Last updated October 2026
St Michael’s Catholic School is a state-integrated, co-educational primary school for Years 1 to 6 at Lisa Crescent, Western Heights, Rotorua. It opened in 1958 and had 110 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
It has no home zone, so any student can apply. Its site describes a Catholic special character linked to St Michael’s Parish, with religious education taught through Tō Tātou Whakapono, the Religious Education Curriculum for Catholic schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, and values of Service, Tika, Aroha and Respect. It also lists a kapa haka group, STEM and E-Pro 8 problem-solving, learning support programmes run by extra teacher aides, and after-school team sport in hockey, miniball, football, touch and netball.
At a glance
- Principal
- Rachael McLanachan
- Address
- Lisa Crescent, Western Heights, Rotorua
- Phone
- 07 348 1362
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 110 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 Te Ara Huarau School Profile Report from April 2023. This kind of report sets out what ERO and the school will evaluate together, here how well students are supported spiritually and culturally to succeed, through their Catholic faith, their cultural identity and a curriculum that responds to their cultures.
ERO noted valued ties with kaumātua, whānau, priests and the parish, a school-wide priority on a caring and inclusive environment shaped by the Catholic faith, staff who work together to improve outcomes, and an established professional network that supports teaching.
Next, the school plans to lift equity and excellence for every student through ongoing professional learning in Catholic special character education, culturally responsive teaching, assessment for learning and a structured approach to literacy, while continuing to build partnerships with whānau, the parish and the wider community.
Read the ERO reports for St Michael’s Catholic School (Rotorua)
Enrolling
As a state-integrated Catholic school, St Michael’s gives preference of enrolment to children with a connection to the Catholic faith, decided by the parish priest under criteria set out on its enrolment criteria page, and preference applicants need a preference card from the parish office.
A limited number of non-preference places may be offered once preference enrolments are met, in a priority order that starts with siblings of current non-preference students. Non-preference families accept the school’s Catholic character, and attendance dues set by the Proprietor apply and are paid to the Diocese.
An enrolment pack is available from the school office. Children starting school are encouraged to come to a series of transition sessions with a caregiver beforehand, and children with additional needs can have a transition plan tailored to them.
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 Mangakakahi Rotorua
St Michael's Catholic School (Rotorua) is in Mangakakahi Rotorua. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Questions parents ask
Is St Michael's Catholic School (Rotorua) zoned?
No. It has no home zone, so any student can apply to enrol.
What years does it teach?
Years 1 to 6.
How many students go there?
110 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.
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, 24 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).