St Thomas of Canterbury College
69 Middlepark Road, Sockburn · Canterbury
Composite score
Strong
Top 25% in NZ
Rank #374 of scored NZ schools
In summary
St Thomas of Canterbury College's 2023 ERO review found Māori achievement at Level 3 NCEA above 90% in 2022, with the school focused on sustaining these results. The school uses comprehensive student data to identify and respond to individual learning needs, supported by an experienced leadership team and a culture focused on excellence. Strengths include personalised professional learning for teachers and an innovative curriculum informed by student and whānau voice.
Best suited for
Students aged 13-18 in Sockburn looking for a state-funded setting with a strong recent ERO trajectory.
Is St Thomas of Canterbury College a good school?
St Thomas of Canterbury College scores 80/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
Strengths from the latest ERO report
- comprehensive use of student pastoral and achievement data to identify and respond to students' individual learning needs
- individualised professional learning for teachers on cultural responsiveness, hauora/wellbeing, and teaching strategies
- an innovative curriculum which is informed by student and whānau voice, education research and future pathways for work or further education
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.
L1 96% · L2 91% · UE 78% · top quartile of band (n=81) · why? ▼ hide
Uni 31% · Te Pūkenga 10% · Industry 17% · top quartile of band (n=77) · why? ▼ hide
92% to Y13 · top quartile of band (n=84) · why? ▼ hide
standdowns 0.9/1k · suspensions 0.0/1k · exclusions 0.0/1k · above band median (n=518) · why? ▼ hide
+6.4% roll over 5yr (2020→2025) · above band median (n=515) · why? ▼ hide
82/100 from ERO review 2023-04 · above band median (n=520) · 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): 82/100.
Latest ERO review
2023-04-28 · Shelley Booysen, ERO
- Māori achievement at Level 3 NCEA is above 90% in 2022 data; school now focused on sustaining and embedding these results
- School uses comprehensive student pastoral and achievement data to identify and respond to individual learning needs
- Experienced senior leadership team ensures positive school culture with focus on excellence schoolwide
- Strategic priorities include accelerating literacy and numeracy for years 7-10 and sustaining Māori senior school achievement
- Partnerships with whānau Māori through Kōmiti and Ngāi Tahu inform an authentically localised curriculum
"The school's 2022 NCEA data analysis shows Māori at Level 3 are achieving above 90%. The school is now focused on sustaining and embedding these results to ensure the curriculum and strategies used for acceleration remain responsive."
Composite score across reviews
3 ERO reviews on file, 2012–2023. Click a point to read that review.
Audited financials
Year ended 2024 · Audit opinion: unmodified
Total revenue
$9.54M
Surplus / (deficit)
$79k
Net assets / equity
$0.59M
NCEA achievement
School leavers with NCEA at each level. National average is ~85% (Level 1).
NCEA Level 1 · 2024
95.9%
116 of 121 leavers
+1.7pt vs prior year
NCEA Level 2 · 2024
90.9%
110 of 121 leavers
+3.4pt vs prior year
University Entrance · 2024
77.7%
94 of 121 leavers
+8.5pt vs prior year
Data: Ministry of Education / Education Counts, CC-BY-4.0
Stay-on rate
Percentage of students who stay at school until at least their 17th birthday — the standard NZ proxy for Year-9-to-Year-13 retention.
91.7%
2024 cohort · 121 students
+9.0pt vs 2023
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
0.9
1 this year · NZ avg ~37
Suspensions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~5
Exclusions · 2024
0.0
· NZ avg ~1.5
Vocational Pathway Awards
School leavers achieving Vocational Pathway Awards by industry sector (2024).
- Creative Industries 9
- Manufacturing and Technology 1
- Service Industries 1
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
$5.98M
Per-student funding · 2022
$8,762
2018
$4.9M
2019
$5.1M
2020
$5.7M
2021
$5.6M
2022
$6.0M
Roll by year level
July 2025 roll return.
- Year 08 58
- Year 09 138
- Year 10 147
- Year 11 131
- Year 12 121
- Year 13+ 108
Roll by ethnicity
Share of total roll. Students who identify with multiple ethnicities are counted once.
- European/Pākehā 67.6%
- Pacific 20.5%
- Māori 20.1%
- Asian 13.0%
- Other / MELAA 2.9%
- International 1.9%
Location
69 Middlepark Road, Sockburn. Nearby schools marked in grey.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap, © CARTO
Schools nearby
Within 15km, sorted by distance. Add any to compare with St Thomas of Canterbury College.
Our Lady of Victories
Full Primary · 0.4km · 270 roll
85
+5 vs this
Te Kāpehu Riccarton School
Full Primary · 0.6km · 379 roll
64
-16 vs this
Riccarton High School
Secondary (Year 9-15) · 0.9km · 1,103 roll
66
-14 vs this
Villa Maria College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · 1.1km · 817 roll
86
+6 vs this
Avonhead School - Rakipaoa
Full Primary · 1.1km · 630 roll
79
-1 vs this
Middleton Grange School
Composite · 1.7km · 1,365 roll
79
-1 vs this
Frequently asked
Is St Thomas of Canterbury College a good school?
St Thomas of Canterbury College scores 80/100 on the SchoolsNearMe composite — a weighted average of 5 axes (academic, outcomes, retention, wellbeing, trajectory). Top 25% in NZ nationally. The full breakdown is below; every input links to its source.
What does the latest ERO review say?
ERO's 2023-04 review identified 5 key findings. Māori achievement at Level 3 NCEA is above 90% in 2022 data; school now focused on sustaining and embedding these results
How do I enrol my child at St Thomas of Canterbury College?
Contact the school directly on 03-3487010, email staff@stc.school.nz, or visit www.stc.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 Thomas of Canterbury College is a state school. There is no tuition fee for domestic students; voluntary donations may be requested.
What is the roll size?
St Thomas of Canterbury College has 683 students, with an EQI of 430 (mid-range socio-economic context). It is a boys school-only school.
When was the school last reviewed by ERO?
The Education Review Office last reviewed St Thomas of Canterbury College in 2023-04, signed by Shelley Booysen. 5 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
- stc.school.nz
- schoolsdata.co.nz
- crimestats.co.nz