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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Diocesan School For Girls, Auckland
Diocesan School for Girls (Dio) is a private girls' school in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand. It is consistently a top-achieving school nationally. The school is Anglican-based and was established in 1903. It caters to international students and has accommodation for 50 boarders at Innes House. The school elected to offer students the option of International Baccalaureate diplomas, as an alternative to the national NCEA qualification, from 2008.

History

Bishop Moore Richard Neligan first proposed the Diocesan School for Girls in October 1903. A subcommittee of the synod purchased land in November 1903, and the first class began on 27 May 1904 with twenty-five students and Mary Etheldred Pulling as headmistress. Neligan formally dedicated the school on 14 June 1904, and the school celebrates its birthday on this date. The founders were Auckland businessperson Stephen Cochrane, Dr Ernest Roberton, Lord Ranfurly, Edwin Mitchelson, Bishop Williams of Waiapu and Bishop Neligan
The former Goodall Construction company constructed many of the buildings.

Enrolment

As a private school, Diocesan School receives little funding from the government and charges parents of students tuition fees to cover costs. As of 2022, the school tuition fees for domestic students (i.e. New Zealand citizens and residents) are approximately $24,785 for day students in Years 1 to 6 and $21,000 for day students in Years 7 to 13. Boarders pay an extra $17,595 per year.

At the school's May 2021 Education Review Office (ERO) review, Diocesan School had 1,659 students, including 35 international students. Around 59 percent of students at the school identified as New Zealand European (Pākehā), 31 percent as Asian, 0.5 percent as Māori, and 0.2 percent as Pacific Islanders.

Technology

The school opened a $4 million science block in 1999. During that year a pilot system to supply all students with notebooks was run with two year-8 classes. By November 1999 the school had three IT staff, supporting 469 PCs (150 of which were notebooks), 110 printers, and 6 file servers. The school introduced electronic whiteboards in 2005 that allow students to download classnotes directly to their notebooks. In 2006, it ranked as the 96th largest IT organisation in New Zealand, with a staff of eight supporting 300 PCs and 1,170 notebooks. in 2012 the school officially opened a new water-based sports turf and underground car park. The sports turf is identical in likeness to the one in London built for the 2012 London olympics.

Headmistresses and principals

Since the school was established, there have been 11 headmistresses or principals.

Name Portrait Term
1 Mary Pulling 1904–1926
2 Ethel Sandford 1927–1932
3 Eliza Edwards 1933–1950
4 Dorothy Shrewsbury 1951–1965
5 Elizabeth Roberton 1966–1972
6 Jean Crosher 1973
7 Beverley Williamson 1974
8 Dawn Jones 1974–1993
9 Gail Thomson 1993–2003
10 Ann Mildenhall 2003–2008
11 Heather McRae 2009–present

Notable alumnae