Summary of Last Review (2023)

St Joseph’s School Catholic Special Character Evaluation

Key Strengths and Positives

St Joseph’s School in Hastings is a thriving Catholic community where the Catholic Special Character is lived, celebrated, and embedded in every aspect of school life. Leadership is a significant strength, with the Principal and Director of Religious Studies (DRS) authentically modelling their faith and providing strong direction. The DRS, in particular, is respected as a passionate and knowledgeable faith leader who inspires both staff and students.

The prayer life of the school has been intentionally developed, offering tamariki/rangatahi diverse and meaningful opportunities to encounter Christ. Children spoke of how prayer grounds them spiritually, supports emotional wellbeing, and encourages family prayer at home—an indicator of the school’s evangelising influence. The integration of cultural identity and diversity into spiritual practices is exemplary, with students able to express their own backgrounds through prayer and liturgy. The school’s pepehā and the use of Te Reo Māori affirm cultural identity and reinforce its role as a Treaty partner.

There is a strong sense of whanaungatanga, belonging, and respect among staff, students, and whānau. The Gospel values—Aroha, Whakapono, Manawanui, Manaakitanga, and Pono—are actively lived, not just stated. They form the basis for Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) programmes, where students are supported to grow in their faith through lived experiences and reflection.

The RE curriculum is delivered with energy and authenticity. Recent developments include deeper theological formation, improved assessment and reporting, and the rollout of the new RE curriculum, Tō Tātou Whakapono. An induction booklet created by the DRS supports new staff in understanding Catholic identity and curriculum expectations. Student leadership has also flourished, with Year 8 students leading in Special Character roles and all students encouraged to grow as faith leaders.

Community relationships are a standout feature. There is a deep partnership between the school and its three local parishes, with regular and joy-filled liturgical celebrations. The school’s pastoral care ethos—“never see a need without doing something about it”—is deeply ingrained and was especially evident in the community's united response to regional challenges during 2023.

The Board is highly engaged, supporting Catholic formation for staff and committed to understanding their governance role through a Catholic lens. Internal evaluation practices are developing well, and staff-led reflection on the Catholic character continues to grow in robustness and intentionality.​​​ ​​​​​​​

Recommendations and Next Steps

The evaluation team recommends that St Joseph’s School continue to deepen its implementation of the new Religious Education curriculum, Tō Tātou Whakapono, by aligning learning themes across syndicates and ensuring consistent systems and support are in place. A strategic whole-school approach is also needed for delivering relationships and sexuality education, underpinned by Catholic teachings from Years 1–8. The DRS should be included in the school’s Leadership Team with dedicated release time and leadership coaching, to enhance her capacity to lead both the RE programme and Catholic Special Character more broadly. Ongoing analysis and monitoring of staff professional learning and certification will help ensure sustainable formation pathways for all teachers, and certification observations should be scheduled to acknowledge and celebrate growth.

Governance practices should continue to be strengthened by reviewing the Board’s Governance Framework, aligning policy language with NZCEO resources, and adopting the national Catholic Code of Conduct for Board Members. The school’s vision statement should be revisited to ensure it is clearly Christ-centred and reflects the school’s mission. In terms of statutory compliance, the school must address the shortfall in the required number of Cl 47 positions (formerly s464) to meet its integration agreement obligations. Enrolment practices—especially those relating to preference certificates—should continue to be monitored carefully to ensure full compliance.

Overall, the school is well placed to action these recommendations with continued support from the Catholic Education Office. Its commitment to safeguarding and growing its Catholic identity is clear, and its strong foundation of leadership, cultural responsiveness, and community faith life provides a solid base for future development.