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Woodford House

New Zealand, Havelock North

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees NZ$13,440 - 62,150
Ages 10 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 384
Type Girls School, Girls School (boarding)
Opened 1894
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum NCEA
Taught languages French, Spanish, Telugu
Typical class size 24
Strengths Sport, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Arts and Creative, Lifestyle and Wellbeing
Stages Primary School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction

Woodford House is New Zealand's largest boarding school for girls, located in Havelock North, founded in 1894 with 132 years of history. Led by Principal Mrs Julie Peterson, the school offers education from Intermediate through Senior School following New Zealand's academic framework. The school features the Shine Programme for empowerment, pastoral care, chaplaincy services, a Health Centre, and careers planning. Annual Athletics Day and Swimming Sports provide competitive athletics. An active Old Girls' Association, Parent Association, and Foundation support the school community.

3 Iona Road, Private Bag 1001, Havelock North 4157, New Zealand

The Essentials

Woodford House has 384 pupils, typical class sizes of 24, instruction in English.

Location

Woodford House is located at 3 Iona Road in Havelock North, in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand.

Stages

The school is structured into Intermediate, Junior School, and Senior School.

Type

New Zealand's largest boarding school for girls with Intermediate, Junior, and Senior divisions.

Pupil Nationality Mix

Some girls come from countries around the Pacific and Asia.

Additional learning support

Individual learning needs, including support and extension, are identified early and targeted.

Country affiliation

New Zealand

Religious affiliation

The school features chaplaincy services and a spiritual development component.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements

Full boarding programme with multiple boarding houses, catering services, and a Health Centre on campus.

Uniform Requirement

The school has a formal uniform comprising day and dress options. Intermediate and Junior wear culottes (years 7-8) or skirts (years 9-10) with short-sleeved shirts, jersey, blazer and tie, with a Panama hat in summer and black shoes; Senior students wear a similar set; a dress uniform is worn on Fridays and special occasions; boarders' uniforms are ordered and delivered to their home address; a Physical Education/Sports uniform is also worn.

Food Options

Catering is provided by Hawke's Bay company Orton's to serve nutritious meals for boarders.

House System

Woodford House uses a house system with Tauroa House, Frimley House, Rouncil House and Wallingford House; house affiliation is reflected in certain uniform items such as house polo shirts.

Governance and Ownership

Woodford House is governed by a Board of Proprietors and a Board of Trustees. The Board of Proprietors owns and maintains the land and buildings, preserves the Special Character of the School, and oversees Boarding House operations. The School Board governs the day school and includes parent representatives, Proprietors' representatives, a staff member, a student representative and the Principal.
Fees

Annual tuition at Woodford House ranges from NZD 13,440 to NZD 62,150 for 2026/27.

Application & one‑off fees

- Woodford Alumni Association Lifetime Membership: NZD 500 (one‑off, non‑refundable).
- Foundation Fee: NZD 150 per family per year.
- Insurance (compulsory for international students): typically shown as NZD 650 (365‑day travel & medical policy; price may vary at time of purchase).

Tuition and related fees — Domestic (New Zealand resident) students (Years 7–13)

- Fee structure applies per student and is not differentiated by Year level (Years 7–13 are covered under the same schedule). The school publishes the following component amounts which sum to the annual totals below.

Day girls (per student):
- Attendance Dues (GST inclusive): NZD 2,100 per year.
- Special Character Donation (zero‑rated for GST purposes): NZD 6,356 per year.
- Building Contribution (zero‑rated for GST purposes): NZD 2,097 per year.
- Catering (GST inclusive): NZD 2,887 per year.
- Total (annual, all components combined): NZD 13,440 per year.
- Per‑term equivalent (for budgeting): NZD 3,360 per term (annual ÷ 4). Per‑month equivalent (as billed): NZD 1,344 per month.

Weekly & full boarders (per student):
- Attendance Dues (GST inclusive): NZD 2,100 per year.
- Special Character Donation (zero‑rated for GST purposes): NZD 6,356 per year.
- Building Contribution (zero‑rated for GST purposes): NZD 2,097 per year.
- Boarding Fees (GST inclusive): NZD 19,967 per year.
- Total (annual, all components combined): NZD 30,520 per year.
- Per‑term equivalent (for budgeting): NZD 7,630 per term (annual ÷ 4). Per‑month equivalent (as billed): NZD 3,052 per month.

Tuition and related fees — International students (Years 7–12 entry patterns noted; Years 7–13 fee schedules shown below)

- The international fee schedules are published as annual amounts (NZD) per student and include the items listed below. These annual figures are shown "for one school year" (NZD, including GST where indicated). Fees are not separated by Year level in the published international schedules; the same published annual fees apply across the international day and boarding categories shown.

2026 International boarding students (per student per year):
- Tuition Fee (inclusive of international student levy, ESOL provisions and compulsory textbooks): NZD 28,000 per year.
- Accommodation & Special Character Fee (inclusive of boarding accommodation during term time): NZD 20,500 per year.
- Student Management Fee (annual): NZD 2,600 per year.
- Personal Spending Account (annual and refundable; covers uniform items, internet, printing, camps, music tuition, taxi fares, general outings and activities — does NOT include personal pocket money): NZD 6,500 (refundable).
- Homestay Accommodation (annual and refundable; where homestay is used for holidays/exeats): NZD 3,250 (refundable) where applicable.
- Woodford Alumni Association Lifetime Membership (one‑off, non‑refundable): NZD 500.
- Insurance (365‑day travel & medical policy): NZD 650 (approx.; varies at time of quote).
- Foundation Fee (per family annually): NZD 150.
- Per‑term equivalents (for budgeting) where the item is charged annually: Tuition NZD 7,000 per term; Accommodation NZD 5,125 per term; Student Management NZD 650 per term; Personal Spending Account NZD 1,625 per term. (These per‑term figures are annual ÷ 4 for convenience; the published invoices are annual or monthly as specified by the school.)

2026 International day students (per student per year):
- Tuition Fee (inclusive of international student levy, ESOL provisions and compulsory textbooks): NZD 28,000 per year.
- Special Character & Catering Fee (inclusive of morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea each school day): NZD 9,300 per year.
- Student Management Fee (annual): NZD 2,600 per year.
- Personal Spending Account (annual and refundable; covers uniform items, internet, printing, camps, music tuition, taxi fares, general outings and activities — does NOT include personal pocket money): NZD 6,500 (refundable).
- Woodford Alumni Association Lifetime Membership (one‑off, non‑refundable): NZD 500.
- Insurance (365‑day travel & medical policy): NZD 650 (approx.; varies).
- Foundation Fee (per family annually): NZD 150.
- Per‑term equivalents (for budgeting): Tuition NZD 7,000 per term; Catering NZD 2,325 per term; Student Management NZD 650 per term; Personal Spending Account NZD 1,625 per term.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Fees are invoiced on a monthly basis: the published domestic schedule states that fees "will be charged monthly between January & October." Monthly equivalents are shown in the domestic schedule.
- International schedules are presented as "for one school year" with the schedule effective from 1 January 2026. Annual items such as tuition, accommodation, student management and the personal spending account are shown as yearly amounts.
- The published materials show which items are billed annually and which are refundable (for example, the Personal Spending Account and Homestay Accommodation for international students are shown as refundable).

Other costs and extras

- The Personal Spending Account (international students): NZD 6,500 per year (refundable) and covers uniform items, internet, printing, camps, music tuition, taxi fares, general outings and activities. Personal pocket money is not covered and is managed separately by the family.
- Day‑student catering is a separate component for day students (domestic and international) and is included as a line item in the schedules above.
- Boarding‑house incidental expenses (for example taxis, dry cleaning, airport assistance, extra trips) and some activity fees may be charged separately to a student's account during the year; these are outside the standard tuition/accommodation components and may be debited to the refundable personal spending account or charged on invoices.

Refund information

- Refund requests must be made in writing to the Principal (international students' parents/guardians) stating the reasons for the refund request. Where an international applicant fails to obtain an appropriate student visa, a full refund is made less an administration fee and any third‑party insurance cost. Where a student withdraws before completion, a full or partial refund of unused (pro‑rata) tuition and boarding fees may be available under specified conditions. Refunds after commencement are considered only in exceptional circumstances and require notice; the school's policy lists examples of acceptable exceptional circumstances (for example serious illness with medical evidence). No refund is made if a student is required to leave for disciplinary reasons or breaches the enrolment contract. Any refund is remitted to the parents/guardians or a nominated agent, not directly to the student.
- The published international schedules explicitly mark the Personal Spending Account and Homestay Accommodation fees as refundable where applicable.

Fee payment options (invoicing and where to confirm methods)

- The published schedules state that fees are charged monthly between January and October and present annual figures for international students. The publicly published fee documents do not list a full, detailed public list of accepted payment methods (for example, credit‑card acceptance, online card payments, or specific bank account numbers are not shown in the fee PDFs). Parents will receive invoices and payment instructions from the school at enrolment and via the school's finance/accounting office; the available payment methods and any direct‑debit arrangements are provided on those invoices.

Summary of key annual amounts (NZD)

- Domestic Day student (annual total): NZD 13,440 (monthly NZD 1,344; per term NZD 3,360).
- Domestic Weekly/Full boarder (annual total): NZD 30,520 (monthly NZD 3,052; per term NZD 7,630).
- International Day student (2026 example components): Tuition NZD 28,000; Special Character & Catering NZD 9,300; Student Management NZD 2,600; Personal Spending Account NZD 6,500 (refundable); alumni NZD 500; insurance approx. NZD 650; foundation NZD 150. Per‑term equivalents provided above.
- International Boarding student (2026 example components): Tuition NZD 28,000; Accommodation & Special Character NZD 20,500; Student Management NZD 2,600; Personal Spending Account NZD 6,500 (refundable); Homestay (where applicable) NZD 3,250 (refundable); alumni NZD 500; insurance approx. NZD 650; foundation NZD 150. Per‑term equivalents provided above.

If you require these figures presented in a different currency, broken down by term on official invoice timing, or presented without per‑term conversions, those are derived calculations; the published schedules above show the official annual amounts and the school's stated monthly billing period.
Academics

Woodford House teaches NCEA for students aged 10 to 18.

Curriculum

The school follows the New Zealand national curriculum.

Exam Results

2024 NCEA results show a 100% pass rate across NCEA Levels 2 and 3, with 98% of Year 13 students gaining University Entrance.

Higher Education Progression

2023 Future Pathways destinations include Melbourne (Australia) for Computer Science; Lincoln University for Agriculture and Food Marketing; Victoria University for Psychology; 1 international student with unknown outcome. 2022: 6 of 8 gained University Entrance and 5 of 8 progressed to tertiary study in fields such as commerce and arts. 2021: five of six progressed to tertiary study.

Gifted and Talented

The school offers Gifted and Talented programming with targeted extension and runs a strong NZQA Scholarship programme.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

The Shine Programme focuses on student empowerment. Pastoral care, chaplaincy, and a Health Centre provide comprehensive wellbeing support.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)

Lessons for English Language Learners (ELL) are available. Woodford House will determine the need for ELL lessons in accordance with assessment on arrival.

Mental Wellbeing

Dedicated mental health and wellbeing focus with Health Centre and pastoral care support.

Safeguarding

Woodford House acts as legal guardians in emergencies (in loco parentis) and may place international students with appropriate host families during term breaks. International student procedures include a grievances and complaints process, a code of conduct and travel/visa safeguards to protect student welfare.
Parent Experience

History

Founded in 1894, Woodford House has 132 years of history as New Zealand's largest boarding school for girls. Founders' Weekend celebrations mark the school's heritage.

Community

An active Old Girls' Association, Parent Association, and Foundation support the school and connect current and former students.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

An active Parent Association supports school operations and community engagement.
Facilities

Facilities Overview

The school has a Health Centre, chaplaincy services, boarding facilities, sports facilities, and cultural spaces.

Sports Facilities

Athletics Day and Swimming Sports competitions provide competitive athletics. Comprehensive sports facilities support the programme.

Academic Facilities

Woodford House provides specialist facilities for art, photography, design, food and materials technology. 1920s buildings have modern interiors to support today's learning, complemented by modern learning suites. A Memorial Library supports study and research. Tutorials and Schoology provide ongoing access to learning resources beyond class time. Tikanga Māori and te reo Māori are integrated into the Year 7–10 curriculum and across departments.

Extra Curricular Facilities

Woodford House offers a rich array of co-curricular opportunities across sport and culture. In sport, students can join teams in athletics, cricket, badminton, basketball, equestrian, football, hockey, lifesaving, netball, orienteering, skiing, swimming, tennis, touch and volleyball. The Sports Academy provides leadership development, with mentoring from elite coaches and guest speakers. Culturally, there are choirs (Chapel Choir, Up Close, Cantante Dolce), Kapa Haka, debating, rock bands, dance, and a biennial school production. Music ensembles include orchestra and chamber music, with opportunities for ShowQuest, BandQuest and related events.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual

Woodford House provides extensive academic support beyond the classroom, including tutorials and access to the Schoology online learning system. Personalised learning helps each student achieve her personal best. NCEA results are reported to exceed national averages, and the school maintains a strong scholarship programme. In 2025 Year 13 achieved 100% pass rate for NCEA Level 3, Year 12 achieved 97% for Level 2, and all Year 13 students gained University Entrance.

Arts & Creative

Cultural programmes are offered.

Cultural & Language

Tikanga Māori and te reo Māori are integrated into the Year 7–10 programme and linked across curriculum areas. Kapa Haka is a prominent cultural activity with competitive appearances at Big Sing and Manu Korero. Debating and other cultural performances complement the school's arts and language offerings.

Social & Hobbies

Inter-house activities include swimming and athletics, as well as singing, drama and debating, contributing to a vibrant school life and inter-house competition. The chapel and broader school events foster community and social engagement within Woodford House. Students are encouraged to pursue a range of clubs and performances beyond academic work.

Community & Service

The Woodford House Foundation focuses on funding needs to sustain the school's long-term prosperity and values. The Old Girls' Association connects alumni, supports events and maintains lifelong links with the school community. Events such as Women of Influence Lunch support Hello.Friend, a student-led initiative addressing period poverty.

Leadership & Professional

Leadership development and careers planning are available.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing

Athletics and swimming are offered.
Languages

Language Provision

Tikanga Māori and te reo Māori are integrated into the Year 7 to 10 programme and other curriculum areas as appropriate. All departments make relevant curriculum and mana whenua links in EOTC and curriculum subjects. The school maintains, monitors and celebrates achievement of Māori students across all four cornerstones, and equips Māori students to set academic goals of personal excellence.
Admissions

Admissions

Pre-enrolment is available through an online form. International enrolments are supported. Open Day is held annually.

Scholarships

Scholarship programmes are available for qualifying students.

Waitlist

Woodford House has wait lists for enrolment due to high demand. Families are encouraged to place their daughter's name on the wait list from an early age. You can enrol your daughter at any time from birth, and completing a pre-enrolment form early is advised. An enrolment application does not guarantee placement.
School Events
The school has not added events