Geraldine High School (Māori: ''Te Kura Tuarua o Raukapuka'') is a co-educational state secondary school located in Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand. The school serves students from Years 7 to 13 and from both the town of Geraldine and the surrounding rural communities.

History

From the passage of the Education Act of 1877 to 1901, local residents of Geraldine worked to gain approval for establishment of a district high school in Geraldine, raising the status of the Geraldine Primary School. The origins of Geraldine High School trace back to January 1902 with the establishment of the Geraldine District High School. At that time, 27 students were enrolled in the high school. In 1906 the school building was destroyed by fire, and for seventeen months, the seniors met in the town's Volunteer Hall and juniors met in the

Oddfellows Odd Fellows (or Oddfellows when referencing the Grand United Order of Oddfellows or some British-based fraternities; also Odd Fellowship or Oddfellowship) is an international fraternity consisting of lodges first documented in 1730 in London. ...

Hall. Unfortunately, the low numbers resulted in the closure of the high school in 1909. In 1915, it was reopened in the Oddfellows Hall, with twenty students attending. In 1963, the institution was restructured and officially became Geraldine High School, expanding its facilities and curriculum to accommodate a growing student population.

Campus

Situated at 93 McKenzie Street, the school has undergone significant developments over the years. A notable recent project includes the construction of a new gymnasium, completed in early 2025, funded by the Ministry of Education.

Academic programmes

Geraldine High School offers a comprehensive curriculum aligned with the New Zealand National Curriculum. The 2023 report of the Education Review Office listed strengths as: Students work towards the

National Certificate of Educational Achievement The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the official secondary-school qualification in New Zealand. Phased in between 2002 and 2004, it replaced three older secondary-school qualifications. The New Zealand Qualifications A ...

(NCEA) across various subjects. In addition to traditional academic courses, the school provides vocational programmes, including a Building Academy introduced in 2025.

Leadership

As of 2025, the principal of Geraldine High School is Marcus Cooper.

Notable alumni

* Mark Inglis – Mountaineer and motivational speaker; the first double amputee to summit Mount Everest. * John Badcock – New Zealand artist known for his portraiture and expressionist style. *

Jordan Luck Jordan William Hunter Luck (born 15 October 1961) is the former lead singer and songwriter of the New Zealand rock band the Exponents. He was born in Vanderhoof in the province of British Columbia, Canada. His family moved to Tokarahi (near ...

– Musician and frontman of the rock band The Exponents. *

Gus Spillane Augustine Patrick Spillane (10 May 1888 – 16 September 1974) was a New Zealand rugby union player. Gus Spillane came from a Temuka rugby family of Irish descent and one steeped in rugby. Three of his brothers also represented South Canterbury ...

– Former All Black rugby player. * Peter Williams – Broadcaster and journalist. * Dave Bishop – Rugby union referee. * Peter Henry – Olympic bobsledder.

References

External links

Geraldine High School

South Canterbury — Geraldine High School
* {{coord, -44.0918, 171.2486, type:edu_region:NZ, display=title Timaru District Secondary schools in the Canterbury Region