Oamaru primary school to move to St Kevin’s College site

The relocation will bring the two schools under one combined board, fostering a shared community, property, curriculum and strategic goals.

The new school will be a modern, warm, bright and functional space with the capacity for up to 300 students, which will be completed in two phases of development. It is hoped that construction will begin at the end of this year.

Architect Desmond Prisk, a St Kevin’s old boy, will be leading the project.

Mr Prisk is currently working on the SKC Stables project, and has also been the project manager for the current upgrade at St Patrick’s Basilica in Oamaru.  

The move to relocate St Joseph’s to the St Kevin’s site is supported by Dunedin Bishop Michael Dooley, both school communities, the Catholic Education Office of Dunedin Diocese and St Patrick’s Parish in Oamaru.

St Kevin’s and St Joseph’s share a Dominican charism.

The presiding member of both boards, Eugen Dupu, sees only positive results from the changes.

“We see the two schools complementing each other. Together, our two institutions will combine their respective strengths — fostering a strong, growing, and connected community that allows every student to thrive,” Mr Dupu said. 

In terms of governance, it makes sense to deploy “stewardship resources efficiently and maximise the benefits for their students and the wider community”, said Mr Dupu, who is New Zealand School Boards Association Otago regional chair.

Mr Dupu said that some schools are struggling to find board members and presiding members.

Both schools are exploring the Cambridge curriculum, and see this as a point of difference which will provide greater choice for whānau. The Cambridge curriculum offers an alternative educational pathway to NCEA and is internationally recognised in more than 169 countries.

The future of the current St Joseph’s site is being explored, with the hope that it will continue to support the school and parish. The Ministry of Education, the school Foundation, and the diocese are collaborating on the project.

FULL STORY

St Joseph’s School to Relocate to St Kevin’s College Site: A New Chapter for Catholic Education in North Otago (St Kevin’s College)