Catherine’s College is a Catholic school. As our school has been founded by the Sisters of Mercy, our educational programme is based on the Mercy Values of Social Justice and Service, Respect, Care for the more Vulnerable, Compassion and Hospitality.

The 3 main goals we will focus on for the year of 2025 are Akoranga (Learning), Whakapono (Faith and Trust), Aroha (Love).

These 3 values will be celebrated across the school in the curriculum as well as in the pastoral care of our students.

If an international student does not wish to attempt the external examinations (National Curriculum Education Achievement), we are organising an international student programme with activities to explore our city and its surroundings at the end of the school year.

Benefits of being a students at St Catherine’s College

St Catherine’s College is a small school (210 students). Each learning class is small and the relationship between the teacher and the students is excellent.

Sisterhood across the college. Due to its small number, all students know each other and groups of friendship occur across multi year groups. There is a lot of encouragement from students.

Friendly staff: all our teachers are caring for their students and are very approachable.

A strong pastoral system that supports each student at school. Each student has 2 whānau teachers (mentor teachers) they see everyday, 1 Dean (maximum 50 students per Dean), a guidance counselor and a nurse.

Two Deputy Principals, one is curriculum focused and the other is pastoral focused. All our international students are closely looked after by our lovely team of teachers.

Strong curriculum: our curriculum is mostly traditional with Math, English, Science, Religious Studies, Physical Education compulsory up to year 11. After year 11, only English and Religious Studies are compulsory.

New buildings with facilities for students such as a kitchen for students only, plenty of room to relax, extraordinary library facility, warm and insulated buildings.

Our school is centrally located (15 min by bus to the CBD of town) and surrounded by a multitude of facilities such as a library, swimming pool, a sports center, gym, supermarkets, etc. Kilbirnie is a very safe suburb of Wellington.