St Francis of Assisi Catholic School
370 Innes Road, Mairehau · Canterbury
Composite score
Strong
Top 10% in NZ
Rank #201 of scored NZ schools
In summary
St Francis of Assisi Catholic School is a full primary school in Mairehau, Christchurch, with a composite score of 78. The school demonstrates strong engagement and wellbeing among learners, who interact positively with each other and staff. Leadership is research-based and data-driven, with strategic focus on curriculum change and explicit teaching practices in reading, writing and maths.
Best suited for
Students aged 5-11 in Mairehau looking for a state-funded setting with a strong recent ERO trajectory.
Is St Francis of Assisi Catholic School a good school?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic School scores 84/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 10% in NZ nationally. ERO trajectory has declined across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- Learners are engaged, express a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, interacting positively with each other and staff
- Learners enjoy a range of learning and leadership opportunities within the school and the wider community
- Capable and effective leadership is research based, and data driven, resulting in strategic goals that are carefully set and closely monitored to assist learner progress and achievement while supporting learner wellbeing
Summary derived from ERO reports + audited financials + MoE records. Every claim links to its source — see data transparency at the bottom of this page.
Score breakdown
6 axes, each scored 0–100 on a national absolute scale. As at 2025.
standdowns 9.8/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · near band median (n=536) · why? ▼ hide
+27.4% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · top 10% of band (n=534) · why? ▼ hide
78/100 from ERO review 2025-03 · below band median (n=539) · why? ▼ hide
⚠ Insufficient EQI-band peers (n<10) to compute per-axis percentile context. The score above is absolute; treat it as a single-school read rather than a peer comparison.
Real ERO composite (from the latest review): 78/100.
Latest ERO review
2025-03-26 · Sharon Kelly, ERO
- Learners are engaged, express a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, interacting positively with each other and staff
- Capable and effective leadership is research based and data driven, resulting in strategic goals that are carefully set and closely monitored
- Board and leaders have strategically allocated resources and time to prepare for curriculum change as early adopters of structured, explicit teaching practices in reading, writing and maths
- Curriculum opportunities for learners are rich and diverse, strongly connected to the special character and cultural narrative of the school
- A large majority of learners in reading meet or exceed the expected curriculum level with results becoming more equitable for all groups
"Learners are engaged, express a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, interacting positively with each other and staff."
Composite score across reviews
2 ERO reviews on file, 2020–2025. Click a point to read that review.
Trajectory across review cycles
Year-over-year change per dimension based on consecutive ERO reviews.
Achievement outcomes declined between the two reports, with the score dropping from 85 to 70. The 2020 report emphasized that 'most students, including Māori, achieved at or above curriculum expectations in reading, writing and mathematics,' while the 2025 report shows a more qualified achievement picture: 'A large majority of learners in reading meet or exceed the expected curriculum level' with results 'becoming more equitable for all groups,' suggesting earlier achievement was not universally equitable and writing/mathematics outcomes are not explicitly highlighted.
2020-02 → 2025-03 diff source
Teaching practice evolved from a learner-centered, engagement-focused approach to one emphasizing structured, explicit instruction alongside engagement. The 2025 report highlights adoption of 'structured, explicit teaching practices in reading, writing and maths' and 'collective efficacy' through collaborative staff work, while the 2020 report prioritized 'active engagement' and localized, culturally responsive curriculum design. The score improved from 80 to 85.
2020-02 → 2025-03 diff source
The school's curriculum approach evolved from child-centred, localised learning with a need to strengthen culturally responsive practices, to a more structured and explicit teaching model in literacy and numeracy while maintaining rich, diverse opportunities connected to the school's special character. The score improved from 80 to 85, reflecting progress in equitable outcomes and the strategic adoption of evidence-based teaching practices.
2020-02 → 2025-03 diff source
St Francis of Assisi showed significant strengthening in its wellbeing dimension between 2020 and 2025. The 2020 report referenced survey data showing students felt welcome and respected, while the 2025 report elevates wellbeing to a central finding, explicitly stating that 'Learners are engaged, express a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, interacting positively with each other and staff' and identifying this as a key strength. The overall ERO score improved from 80 to 85.
2020-02 → 2025-03 diff source
Both reports affirm the school's commitment to equitable outcomes, but the focus has shifted. The 2020 report emphasized the need for culturally responsive practices and te ao Māori integration as an area requiring prominence. By 2025, the school has moved to demonstrating progress, with 'results becoming more equitable for all groups' through structured teaching practices in literacy and numeracy, though specific mention of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori integration is notably absent from the later findings.
2020-02 → 2025-03 diff source
Audited financials
Year ended 2021 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$2.71M
Surplus / (deficit)
+$109k
Net assets / equity
$0.99M
Discipline (age-standardised, per 1,000 students)
Stand-down = sent home temporarily. Suspension = formal investigation. Exclusion = removed from school. National averages shown for comparison.
Stand-downs · 2024
9.8
3 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Government funding
Crown funding only (school operations + teacher salaries + property). Excludes locally-raised funds, international fees and trading income — those are in the audited financial report above.
Total Crown funding · 2022
$2.33M
Per-student funding · 2022
$4,988
2018
$2.1M
2019
$2.0M
2020
$2.1M
2021
$2.0M
2022
$2.3M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 01 55
- Year 02 60
- Year 03 57
- Year 04 43
- Year 05 67
- Year 06 47
- Year 07 67
- Year 08 51
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 69.4%
- Asian 25.5%
- Māori 10.7%
- Pacific 7.9%
- Other / MELAA 5.4%
Location
370 Innes Road, Mairehau. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with St Francis of Assisi Catholic School.
Mairehau Primary School
Full Primary · 0.2km · 363 roll
26
-58 vs this
Mairehau High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 1km · 410 roll
49
-35 vs this
St Albans School
Contributing · 1.1km · 601 roll
75
-9 vs this
St Albans Catholic School (Christchurch)
Contributing · 1.2km · 109 roll
75
-9 vs this
Te Hiwa Shirley Primary School
Contributing · 1.4km · 382 roll
48
-36 vs this
Paparoa Street School
Contributing · 1.6km · 378 roll
52
-32 vs this
Frequently asked
Is St Francis of Assisi Catholic School a good school?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic School scores 84/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 10% in NZ nationally. ERO trajectory has declined across recent review cycles. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2025-03 review identified 6 key findings. Learners are engaged, express a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, interacting positively with each other and staff
How do I enrol my child at St Francis of Assisi Catholic School?
Contact the school directly on 03-595 0730, or visit www.stfrancischch.school.nz. For state schools, check your home address against the school's enrolment zone — some schools are in-zone-only.
What are the fees?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic School is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
St Francis of Assisi Catholic School has 467 students, with an EQI of 408 (lower socio-economic need).
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed St Francis of Assisi Catholic School in 2025-03, signed by Sharon Kelly. 2 ERO reports are on file in our archive.
Data transparency
Every fact on this page links to its source. We never publish a claim without provenance — read our methodology for the full rules.
Sourced from
- ero.govt.nz
- web.archive.org
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz