Sacred Heart School Reefton is a Catholic primary school at 31 Walsh Street in Reefton, a historic gold-mining town in the Buller District on the West Coast of the South Island. A good primary school shows its quality in small things: whether teachers know each child by name, how calmly the classrooms run, how confidently new entrants settle in. Small rural schools often have that in their favour, with low rolls and classes where ages mix naturally. Catholic state-integrated schools in New Zealand teach the national curriculum within a religious special character, and generally give enrolment preference to Catholic families. To judge any school fairly, visit during the school day rather than at an open evening, and ask how reading, maths and new entrants are handled. For families in Reefton and the surrounding Buller hills, it offers a Catholic primary close to home, with the school's website the first stop for enrolment questions.