Last updated October 2026
St Bernard’s College is a state-integrated, boys’ secondary school for Years 7 to 13 at 183 Waterloo Road, Lower Hutt. It opened in 1946 and had 676 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. Its site describes a Catholic boys’ school whose special character centres on the dignity of each person, with a learning support department that runs ORS and specific learning support programmes for Years 7 to 10 and literacy, numeracy and foundation skills help in the senior school, along with careers advice, a library and a bring-your-own-device programme.
Art, drama, music and sport make up the extra-curricular programme, and international students take a full English as a second language programme.
At a glance
- Principal
- Simon Stack
- Address
- 183 Waterloo Road, Lower Hutt
- Phone
- 04 560 9250
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 676 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.
Stand-downs and suspensions
Cases per 1,000 students in 2025, adjusted for the ages of the school’s students, compared with all New Zealand schools.
Suspensions: fewer than 5 cases in 2025, so no rate is shown.
These measure how a school responds to behaviour, and schools set their own thresholds, so they are not a measure of how students behave.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Evaluation Report from February 2026. ERO found that outcomes are improving and becoming more equitable: in NCEA, a small majority of students gain Level 1, most gain Level 2 and a large majority gain Level 3, while a small majority gain University Entrance, with slight gaps for Māori and Pacific students at Level 2 and for Māori students at Level 3.
By Year 10, a large majority meet the NCEA literacy requirement and a small majority meet numeracy. ERO noted a strong, well-organised pastoral system, effective help for students who need extra support, targeted literacy and numeracy programmes that are lifting progress, and students who feel included and connected to the school’s special character.
Only a small majority of students attend regularly, though this is improving and chronic absence is falling. ERO’s priorities are more consistent teaching in line with the school’s professional learning, formal internal evaluation to guide strategic decisions, and continued work to lift attendance towards the government target.
Read the ERO reports for St Bernard’s College
Enrolling
As a state-integrated Catholic school, St Bernard’s College gives preference of enrolment to families with a connection to the Catholic Church, confirmed by a preference certificate signed by a Catholic priest.
A limited number of non-preference places are available, usually for parents who want a Catholic education for their sons. Attendance dues are compulsory and are set and invoiced by the Archdiocese of Wellington.
The school does not take early enrolments. Enrolment information and the online form become available after the school’s open day, and families upload the preference certificate, the signed attendance dues form and proof of identity. The school publishes its enrolment information on its enrolment page each year.
Schools nearby
In Hutt Central
St Bernard's College is in Hutt Central. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Hutt Central guide →Questions parents ask
Is St Bernard's College 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?
676 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?
444. 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 boys only.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 81.9% 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, 28 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).