Last updated October 2026
St Mary’s School is a state-integrated, co-educational full primary school for Years 1 to 8 at 30 London Street, Whanganui. It opened in 1988 and had 248 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. Its site lists technology classes at Cullinane College for Year 7 and 8 students, a learning support space called Te Mahi Ako, and a programme of sport, outdoor pursuits, music and the arts. sKids runs before school care, with children brought over from Carlton School, and after school care on site.
At a glance
- Principal
- Jacqui Luxton
- Address
- 30 London Street, Whanganui
- Phone
- 06-343 1227
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 248 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 Evaluation Report from December 2024. ERO found outcomes for learners improving steadily, with most learners at or above expected levels in maths and reading and a majority in writing. It noted collaborative teaching, effective help for students who need extra support, parish partnerships that strengthen the school’s special character, and a board that plans resourcing well.
ERO also found that results for Māori and Pacific students in writing were not yet equitable, and that while a majority of students attend regularly, the school is not yet meeting the Ministry of Education’s attendance target.
Next, the school plans to make better use of achievement information to tailor teaching, especially for Māori and Pacific students in writing, and to sharpen how it evaluates its main initiatives so it can lift and sustain attendance.
Read the ERO reports for St Mary’s School (Wanganui)
Enrolling
As a state-integrated Catholic school, St Mary’s gives preference to families where the child or a parent is a baptised Catholic, or where a Catholic who is part of the child’s life agrees to sponsor and guide them.
Families of other faiths can apply for a small number of non-preference places, which often have a waiting list. Attendance dues apply, and the agreement is part of the enrolment pack.
Families start with the online enrolment enquiry form on the school’s How to Enrol page, or by visiting the school.
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 Whanganui Central
St Mary's School (Wanganui) is in Whanganui Central. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Whanganui Central guide →Questions parents ask
Is St Mary's School (Wanganui) zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 8.
How many students go there?
248 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?
469. 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, 29 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).