Last updated October 2026
Catholic Cathedral College is a state-integrated, co-educational secondary school for Years 7 to 13 at 62 Ferry Road, Phillipstown, Christchurch. It opened in 1868 and had 597 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 drawn from the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions and the Marist Brothers, with Religious Education for all students, morning prayer, Mass and a retreat. It also lists NCEA, careers education, gifted and talented education, learning support, sport and a programme for international students with ESOL support.
At a glance
- Principal
- Lee-Ann Nanai
- Address
- 62 Ferry Road, Phillipstown, Christchurch
- Phone
- 03 982 1690
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 597 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
2 international students
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 September 2025. ERO found the school had made good progress since its previous review, with a calmer, more inclusive environment and students reporting a strong sense of belonging.
Most students are engaged and progressing well, a large majority of Year 7 to 10 students are at or above the expected curriculum level, most gain NCEA Level 1 in Year 11, almost all gain Levels 2 and 3, and a large majority gain University Entrance. ERO noted that the Catholic special character sits at the heart of how the school runs.
ERO also found that less than half of students attend school regularly, below the Government’s target, although attendance is improving. Its priorities are to keep improving attendance, use data and feedback more consistently to shape teaching, build the skills of middle leaders, refine Year 7 to 10 literacy and numeracy assessment, and speed up progress for students at risk of not achieving.
Read the ERO reports for Catholic Cathedral College
Enrolling
Catholic Cathedral College is a state-integrated Catholic school, so it gives enrolment preference to families with a Catholic connection, with preference decided through the parish priest. Once preference applicants are placed it can offer a limited number of non-preference places, and those families must accept the school’s special character, including Religious Education, liturgies and retreats.
Attendance dues set by the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch apply and are compulsory. Families apply through the school’s online form, and the board sets and advertises the closing date each year.
Schools nearby
In Christchurch Central
Catholic Cathedral College is in Christchurch Central. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Christchurch Central guide →Questions parents ask
Is Catholic Cathedral 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?
597 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?
448. 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.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 88.7% 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, 23 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).