Bayfield High School, Dunedin

Secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand

Bayfield High School

Location

2 Shore Street

Dunedin

New Zealand

Coordinates| 45°53′44″S 170°31′23″E﻿ / ﻿45.895653°S 170.523021°E﻿ / -45.895653; 170.523021
Information
Type| Secondary
Motto| Latin: Quaerere Verum
(Seek the Truth)
Established| 1961
Ministry of Education Institution no.| 382
Chairperson| Stephanie Woodley
Principal| Mark Jones[1]
School roll| 580[2] (March 2025)
Socio-economic decile| 7O[3]
Newspaper| The Bayleaf
Website| www.bayfield-high.school.nz

Bayfield High School is a co-educational high school in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was established in 1961[4] and is located on the corner of Musselburgh Rise and Shore Street, adjacent to the Otago Harbour.[5][6] The school currently has approximately 600 students.[6]

## History

[edit]

Bayfield High School was founded in 1961.[4] The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2011.[4]

On 14 November 2023, Bayfield attracted significant domestic media attention following an email threat. In response, the school was placed on lockdown for two hours while members of the New Zealand Police's Armed Offenders Squad searched the school grounds.[7][8][9] Police subsequently spoke to a youth who was identified as a "person of interest" and the source of the threat which sparked the lockdown.[10]

On 24 September 2024, the school was evacuated after receiving another email threat. Police subsequently arrested and charged a 16 year old youth with threatening to kill.[11][12]

## Enrolment

[edit]

As of March 2025, Bayfield High School has roll of 580 students, of which 104 (17.9%) identify as Māori.[2]

As of 2025, Bayfield High School has an Equity Index of 462,[13] placing it amongst schools whose students have average socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 5 and 6 under the former socio-economic decile system).[14]

## Facilities

[edit]

The former Archway at main entrance

Like most New Zealand state secondary schools built in the 1960s, Bayfield High School was originally built to the Nelson Two-Storey plan. The Nelson Two-Storey is distinguished by its two-storey H-shaped classroom blocks, with stairwells at each end of the block and a large ground floor toilet and cloak area on one side.[15] Bayfield has two of these blocks, known as B block and C block.

An archway entrance and administration block were built in the 1990s and demolished in 2015.[16] Stage one of a new gymnasium was opened on 22 August 2008, after teachers approached the Ministry of Education in 2007 requesting an upgrade to undersized facilities.[17]

## Curriculum and culture

[edit]

The school is well known throughout the local community for having a strong music department. Students perform regularly in the wider community and in 2006 the school Orchestra, Jazz Band and Madrigal Choir flew to Sydney, Australia to play in the Sydney Opera House with a company called United World Concert Tours. The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony and the Honolulu Community Concert Band, from Hawaii, also performed. Another tour to Melbourne, Australia took place in June 2010 for 30 students and their supporters.[citation needed]

Bayfield High School has an ESOL department for overseas fee paying students. In 2010 there were 40 overseas students enrolled from Japan, China, Brazil, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, France and Korea. The overseas students have specialist English Language classes together with regular classes. They also take trips away from school including visits to Fiordland, the Queenstown's ski fields and Aoraki / Mount Cook.[citation needed]

There are five houses with approximately 160 students in each house. The houses are Anderson, Begg, Herron, Ross and Somerville. All houses except Herron are named after the founding fathers of the district; Herron is named after the first principal Jack Herron. Each house has four tutor groups with a tutor teacher and associate teacher. Each house has a dean that looks after the house.[citation needed]

## Notable alumni and staff

[edit]

* David Bain – acquitted of murder after a retrial in 2009[18]
* David Benson-Pope – former cabinet minister, was a teacher at the school.[19]
* Daniel Borgman – director of The Weight of Elephants[20]
* Len Cook – former National Statistician of the United Kingdom[21]
* Anna Grimaldi – para-athlete, Paralympic gold medallist.[22]
* Danyon Loader – Olympic Gold medallist[23]
* Gary Seear – All Black rugby player (1976–79)[24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hudson, Daisy (14 November 2019). "Opportunity too good to miss - new principal". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
2. ^ a b "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
3. ^ "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
4. ^ a b c Scott-Araya, Lynda (10 June 2010). "Three generations of excellence at Bayfield". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
5. ^ "Organisations >> NZQA - Bayfield High School". New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
6. ^ a b "Bayfield High School". Education Review Office. 25 July 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
7. ^ Ruru, Karanama; McNeilly, Hamish (14 November 2023). "Lockdown lifted at Dunedin high school, police presence remains". Stuff. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
8. ^ "Dunedin school lockdown lifted, nothing of concern found". The New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
9. ^ "Lockdown at Dunedin school lifted after email threat". 1News. TVNZ. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
10. ^ Priestley, Laine (16 November 2023). "Youth in frame for Bayfield High school threat". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
11. ^ "Teen charged with threatening to kill after Dunedin's Bayfield High School put into lockdown". The New Zealand Herald. 24 September 2024. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
12. ^ "Teen arrested over Bayfield threat". Otago Daily Times. 24 September 2024. Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
13. ^ "New Zealand Equity Index". New Zealand Ministry of Education.
14. ^ "School Equity Index Bands and Groups". www.educationcounts.govt.nz. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
15. ^ "Catalogue of Standard School Building Types" (PDF). Christchurch: Ministry of Education. August 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
16. ^ Lewis, John (20 January 2015). "Bayfield replacing mouldy buildings". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
17. ^ Lewis, John (23 August 2008). "Bayfield gets to try its new gym". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
18. ^ Sinclair, Kay (29 April 2023). "Witness reports 'strange dynamics' in Bain family". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
19. ^ Fisher, David (26 February 2006). "New questions for Benson-Pope". The New Zealand Herald. NZME. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
20. ^ Gilchrist, Shane (17 August 2013). "Heavy on life". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
21. ^ Scott, Carson (March 2003). "Len Cook in London". New Zealand Statistical Association Newsletter (57). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007.
22. ^ McMurran, Alistair (28 May 2014). "Grimaldi fast out of the blocks". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
23. ^ McLean, Elspeth (12 November 2008). "Secret ingredient of success is help". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
24. ^ Hepburn, Steve (9 February 2018). "Former All Black ahead of his time". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Schools in Otago, New Zealand

State secondary and composite|

* Bayfield High School
* Blue Mountain College
* The Catlins Area School
* Cromwell College
* Dunstan High School
* East Otago High School
* Kaikorai Valley College
* King's High School
* Lawrence Area School
* Logan Park High School
* Maniototo Area School
* Mount Aspiring College
* Otago Boys' High School
* Otago Girls' High School
* Queen's High School
* Roxburgh Area School
* South Otago High School
* Taieri College
* Tokomairiro High School
* Waitaki Boys' High School
* Waitaki Girls' High School
* Wakatipu High School

State-integrated|

* Columba College
* John McGlashan College
* Trinity Catholic College
* St Hilda's Collegiate School
* St Kevin's College

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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