On 30 June 2001 the convent building, the chapel and a section of the hostel were destroyed by fire.

The latest addition is the full-sized gymnasium named after Sister Mary Rose Holderness.

As a state-integrated Catholic school in the Palmerston North diocese, Sacred Heart has a preferential enrolment scheme.

In general, preferential enrolment is given to students who are baptised Catholic, or who has a baptised Catholic parent or sibling; a signed letter from the priest of the student's or their parent's parish is required to confirm preferential enrolment.

Land and buildings are instead funded through compulsory "attendance dues" paid by the students' parents.