Last updated October 2026
Sacred Heart Girls’ College is a state-integrated, girls’ secondary school for Years 7 to 13 at 9 Pukaka Street, Fitzroy, New Plymouth. It opened in 1884 and had 729 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. The college’s website describes a Catholic school in the tradition of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions, with boarders living at Elizabeth House from Monday to Friday. Its site lists a wide range of sports and a performing arts programme.
At a glance
- Principal
- Barbara Costelloe
- Address
- 9 Pukaka Street, Fitzroy, New Plymouth
- Phone
- 06 758 5023
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.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 729 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
1 international student
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 February 2025. ERO found that most students are engaged in their learning, progressing well and achieving well. Almost all students gain NCEA Level 1, most gain Levels 2 and 3 and University Entrance, and a majority earn merit or excellence endorsements.
In Years 7 to 10, a large majority of students are at the expected curriculum level in reading, mathematics and science, and ERO noted that te reo and tikanga Māori are increasingly part of everyday school life.
ERO also found that regular attendance is below Ministry of Education targets, though it has improved, and that a small gap in NCEA Level 2 results for Māori students has yet to be addressed.
The school has reworked its pastoral care, but practice is not yet consistent across the school and there is no process yet to check whether the changes are working. Next steps are to set up that evaluation, including its effect on attendance, build staff skill in using attendance, wellbeing and achievement data, and develop a shared picture of high-quality teaching.
Read the ERO reports for Sacred Heart Girls’ College (N Plymouth)
Enrolling
Sacred Heart is a Catholic state-integrated school, so it gives preference to families of its special character, with a preference form used to confirm this. Preference places are settled first, and non-preference places are offered only if places remain.
When there are more applicants than places in the same priority group, a ballot is held, and places are not given out in the order applications arrive.
Attendance dues apply. They are set on behalf of the Palmerston North Diocese and go towards building projects. The school publishes its application deadlines, preference form and priority procedure on its enrolment page.
Schools nearby
In Strandon New Plymouth
Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth) is in Strandon New Plymouth. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Strandon New Plymouth guide →Questions parents ask
Is Sacred Heart Girls' College (N Plymouth) zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 7 to 13.
How many students go there?
729 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
It may. It is not in the donation scheme, so it can ask families for donations.
What is its Equity Index?
414. 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.
Is it a single-sex school?
Yes. It takes girls only.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 94.8% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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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).