Our Special Character

Sacred Heart Girls’ College offers a special education. Schools such as ours were established in New Zealand’s early days to teach the Catholic faith to young people. The Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions wanted to spread Christianity to the Maori people and provide an education in faith for the early settlers. Religious beliefs, practices and values that have been established at home are further developed and reinforced at school. This is most evident when the College joins in celebrating Masses on Sacred Heart Day and at the start and end of the academic year. These joyful occasions are held at St Joseph’s Church in New Plymouth, the church with which the school has strong historic links. Sacred Heart has the right and obligation to maintain its Catholic character and our programmes reflect this. We ask our students to set goals for themselves in study, sport and their personal lives. College guidelines encourage respect for ourselves, for others, and are based on the values that Jesus Christ taught.