St Teresa’s School

St Teresa’s School, on Puriri Street, is a state-integrated Catholic primary school serving Years 1 to 8, giving Riccarton families a faith-based schooling option within the suburb itself.

What St Teresa’s School offers Riccarton families

The school caters for the whole child through a play-based learning approach set within a multicultural environment, with valued outcomes built around each student’s Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Cultural, Emotional and Social development, known within the school as the SPICES framework. Led by principal Jackie Andrews, the school describes its own motto as centred on little ways of achieving big things, reflecting a philosophy that values steady, everyday growth alongside academic achievement.

With a roll of around 147 students, St Teresa’s gives families a smaller, closer-knit school community than some of the larger contributing primaries in the wider Christchurch area, and its own strategic priorities include raising the standard of religious education delivery and developing the whole child through play-based learning.

Enrolling at St Teresa’s School

The school office is open during term time from 8.30am to 3.30pm, and families interested in enrolling are encouraged to contact the office directly to discuss current zoning and enrolment requirements, especially given the school’s state-integrated status and its own connection to the local Catholic community.

Given its position on Puriri Street, within Riccarton itself, families can reach the school easily from most of the surrounding suburb without a significant commute.

For more on education options across Riccarton, see our Education, Arts & Tutoring page, and our Riccarton suburb page for the fuller local picture. You can also visit the St Teresa’s School website directly for current enrolment information.

Families specifically seeking a Catholic education for their children, alongside a smaller school community than some of the larger contributing primaries nearby, may find St Teresa’s a good fit within Riccarton itself.

Given the school’s own multicultural environment, families from a range of backgrounds are welcomed, reflecting Riccarton’s own diverse population more broadly.

Families are encouraged to arrange a visit during term time to see the school’s own play-based approach in action before enrolling.

Given the school’s own connection to the local Catholic parish, families already involved in the wider church community may find enrolment a natural extension of their existing local ties.