Last updated October 2026
Craighead Diocesan School is a state-integrated, girls’ secondary school for Years 7 to 13 at 1 Wrights Avenue, West End, Timaru. It opened in 1911 and had 410 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes 34 suburbs, among them Southburn, Levels Valley, Kerrytown, Hadlow, Seadown and Claremont; the zone map below shows the full boundary.
The school describes its special character as grounded in Anglican Christian values, with weekly junior and senior chapel services that include a reflection from the chaplain, and religious education that moves from the foundations of Christian faith in the junior years to ethics, philosophy and religion for seniors. It is organised into Junior, Middle and Senior schools, has a boarding house on campus with a junior wing and a senior wing, takes international students with dedicated ESOL classes, and lists sport, music, drama, outdoor education, service groups and cultural activities among its co-curricular options.
At a glance
- Principal
- Lara Hearn-Rollo
- Address
- 1 Wrights Avenue, West End, Timaru
- Phone
- 03 688 6074
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Taiko, Levels, Highfield Timaru, Southburn near Timaru, Levels Valley, Kerrytown, Timaru Central, Salisbury, Fairview, Adair, Watlington Timaru, Gleniti Timaru, Marchwiel Timaru, Glenwood, Oceanview, Temuka, Pleasant Point, Seaview Timaru, Hadlow, Claremont, Sutherlands, Milford, West End, Pareora, Washdyke Timaru, Seadown, Maori Hill, Redruth Timaru, Normanby, Saint Andrews near Timaru, Waimataitai Timaru, Kensington Timaru, Parkside Timaru and Smithfield.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 410 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
7 international students
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a Te Ara Huarau School Profile Report from August 2023.
ERO and the school chose to look at how well the junior curriculum and teaching help students in Years 7 to 9 make progress in literacy, because the school’s own data showed some girls start below the expected level in reading.
ERO said the school can build on leadership and resourcing in curriculum and learning support aimed at better teaching, improved ways of finding out what each student needs in literacy from sound assessment, and a caring, respectful culture between teachers, students and families.
Looking ahead, the school plans to bed in its systems for gathering good information about students’ literacy needs, help teachers use proven literacy approaches in every subject and for a wide range of learners, and shape a curriculum that gives all students enough chances to practise and grow their literacy skills.
Read the ERO reports for Craighead Diocesan School
Enrolling
As a state-integrated school, Craighead processes applications by first establishing preference and then applying the priorities in its enrolment scheme, and it welcomes families from all religious backgrounds. Applications are made online.
The main day-student intakes are at Year 7 and Year 9, boarders are placed from a separate priority list, and places at other year levels are mostly considered late in the year once roll numbers are known.
The school publishes its application deadlines and offer dates on its enrolment page each year. Families who accept a place usually have an informal meeting with school leaders or deans, and boarding families meet the principal.
Schools nearby
In Highfield Timaru
Craighead Diocesan School is in Highfield Timaru. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Highfield Timaru guide →Questions parents ask
Is Craighead Diocesan School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Taiko, Levels, Highfield Timaru, Southburn near Timaru, Levels Valley, Kerrytown, Timaru Central, Salisbury, Fairview, Adair, Watlington Timaru, Gleniti Timaru, Marchwiel Timaru, Glenwood, Oceanview, Temuka, Pleasant Point, Seaview Timaru, Hadlow, Claremont, Sutherlands, Milford, West End, Pareora, Washdyke Timaru, Seadown, Maori Hill, Redruth Timaru, Normanby, Saint Andrews near Timaru, Waimataitai Timaru, Kensington Timaru, Parkside Timaru and Smithfield.
What years does it teach?
Years 7 to 13.
How many students go there?
410 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
It may. It is not in the donation scheme, so it can ask families for donations.
What is its Equity Index?
409. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Is it a single-sex school?
Yes. It takes girls only.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 100% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 22 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0). Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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