, type = Private, Girls, Composite (Year 1–13) with boarding facilities , denomination = Anglican , established = 1903; years ago , motto_translation = That we may serve , address = Clyde Street

Epsom Epsom is the principal town of the Borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Saxon landowner. The ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. , coordinates = , principal = Heather McRae , roll = () , decile = 10 , MOE = 67 , homepage
diocesan.school.nz
Diocesan School for Girls (Dio) is a private girls' school in

. 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 The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...

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 Ranfully, Edwin Mitchelson, Bishop Williams of Waiapu and Bishop Neligan
The former Goodall Construction company constructed many of the buildings.

Houses

Diocesan has eight houses, into which the students are grouped. In the senior school (years 7-13), there are “tutor” groups, which consists of one tutor teacher, and the students in a particular house and year. eg. Year 9 Selwyn. Each house is named after someone close to the school.

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 2015, the school tuition fees for domestic students (i.e. New Zealand citizens and residents) are approximately $18,000 for day students in Years 1 to 6 and $21,000 for day students in Years 7 to 13. Boarders pay an extra $15,000 per year. At the school's February 2010

Education Review Office The Education Review Office (ERO) (Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture ...

(ERO) review, Diocesan School had 1479 students, including 16 international students. Around 75 percent of students at the school identified as New Zealand European (Pākehā), six percent as another European ethnicity, eight percent as Chinese, three percent as Indian, four percent as another Asian ethnicity, two percent as

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

, one percent as Pacific Islanders, and one percent as another ethnicity.

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 whiteboard An interactive whiteboard (IWB), also known as interactive board or smart board, is a large interactive display board in the form factor of a whiteboard. It can either be a standalone touchscreen computer used independently to perform tasks a ...

s 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.

Notable alumnae

* Stephanie Bond – netball player *

Margaret Brimble Dame Margaret Anne Brimble (née MacMillan, born 20 August 1961) is a New Zealand chemist. Her research has included investigations of shellfish toxins and means to treat brain injuries. Early life, family, and education Brimble was born in A ...

– chemist *

Alice Bush Alice Mary Bush (née Stanton, 7 August 1914 – 12 February 1974) was a pioneering New Zealand female physician, paediatrician and activist for family planning services and abortion access. Early life and education Bush was born in 1914, the ...

– doctor and paediatrician *

Niki Caro Nikola Jean Caro (born 20 September 1966) is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter. Her 2002 film '' Whale Rider'' was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals. She directed the 2020 live action vers ...

– writer and director of ''Whale Rider'' and ''

Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history. According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...

'' *

Kimberley Crossman Kimberley Frances Crossman (born May 1990) is a New Zealand actress and presenter who is best known for her role as Sophie McKay on the New Zealand soap opera '' Shortland Street''. She is the co-founder of Joyable. In August 2021, it was annou ...

– ''Shortland Street'' television actor *

Sian Elias Dame Sian Seerpoohi Elias (born 13 March 1949) is a New Zealand former Government official, who served as the 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand, and was therefore the most senior member of the country's judiciary. She was the presiding judge o ...

– New Zealand's first female Chief Justice *

Holly Rose Emery Holly Rose Emery (born May 29, 1996) is a model from New Zealand. In 2013, she appeared on the cover of Australia's edition of ''Vogue'', which said she was "one of the most in-demand models in the southern hemisphere". Early life Emery lived in ...

– model *

Charlotte Glennie Charlotte Glennie (born c. 1972) is a New Zealand journalist, who became the first Asia correspondent for Television New Zealand. She reported on the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that followed, and won the Supreme and Best Senior Repor ...

– television journalist *

Katie Glynn Katie Alexandra Glynn (born 14 March 1989) is a New Zealand field hockey player. She has competed for the New Zealand women's national field hockey team, including at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Commonweal ...

– field hockey player, member of Black Sticks Women (2009–) *

Christobelle Grierson-Ryrie Christobelle Grierson-Ryrie, (born 1992) is a New Zealand fashion model who won ''New Zealand's Next Top Model, Cycle 1'' on 5 June 2009. Life Grierson-Ryrie is the daughter of Auckland businesswoman, Josephine Ann Grierson, and Kenyan-born b ...

– winner of the first cycle of ''

New Zealand's Next Top Model ''New Zealand's Next Top Model'' (''NZNTM'') is a New Zealand reality television series in which a number of young women compete for the title of ''New Zealand's Next Top Model'' and the chance to start their career in the modeling industry. The ...

'', attended in 2009 * Ella Gunson – field hockey player, member of Black Sticks Women (2009–) *

Samantha Harrison Samantha (Sam) Harrison (born 29 August 1991) is a New Zealand field hockey player. She has competed for the New Zealand women's national field hockey team (''the Black Sticks Women''), including for the team at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and ...

– field hockey player, member of Black Sticks Women (2009–) (also attended Whangarei Girls' High School) *

Anna Lawrence Anna Josephine Lawrence (born 9 March 1972 in Howick, Auckland) is a former field hockey midfielder from New Zealand, who finished sixth with her national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Lawrence was educated at Diocesan School f ...

– Olympic field hockey midfielder * Jamie McDell – New Zealand singer, before moving on to King's College * Meredith Orr – Olympic field hockey midfielder * Una Platts – art historian *

Allison Roe Allison Pamela Roe (née Deed; born 30 May 1956) is a New Zealand politician and former long-distance athlete. Athletics career Roe was born in Auckland in 1956. In 1981, she won both the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon, becoming ...

MBE – winner of the 1981 New York and Boston Marathons *

Jaime Ridge Jaime Dillon Ridge (born 1993) is a New Zealand fashion blogger and owns the blog Dillon Dot. She has appeared in several Australasian fashion magazines, including Badlands and Denizen. Early life and education Ridge was born in Manly, Australi ...

– Socialite, before moving to King's College for Year 12 * May Smith – painter, engraver, textile designer and textile printer * Peggy Spicer – artist *

Sarah Ulmer Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer (born 14 March 1976) is a former Olympic cyclist. She is the first New Zealander to win an Olympic cycling gold medal, which she won in the 3km individual pursuit at the 2004 Athens Olympics setting a world record. Afte ...

– first New Zealander to win an Olympic cycling gold medal

References

External links

School website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diocesan School For Girls (Auckland) Anglican schools in New Zealand Boarding schools in New Zealand Girls' schools in New Zealand Educational institutions established in 1903 International Baccalaureate schools in New Zealand Primary schools in Auckland Secondary schools in Auckland 1903 establishments in New Zealand Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia