Woodford house

The Woodford House Old Girls’ Association warmly invites Old Girls and guests to attend the presentation of The Tempus Award to Miranda Smith at Woodford House followed by afternoon tea. The event will include an afternoon tea and brief AGM…Read More

The 2019 Secondary School Tournaments took place between September 2-7 at multiple venues around the country. Our hockey, football and netball teams attended and came home with some great results. Our 1st XI Hockey team travelled to Palmerston North for…Read More

Woodford House warmly invites parents, caregivers and students in Years 10-13 to an information seminar with one of New Zealand’s leading financial experts, Hannah McQueen. At this free seminar, you will learn about: The financial challenges facing youth today The…Read More

Woodford House warmly invites special Father / Matua figures to join your daughter/s for ‘breakfast on the go’ and a unique opportunity to hear from visionary entrepreneur and business leader, Rod Drury. WHEN: Friday 16 August, 2019 TIME: 7.30am –…Read More

Winter sport started with a bang this term. It has been great to see many Woodford House students excelling in their chosen sports, here are some highlights from Term 2. Whanganui Collegiate Sports Exchange – Wednesday 8 May We enjoyed…Read More

The Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Hawke’s Bay Hospital plays a vital part in caring for more than 300 babies annually that are born early or unwell at birth. Keeping new born babies warm during the winter months is…Read More

The annual Big Sing competition plays an integral part in the cultural calendar at Woodford House. This year, members of the Chapel Choir and Up Close, along with Directors Ms Cakebread and Ms Mackie, spent many hours rehearsing and honing…Read More

The Woodford House Parents’ Association warmly invites the Hawke’s Bay community to a fun-filled Quiz Night.   Get your friends together for an eventful evening of trivia where the answers are simply black and white – there will be no room…Read More

Kia ora katoa. As the new School Chaplain at Woodford House, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. I started this role at the beginning of Term 2 and I am loving my time so far. I…Read More

You could feel the nerves drift around the bus as we pulled into the Huntley School grounds. We peered out, looking at the rain as it dripped down the windows and listened to the wind howling against the side of…Read More

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is important because our world depends on it. Both the economy and our general wellbeing are backed by science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM careers are also among the most interesting and well-paid in…Read More

Filled with amazing food, fun games, and absolutely stellar performances, the Festival of Cultures 2019 enabled students to share their cultures and where they come from with each other. This is what Festival of Cultures is all about. The festival…Read More

New Zealand Music Month takes place during the month of May where we celebrate music from New Zealand, and the people who make it. Librarian, Karen Carswell, kindly opened her library doors at lunchtime creating a delightful space for Woodford…Read More

During Terms 1 and 2, five chamber music groups comprised of talented Woodford House students were hard at work learning, practising and perfecting their stunning pieces of music to present at the annual New Zealand Chamber Music Contest (NZCT). As…Read More

Showquest is a nationwide competition that aims to combine music, acting, art, and of course, dance. This hotly contested event challenges entrants to weave each aspect together to create a performance piece that is moving, relevant, and poignant. We, Giorgia…Read More

In 1956, my very proper grandmother, Thora Holland, published a sex education book for New Zealand parents entitled A Tale of Discovery: A Christian Approach to Sex for Children. As the wife of the Bishop of Waikato, she had identified…Read More

The New Zealand Boarding Schools Conference (NZBSA) was a stimulating, inspiring and thought-provoking week where educational professionals shared ideas, learned together and established, or built upon, key relationships. We were treated to a high calibre of guest speakers from around…Read More

After one year at Woodford House, gap students Monique Collins and Lea Ormeloh will be travelling back to their respective homes in Canada and Germany at the end of Term 2. Both students have thoroughly enjoyed their time with us…Read More

Woodford House celebrated student achievements across the four cornerstones in assembly on Thursday 27 June 2019 including colours, letters, citizenship and Duke of Edinburgh. Congratulations to all our girls who were nominated or recieved an award, full list below: CULTURAL…Read More

On Friday 10 May, Woodford House Visual Arts students Le Vu, Tracy Zeng and Eva Chang attended a secondary school Student Experience Day. This took place at the Massey University College of Creative Arts campus in Wellington. Ms Morris, their…Read More

“They are us. But with that memory comes a responsibility. A responsibility to be the place that we wish to be. A place that is diverse, that is welcoming, that is kind and compassionate. Those values represent the very best…Read More

In 2019, our teaching and learning structure has moved away from the traditional ‘department’ model to a new faculty structure. The purpose of this new structure is to provide greater opportunities for strategic planning, develop more cohesion between similar learning…Read More

Since 2001, the New Zealand Music Commission’s Musicians Mentoring Programme has connected the country’s top musical artists with emerging young talent in schools throughout New Zealand. More than 150 artists have shared their expertise in song writing, instrumental and vocal…Read More

Five days, four nights, 57 girls and the whole of Tongariro National Park can seem quite daunting to a Year 10 student. This would be our chance to show leadership and step outside of our comfort zones, although it would…Read More

With the 2019 winter sports season almost upon us, Woodford House is proud to announce our coaching appointments for the Senior Premier Netball, 1st XI Hockey and 1st XI Football teams. Senior Premier Netball 2019 Our 2019 Senior Premier team…Read More

House Music is an annual, student-led event at Woodford House offering a unique opportunity for our students to shine in the cultural cornerstone and 2019 did not disappoint! Prefects Sasha Norris, Georgia Thompson, Miriam Stone and Madeleine Thompson led their…Read More

During the summer holidays, Phoebe Burns and I travelled to Geneva, Switzerland, where we took part in a Model United Nations (MUN), which is a student simulation of the proceedings of the United Nations. Participants are assigned a country to…Read More

As the Year 11 girls boarded the bus for camp on the morning of Monday 28 January and excitedly caught up with our friends after being apart for many weeks, you could almost feel the mixture of excitement and curiosity…Read More

“I’m loved, I have family and friends who care about me; I’m okay”. This is the most powerful message you can send to the world, according to John Parsons, Cyber Safety and Risk Assessment Consultant. This key theme was at…Read More

What a start to the year it has been for sport at Woodford House. We have had many students achieving both regionally and nationally in their chosen sport. Here is a snapshot of what our students have been up to…Read More

On Monday 28 January, the Year 13 students set off on a leadership camp to Waimarama. On arrival, we faced what seemed like a huge challenge – setting up our tents! Fortunately some students had been camping before and we…Read More

After the great success of last year’s Big Weekend In, it was decided to make this an annual event. This year, the weekend proved a vital opportunity for all boarders, whether weekly or full, to integrate and get to know…Read More

The annual Woodford House Athletics Day took place on Friday 29 March 2019. While the rain made a brief appearance early on, we were lucky to enjoy fair weather and witness some great sporting talent. The day took on a…Read More

Woodford House is delighted to announce a new and exciting full boarding scholarship for the current 2019 school year – the Woodford House tahu Scholarship. The word tahu can mean to set alight or ignite. This Scholarship is about igniting…Read More

Woodford House is delighted to celebrate its highest ever number of NCEA scholarships this year. A record 19 scholarships were awarded to Year 13 students across nine different curriculum areas including Accounting, Biology, Classical Studies, Design, English, French, Geography, History,…Read More

Woodford House achieved outstanding academic success in 2018. The School continues to deliver exceptional results year on year, and is delighted to receive 96%, 100% and 100% pass rates in Levels 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Woodford House is proud…Read More

The End of Year “Product Design Group” was tasked to design and construct four House-themed Instagram frames as part of a wider focus on next year’s 125th Anniversary. The frames are to be used for taking photographs of groups of…Read More

Woodford House is a Home to a Love of Learning. We are dedicated to providing an environment where innovation, creativity and collaboration thrive; an environment of exceptional education and endless opportunities that will allow each of our girls to lead…Read More

Woodford House celebrated a wonderful year with our community at Prize Giving on Wednesday 5 December. Congratulations to all prize winners, see below for a full list of awards and photo gallery. INTERMEDIATE PRIZES Year 7/8 Art Meghan Wuisan Year…Read More

Imagine a world where every girl owned at least one new dress. This is the vision for the ‘Dress a Girl Around the World’ project. Woodford House students and staff have been busy creating dresses for this worthy cause this…Read More

This year we were lucky enough to purchase a laser cutter for the technology block, which the Year 10 Product Design students have fully utilised. They have researched and designed a box for themselves or someone else from scratch, initially…Read More

A significant contribution to raising awareness and accessibility of New Zealand art has seen former Woodford House student Avenal McKinnon, MNZM, presented with the Tempus Award 2018. Ms McKinnon became Director of the New Zealand Portrait Gallery in 2005 at…Read More

On Friday 2 November, Woodford House celebrated sporting achievement at the annual Sports Awards Dinner held at the Ellwood Function Centre. We were lucky enough to hear from guest speaker and Olympic heptathlete, Sarah Cowley-Ross, who talked about her path…Read More

Woodford House flew among the stars at the Visual and Performing Arts Awards evening which was held on Thursday 1 November. Students and their families enjoyed a celebration of achievement throughout the year in visual art, music, dance and drama.…Read More

Earlier this year, Year 13 student Steph Goodwin won first place for an original piece entitled ‘Madness’ in the Music Composition category at the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) National University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival in Wellington.…Read More

The EIT Trades Academy prize giving is always a privilege to attend. The pride of the students and their whānau in their achievements is clearly obvious. This year we had three Woodford House students attending Trades Academy once a week…Read More

On Monday 1 October 2018, eight Year 10 girls and 14 Year 10-11 boys from Woodford House and Lindisfarne College set off on a cultural and linguistic journey to New Caledonia. On our arrival in Nouméa, we travelled straight to…Read More

Cora, Kevin, and Timmy Anderson live in the future. It is a bleak one, where the world is plagued with pollution and poverty. When a pandemic sweeps America, the future of mankind is at stake. While Cora works tirelessly to…Read More

We were delighted to appoint Mrs Rachel Roberts as Assistant Principal at Woodford House at the beginning of Term 3, 2018. Mrs Roberts joined the Senior Leadership Team after nine years of experience at the School in key positions including…Read More

The boarding experience at Woodford House opens a world of opportunities for our girls.  An invaluable part of this is the ability to deeply connect with peers who are sharing a similar experience of learning and living together in a…Read More

Our wonderful, idiosyncratic year group embarked on the journey that would determine the rest of our Woodford House future, joined by Mrs Ives, Mrs Watson, Mr Nixon, our three Gap students, and guest of honour, Principal, Mrs Peterson. After anxiously…Read More

On the 30 June, 18 ambitious and eager teenage girls stepped foot on a plane set for arrival in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mixed emotions of nerves, excitement, and adrenaline overwhelmed us as we left our comfort zones of the Woodford…Read More

The combination of dedication, resiliency and team work over the winter sport season contributed to a fantastic finish at the annual New Zealand Secondary Schools Winter Tournament Week for our 1st XI Hockey, 1st XI Football and Senior Premier Netball…Read More

For one night during the second week of Term 3, the Woodford House hall was the set of a magical night. In the hall, adorned with hand cut snowflakes, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy could be heard tinkling…Read More

How do you show you’re stuck? How do you show that you are in a repetitive cycle and routine? How do you differentiate between characters? How do you show that your character is in a small space? Actually, how do…Read More

On Sunday 9 September we welcomed our fellow Anglican schools, Hukarere College and Te Aute College, to our annual joint celebration of activities and worship together. This event helps us to develop our three tikanga fellowship and to share and…Read More

Woodford House girls have shown strength and determination throughout the winter sports season resulting in some great individual and team achievements. Football Congratulations to the following girls who have been named in the U16 Hawke’s Bay rep football team. Tessa…Read More

Woodford House was privileged to host six students and two teachers from our sister school, Chengdu Wanda No.7 High School. Chengdu is a city in the province Sichuan, China which has a general population of 15 million. The six students…Read More

DanceNZMade is an interschool dance competition run by professional dancer Dean McKerras. This annual competition travels around New Zealand theatres, running full day workshops for students and giving them an immersive experience in competitive dance on the stage. In August…Read More

It is no secret that when the annual Quadrangular Tournament commences Woodford House girls are incredibly competitive, which is why we were so proud to be crowned overall winners of the 2018 event. With fierce competition between Woodford House, Iona…Read More

Given an hour to themselves, many teens would rather pick up their devices than a book and can spend up to six hours each day devoted to digital media with girls spending more time on social media sites and boys…Read More

As part of the Pathways programme, Year 13 student Hannah Bone has been studying to achieve a Certificate in Early Childhood Education. Pathways gives senior students the opportunity to study alternative subjects to the curriculum, which lead to tertiary study…Read More

Isobel Ham Year 10 Woodford House Student, 2018 Thursday 2 August 2018, a night that will forever be etched in my mind – Arts Showcase. A night of melodies, harmonies, speech and song. The hall was filled with joy and…Read More

Anna Wood Woodford House Old Girl WH 1934-1937 and 1943-1946 I first attended the Woodford House kindergarten as a four year old from 1934-1937. The kindergarten was opened by Miss Holland, the headmistress, who had adopted a little girl called…Read More

Jane Perry Woodford House Old Girl (Head Prefect, 1985) and Current Teacher WH 1981-1985  Something I value from my time at Woodford House was the number of opportunities we had to get involved as a school community. On Swimming and…Read More

Nicole Parnell Year 11 Woodford House Student, 2018 Friday 29 June 2018 was a day I will never forget. Coming from a family where cancer has repeatedly appeared throughout many generations, I have always wanted to show my support by…Read More

On Thursday 9 August, the Year 11 chemistry and physics stream students visited the EIT School of Viticulture and Wine to find out how their learning applies to the wine industry. One half of the program was led by Elise…Read More

Jennie Oakley Woodford House Old Girl WH 1951-1956 I will always acknowledge and be forever grateful for my six years (1951-1956) at Woodford House. It was here I learnt the skills and gained the confidence to face whatever life threw…Read More

“I know that I don’t need my hair to be beautiful. Fundraising money to help cancer sufferers and supporting these incredibly brave women is so much more beautiful. It should be our actions that make us beautiful, not our hair,”…Read More

Over the past term and a half, the production cast of over 80 students and staff have been busy singing, dancing, acting and working hard to put on a fabulous production of Evita. The long hours of preparation paid off…Read More

Woodford House is proud to welcome Mr Paul Dine in his new role as Deputy Principal – Teaching and Learning in Term 2. Paul brings a wealth of teaching and senior leadership experience gained over a 25 year career in…Read More

It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be humid, mosquitoes will be hunting us, and deep fried insects will probably be on the menu. On 30 June, 18 students, two staff, and one World Challenge tour leader embarked on…Read More

The Woodford House Foundation was founded in the School’s centennial year of 1994 with the purpose to pursue philanthropy, such that the special characteristics of the School could be enhanced and provided in perpetuity. I have recently taken on the…Read More

Senior physics students had the rare opportunity to learn about engineering design and its applications from Dr Shayne Gooch, Head of University of Canterbury’s Mechanical Engineering department, during his visit to the School on Tuesday 12 June. His talk provided…Read More

Today was the day many girls who are competitive in sports had been waiting for! This year the annual Intermediate Winter Sport Quadrangular Tournament was held at Iona College on Thursday 14 June. Girls from Woodford House, Iona College, St…Read More

Along with a number of Anglican and Presbyterian schools across New Zealand, the Religious Studies Department at Woodford House has been piloting a brand new theology curriculum for Year 7-10 students. The Middle School Theology Course (MSTC) has been designed…Read More

The East Coast region of the annual Big Sing choral competition took place on Wednesday 30 June. The Woodford House Chapel Choir and Up Close had been practising hard all year preparing our repertoire for this event. At the competition,…Read More

Woodford House students have competed far and wide in many sports, including cross country, football, hockey, netball, orienteering and surf lifesaving, over the course of Term 2, with outstanding results. Our student sports representatives have also been working hard and…Read More

On 14 June, 18 Year 10 and 11 students attended the annual Health Careers Expo at the Education Centre at Hawke’s Bay Hospital. Every year, there are more exhibitors, who are all employees of the District Health Board and represent…Read More

Woodford House was well represented at the annual NZCT Chamber Music Contest this year. An abundance of talented student musicians meant that six Chamber Music groups were entered into the competition, which was held on 13-14 June at the Napier…Read More

I think it was the first time this year I had arrived at school while it was still dark. At 7am on Wednesday 30 June close to 30 girls travelled to Wanganui to play against some old rivals. As a…Read More

Pathways gives senior students the opportunity to study alternative subjects to the curriculum, which lead to tertiary study or work. In 2018, Year 12 students Stella Hansen and Emily Harper have been studying Hair and Beauty at the EIT Trades…Read More

Chikae Sato University Student WH 2013 I recently sent a letter to Mrs Ellis, the former Director of International Students, to tell her about an amazing moment I had at a local McDonalds restaurant in my home country of Japan.…Read More

Amelia Foster Arts Prefect, 2018 Ever since I came to Woodford House at 11 years old, I have had my heart set on singing in the Woodford House Chapel Choir. The choir has always had significance to me; my Mum…Read More

When Olivia Eames first arrived in Chengdu, China for a two-week exchange at Wanda No.7 High School she experienced tremendous culture shock. She found herself in a completely different culture that had completely different values: the local food took some…Read More

During the April 2018 term break, I was offered the amazing opportunity by Dr Jeffrey Stangl, David Farquhar, Loren Stangl, and many other BBC alumni, to go to Massey University Business Bootcamp. Jeffrey, David and Loren were some of the…Read More

  Dr Marina Alexander Head of Mathematics When talking about memorable moments related to teaching and learning, it is difficult to choose a specific one as there are so many wonderful achievements from our students and all of them are…Read More

The National Youth Drama School (NYDS) is a week-long intensive course held annually at Havelock North High School with expert tutelage from industry professionals. A group of Woodford House students attended this year and experienced a wide range of courses…Read More

In the holidays, three TeenAg students from Woodford House – Anna Meban, Briana Lyons, and Katie McNeill were fortunate enough to be selected for the Raising the Standards camp in Feilding. This is a prestigious programme developed to motivate and…Read More

The pursuit of excellence and empowering our students to be ‘better than the day before’ have always been prominent ideals in the culture of Woodford House. This year, we are bringing our culture of excellence to life through a number…Read More

The reintroduction of the ‘Big Weekend In’ for boarders at the beginning of Term 1 proved to be a valuable experience. This event last took place in 2014 when our current Year 13 students were in Year 9. The weekend…Read More

There is something special about Woodford House Twilight Athletics. Everyone is spaced out over the track, but there is a sense of collaboration. House spirit is in the air as Frimley, Rouncil, Tauroa and Wallingford battle it out across track…Read More

On Sunday 4 March, the combined Evita cast of 70 Woodford House and Lindisfarne College students gathered together for their first rehearsal. With the first performance taking place on Wednesday 20 June, this talented group were keen to get to…Read More

O God we pray for the courage to continue in the good tradition of our forebears. May we, and those who come after us, build on that tradition so that through us, others may be encouraged to strive towards excellence…Read More

Hillary Outdoor Education is designed for students to develop skills in co-operation, communal living, self-leadership and environmental care. The girls learn and connect through exploration, adventure and a range of environmental initiatives. On 19 March, our Year 10 girls took…Read More

The 2018 Artist in Residence programme took place on 19-21 February in the Dame Kate Harcourt Performing Arts Centre. Each year, Woodford House invites a professional within the area of Performing Arts for a series of workshops. This year, we…Read More

The school rang with music all day during the House Music Cup competition held on Wednesday 11 April. House Music Cup offers the opportunity for competition between houses for individual musicians and small groups. This year was the biggest ever…Read More

‘Accessing Aotearoa through the Arts’ was the theme of a trip to the New Zealand Festival for selected Year 11-13 students in February. Sophie Simons, Student Head of Drama, reflects and responds to a number of the performances. ‘Rushes’ was…Read More

This year, Easter weekend was celebrated within the school’s first term which presented an opportunity to really explore the events of both Good Friday before exeat, and Easter Sunday after exeat. On Maundy Thursday we remembered the events of Good…Read More

On Monday 29 January, Year 13 students eagerly set off to Waimarama Beach for an action-packed two days to start the year with a bang. In preparation for a big year ahead, the camp focused on building leadership qualities as…Read More

Ingenuity and creativity, along with a determined will to succeed, were the prerequisites for a Year 9 science class project in Term 1. The girls were given a limited set of materials and a tight deadline to create a parachute…Read More

It has been a busy and exciting start to the year for sport at Woodford House with many students achieving both regionally and nationally in their chosen sports. Here are some highlights from Term 1. Swimming Woodford House Swimming Sports…Read More

The bus was filled with anticipation as the Year 9 girls departed for Napier on Monday 19 February for camp. Based around Pandora Pond, the camp had a local focus and was aimed at developing cohesion between the Year Level…Read More

The pursuit of excellence and empowering our students to shine have always been prominent in Woodford House culture. As part of this, we are committed to continually looking for ways to improve our school and the education we offer. In…Read More

Curiosity is an important intellectual trait that is encouraged and embraced at Woodford House. Being curious keeps your mind stimulated and opens up a world of opportunities, which Year 9 student Ella Simmons knows all about. Ella loves learning and…Read More

At 12.51pm on Tuesday 22 February 2011, Martina Barreras lunged towards a table at school as the ground shook vigorously. She was only seven years old and had recently migrated to Christchurch from Maui, Hawaii. Martina didn’t know it at…Read More

Watching Amelia Ashby dance is like poetry; she is graceful, elegant and always smiling.  Her dancing draws you to the stage. Her long limbs provide fluid movement with a gracious presence that would fool anyone into thinking it all comes…Read More

The power of setting goals, believing in yourself and having a healthy appetite for learning has paid dividends for three Year 12 students who have been awarded a New Zealand Scholarship, a monetary award that recognises top scholars throughout the…Read More

The connection between a human and an animal working together as a team inspired a love of equestrian from a young age for Year 12 student Emma Ritchie. Growing up in Wanganui, Emma started riding at six years old. With…Read More

Greg Semmens English Teacher My Year 13 English class of 2013 began way back when they first arrived at Woodford House, pretty much at the same time I did. I had a fair few of them in their first year…Read More

Kate Fraser Film Director WH 1981 – 1984 (Boarder) I couldn’t wait to get to Woodford House. My sister, Sarah, had loved her time there and, more importantly, I was just itching to get my hands on that maroon Adidas…Read More

Julie Peterson Principal Memories are such powerful ways to capture and treasure very special moments in our lives. As I enter my fourth year at Woodford House, I feel so fortunate to have a treasure trove of such memories. Whilst…Read More

The Woodford House Open Day is an opportunity to meet students, explore our beautiful grounds and experience our Home to Excellence first-hand. Everyone is welcome. The next Open Day is on Friday 27 March, 2020. Register below to receive more…Read More

Woodford House continues to lead the way in academia with 2017 showing outstanding NCEA results yet again. We are delighted to receive 100%, 100% and 97% pass rates in Levels 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Our excellence and merit endorsements…Read More

Six Year 13 students have collectively been awarded $100,000 in university scholarships for outstanding leadership or excellence in their chosen field. One student, Catie Nettlingham, was awarded seven engineering scholarships, including the Edna Wadell Undergraduate Scholarship for women in technology,…Read More

On Wednesday 6 December 2017, Woodford House Principal, Mrs Julie Peterson delivered an inspirational speech during Prize Giving. Mrs Peterson talked about the inspirational and tranformative power of an educated girl underpinned by a holistic approach to education. As educators…Read More

During the 2017 End of Year Programme, our girls produced 170 beautifully wrapped and imaginatively filled Christmas boxes for charity across Hawke’s Bay. The boxes were all blessed during our end of term Chapel services, in which Reverend Deborah reminded…Read More

The School campus is buzzing with industrious and creative activity as girls research, plan and bring to life some very special projects. Girls in Years 7-10 are relishing the opportunity to explore self-directed learning and to give back to the…Read More

Thirty-seven years ago, Margaret Ellis drove through the gates of Woodford House for the very first time. She was being interviewed for a part-time position as home economics teacher – her first job since having a family and leaving Hastings…Read More

I felt privileged to be part of the Chapel service when our beautifully crafted korowai was presented to the school and I acknowledge the dedication and effort of everyone involved – with apologies that they are too numerous to mention…Read More

For parents and teachers of teenage girls, ‘four seasons in one day’ doesn’t only refer to our New Zealand weather, it also refers to the very changeable emotional landscape of young women. We know that a perfectly sunny mood can…Read More

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss With a passion to inspire a love of reading, our Intermediate Department introduced The Great Reading Challenge in…Read More

Sporting highlights and achievements in Skiing, Tennis, the East Coast North Island Road Race, Athletics and the Hawke’s Bay Secondary School Sports Awards. Skiing Ski Team Congratulations to the Woodford House Ski Team who enjoyed an extremely successful few days…Read More

During the October holidays, Head of Mathematics, Dr Marina Alexander and Mathematics Teachers, Mrs Alison Gonscak and Mr Ian Cameron, travelled to Christchurch to attend the biennial New Zealand Association of Mathematics Teachers (NZAMT) conference hosted by The Canterbury Mathematical…Read More

When CREST, a food product development competition, was first announced at Woodford House, I was inspired to take part and challenge myself in the food technology world. It has been an amazing experience that has revealed my true passion for…Read More

Woodford House Old Girl Vi Cottrell, ONZM, co-founder of Trade Aid, has been named the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Woodford House Old Girls’ Tempus Award. The Tempus Award, now in its fourth year, recognises outstanding achievement by an Old…Read More

A special painting by one of New Zealand’s most prestigious and influential painters, Frances Hodgkins was gifted to Woodford House over 50 years ago. The beautiful painting was meant for former student, Ann Roberts, who was sadly diagnosed with leukemia…Read More

‘Confirmation is alive and kicking in our Anglican Schools’ observes James Stephenson, Chaplain of St Paul’s Hamilton, in the latest edition of the Anglican Schools’ Office Newsletter. It is certainly the case here at Woodford House where, each year, a…Read More

Turtles have been around for hundreds of millions of years, some species out-dating dinosaurs. Back then, there were many millions of sea turtles living in our oceans. Now there are only seven species left and they are all either endangered…Read More

Year 7 and 8 girls have been working on creative products for the Hawke’s Bay community this term. Having completed soft and food materials units earlier in the year, the girls enjoyed the opportunity to apply their technical skills for…Read More

Woodford House rolled out the red carpet for an Oscar themed Visual and Performing Arts Awards evening on Thursday 2 November. Students and their families enjoyed a celebration of achievement throughout the year in visual art, music, dance and drama.…Read More

On Friday 27 October, Woodford House celebrated sporting achievement at the annual Sports Awards Dinner held at the Ellwood Function Centre. Our community enjoyed a special evening in recognition of the hard work and commitment of our girls as well…Read More

Servant leadership consciously focuses on the “growth and wellbeing of people and the communities to which they belong” and on Friday 16 June this intention was fully and positively realised here in Hawke’s Bay. One hundred and forty-five Year 13…Read More

In 2018, the Woodford House Foundation is delighted to host a special evening in Gisborne for Old Girls and members of the Woodford House community. It is an honour to be joined by the Principal, Mrs Julie Peterson, who will…Read More

Woodford House is delighted to host an Information Evening in Gisborne in 2018.  Join us to find out why Woodford House is one of the leading girls’ schools in New Zealand. We look forward to meeting your family and sharing…Read More

Humans are naturally creative, and constantly invent, explore and discover new things either through necessity or curiosity. Since humans are also social creatures, it is not surprising to discover how many developments are made in pursuit of information sharing and…Read More

“Resilience is a GPS in your brain… it tells us how to move from here to there,” says Edmond Otis, health educator, licensed psychotherapist, and speaker. Resilience tells us how to make the next step, turn the next corner and…Read More

There is a buzz in the Year 9 Mathematics class, 9G, as the girls take on a new creative project. As part of a measurement unit, Mathematics Teacher, Mrs Alison Gonscak, challenged the girls to design a dream house. The…Read More

Woodford House prides itself on placing high value on the learning of a second language. Through the study of other languages and cultures, we sow the seeds of international understanding and tolerance, hence playing a vital role in creating a…Read More

On Sunday 13 August, six of our students were baptised in the beautiful Chapel of St Francis at Woodford House. It was a wonderful occasion with a packed Chapel and a large group of parents and sponsors who gathered around…Read More

Sustainability is a focus for students in Materials Technology and for the first time, senior students entered outfits in The Earthcare Environmental Oversew Fashion Awards this year. The entries were judged by Jennifer Whitty, Senior lecturer at Massey University School…Read More

A busy term in Performing Arts saw girls face new challenges through Drama, Dance and Choral performances and productions. NCEA Drama Productions The Level 2 and 3 Drama classes entered into the unknown this term with the production of Daughters of Heaven by Michelanne…Read More

At the beginning of Term 3, the Woodford House boarding staff were fortunate to welcome Dr Lee Knight, our school counsellor and trained clinical psychologist, to guide them through some professional development around anxiety and wellbeing. Anxiety comes in all…Read More

In Semester One, I had the honour of teaching an enthusiastic group of Year 10 students who were keen to learn all about Art. They say a picture tells a thousand words and this was certainly the case with the…Read More

Woodford House has been presented with many precious taonga over the years that have been treasured, nurtured and cared for to this day, such as the annual Year 13 leavers’ gifts, and gifts from Old Girls and visiting guests. With…Read More

An overview of our Woodford House girls in sport this term including results, achievements and Sports Academy highlights. Hockey Ten girls were selected following trials for the Hawke’s Bay girls’ representative squads. These girls will be competing across New Zealand…Read More

Year 10 girls enjoyed three action-packed days in Wellington in early August with the Social Sciences Department. The itinerary included The Great War Exhibition and Last Post Ceremony at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park and a tour of the Westpac…Read More

Students have had a busy month attending courses in the Pathways Department. Girls have taken part in PORSE workshops, First Aid courses, Barista training, a leadership workshop and a Health and Safety course. Safety Matters tutor Helen Taylor and students…Read More

At the beginning of the Term 2 holidays I was fortunate to be offered a place in the Whakapiki Ake Project at the University of Auckland for Māori and Pasifika students pursuing careers in health. The trip provided me with…Read More

On Monday 14 August at the opening night of the annual Year 12 Hawke’s Bay Art Exhibition, Stephanie Goodwin was awarded the printmaking prize for her series of etchings entitled ‘Do you want to know a secret’, inspired by recent…Read More

This term we invited Gabriel Hurford, who is employed by the Environmental Centre in Hastings, for lunch and to check on the progress of the Woodford House worm farm. The worm farm was installed in the gardens by the Technology block…Read More

New Zealand cyber security expert John Parsons spent two days at Woodford House last week talking to parents, students and staff about the issues and dangers associated with the inappropriate use of computers, mobile phones and the internet. Cybercrime is…Read More

On 27 July, our Year 12 photography students visited the Hastings City Art Gallery to see three high calibre exhibitions. Into the Light – a survey of works from artists with connections to Hawke’s Bay See What I Can See…Read More

We were delighted to show our girls the new Woodford House uniform and logo in assembly at the end of Term 2. During the past two years, we have embarked on a journey of defining and celebrating our identity as a…Read More

Katarina Porima represented Woodford House at the Te Matau A Maui (Hawke’s Bay region) Nga Manu Korero speaking competition held at the Te Ara o Tāwhaki Marae at EIT on Friday 1 July. Year 11 student Katarina was entered in…Read More

The Woodford House community warmly welcomes Deputy Principals, Stephanie Russell and Hazel Redpath, to the Senior Leadership Team. Stephanie Russell, Deputy Principal – Student Wellbeing I am a Hawke’s Bay local and it is lovely to be back teaching in…Read More

Māori, Korean, Japanese, Australian, Indian, Vietnamese, English, Taiwanese – the list goes on for the ethnicities represented at Woodford House. The community we have here at school is not only growing but becoming more diverse with every year. To recognise…Read More

The school community came together on Sunday 30 April to attend the commissioning of our new chaplain, Reverend Deborah Wilson. Reverend Wilson has joined our small Woodford House family from the much larger St Peter’s College in Cambridge. The one…Read More

It has been a busy and productive time in Performing Arts this term with girls giving huge commitment and passion to shape their skills ready for polished performances. From mooting at the Hastings District Court to competing in Stage Challenge…Read More

Congratulations to our scholarship recipients for 2017. Woodford House scholarships recognise excellence across the four cornerstones. The girls celebrated with their families and staff at a special morning tea in the Bernard L Chambers Founders’ Room. ACADEMIC Junior Rachel Hansen…Read More

Find out the latest results from our action-packed calendar of sporting events. Girls have competed far and wide in a variety of sports. Cross Country East Coast North Island Secondary School Cross Country Relays – Anderson Park Havelock North, 15…Read More

In my new role as Director of Boarding I recently attended the New Zealand Boarding Schools Association National Conference, which was an inspirational and informative week. The conference is a time to reflect, connect with like-minded people, and think about…Read More

Careers education at Woodford House offers the opportunity for students from Years 10-13 to explore and broaden their understanding of a range of professions, courses and training so that they can make sound choices. This term, girls attended two events…Read More

Students and teachers alike showed true grit in the annual Woodford House Cross Country on Friday 26 May. Despite rain earlier in the week, which added some mud to the course, the day provided us with great weather and an…Read More

We hopped on the bus at 6am all bundled up from the cold. Excitement lingered in the air as we breathed steam out of our mouths. Today was the day that eight of us from the Intermediate Department were going…Read More

It was a great privilege for Principal Julie Peterson and myself to join school chaplains, religious studies teachers, principals and board members from across the Province in our biennial gathering, which took place at Dilworth School in Auckland. Our theme…Read More

Year 7 and 8 girls travelled to Wanganui to take part in the annual Quad Tournament on 14-15 June, hosted by St George’s School. With strong sporting talent in our Intermediate Department, the netball, hockey and football squads were full…Read More

Hastings based designer and illustrator Bex Bloomfield visited our senior Visual Art Design students in class this week to talk about her life as a graphic designer. Bex is responsible for the branding of local icons such as the Hawke’s…Read More

“Pineapple… kiwifruit… bananas”,  shout the children. “Do you know how many portions of fruit and veg you should have a day?” asks Year 13 student Tommy Lamb. The children reply, “One? Two?” “Not quite” says Tommy. “Three? Four?” persist the…Read More

We are fortunate to be joined by 15 international students, representing seven nationalities, at Woodford House. When the girls arrive at Woodford House, they have to adapt to a new environment, learn a foreign language, and study new subjects and…Read More

Geography encompasses a wide range of topics covering both the natural and cultural environments. This term students from Years 11-13 have been out and about enjoying educational trips as well as hearing from visiting experts about issues closer to home.…Read More

Woodford House had the privilege of welcoming Old Girl, Dame Kate Harcourt, as guest of honour at the Grand Opening of two special buildings. On Thursday 9 March, about 150 guests gathered at Woodford House to officially open, and tour…Read More

Welcome to the first issue of Inhouse for 2017 where we celebrate student and staff successes, and provide an insight into living and learning at a leading school for girls. This year started on a high with outstanding NCEA success…Read More

Phoebe Burns, Year 9, was selected to represent New Zealand in the FEI Children’s International Classics 2017. Phoebe came second overall at the series finals in Masterton. She also won Round Two and took 5th place in Round One. Gap Student, Nicola Parker,…Read More

A few weeks ago Michaela Fleming, Pippa Steele and I flew to Christchurch for the NZBSA Boarding Conference. The minute we arrived at Christchurch Girls’ High School we were blown away by the different atmosphere that it had. We met…Read More

Woodford House has a new family adopted by Year 9 students. The girls have been busy setting up Woodford House’s very own worm farm. Some of you might be thinking ‘eww worms, they are disgusting and gross’. Don’t worry, I…Read More

Year 12 student Bella Christie was thrilled to receive the news from Speech New Zealand that she was the recipient of their award for Excellence in the Use of Language and Expression in Speech and Drama Performance. Bella was nominated…Read More

Te Matatini takes place every two years and is the biggest event in the Māori calendar. This four-day festival is filled with kapa haka, singing, poi, haka and meeting and interacting with new people from different iwi. The festival is…Read More

“We can do it, we’re Woodford girls!” we all kept telling ourselves as we felt like we swam in our shoes. It was the first day of our Year 9 camp and the weather was not on our side. We…Read More

A Hikoi was held at Woodford House for senior Māori students on 1 March 2017. The focus was to encourage Māori student advancement and achievement. The hour long session was led by five Māori liaison staff from tertiary education institutes: Libby…Read More

On Monday 20 March, Year 10 girls departed for Hillary Outdoors Tongariro for a week long camp. This programme is designed to develop skills in co-operation, communal living, self-leadership and environmental care. In turn, the girls learned and connected through…Read More

Deputy Head Prefect, Anna Boult, delivered an inspiring and thought-provoking speech in assembly as part of the Year 13 speech programme. This is a story about four friends named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. These four people were addressed a…Read More

As little girls we all have an infatuation with princesses, the pretty dresses, perfect hair and a Prince charming by our side. The night of the School Ball take us back to this childhood dream allowing our little girl fantasies to…Read More

Woodford House welcomed five new international students from Vietnam, Futuna Island and Thailand this term. A special orientation programme was offered to provide the girls with essential information and skills to cope with initial cultural shocks as well as help them settle…Read More

New Zealand is located on the boundary between two of the Earth’s great tectonic plates – the Australian and the Pacific. This is the reason for the many frequent ground movements felt across the country. We have seen and felt…Read More

The stunning new Drama and Dance space in the Dame Kate Harcourt Performing Arts Centre got its first major dance workout in late February with our Artist in Residence (AiR) programme. This year, AiR was sponsored by the Woodford House…Read More

It has been another busy and exciting start to the year for sport at Woodford House with many students achieving both regionally and nationally in their chosen sports. Here are some highlights from Term 1. Swimming Sports Woodford House Swimming…Read More

In early February, three Woodford House girls travelled to Lake Ruataniwha on the South Island to compete for Hawke’s Bay at the New Zealand Rowing Nationals. This was an excellent opportunity to race against clubs from all around New Zealand…Read More

Woodford House NCEA Music students and choir groups attended the fabulous Opera Carmen at the Municipal Theatre in Napier on Monday 20 February. This was a very exciting and new experience as for some, it was their first time seeing…Read More

“Minds are like parachutes – they only function when open.” Thomas Dewar Hodge Inspired Time for Integrated Thinking (HitiT) was introduced in 2008 to deliver extra learning opportunities alongside the existing academic programme. HitiT has developed and blossomed to run in…Read More

I could feel the excitement in the air as I stepped out of the car and hurried up to the classrooms. All the Year 7/8 girls were buzzing around, getting ready for the big day. It was Friday 10 February,…Read More

Old Girl Dr Melanie Gibson-Helm was welcomed back to Woodford House this week to launch the 2017 Scholarship Academy. Melanie is an academic at Australia’s Monash University in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Having completed a PhD…Read More

Woodford House has received nine national scholarships across a range of curriculum areas for academic excellence in 2016. New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) scholarships were awarded in: Technology Drama Accounting History Physical Education Chemistry Painting Photography French Assistant Principal –…Read More

When Vi Cottrell went on an overseas adventure with her husband 40 years ago, she had no idea it would be the start of a successful organisation that would positively impact the lives of disadvantaged communities. She also had no…Read More

Although homesickness is a common experience, it is preventable with a little planning ahead of the separation.  Talking to your girls, before they move into boarding, about how common it is to experience feelings of homesickness is a big help. …Read More

When Mabel Annie Hodge relocated Woodford House to the hills of Havelock North in 1911, there were three buildings, 60 students and six staff. One hundred and six years on and the School now has more than 20 buildings, 320…Read More

Woodford House is proud to announce it has achieved the highest number of excellence endorsements in the School’s NCEA history. Preliminary results released this week revealed sixty-five per cent of Year 11 students gained Level 1 with excellence while 40…Read More

Seventeen-year-old student Olivia Ward has been awarded a $360,000 hockey scholarship to attend Providence College, a prestigious university in the United States of America. She was one of the only students to receive a full hockey scholarship, which will help…Read More

Being crowned Dux wasn’t in the plan for Woodford House student Hannah Stone. She hadn’t dreamt about it since she was young, it wasn’t listed as one of her ultimate goals and she claims she was never top of the…Read More

The Woodford House family gathered as a school this week to reflect on 2016, to celebrate student and staff achievement and to farewell our leavers as we marked the end of another academic year at Woodford House. Judge Jill Moss,…Read More

Congratulations to Woodford House Old Girl, Jane Cunliffe, who received the Tempus award at a special ceremony attended by members of the Woodford House Old Girls’ Association on Saturday 19 November. Jane has gone from being Head Prefect at Woodford…Read More

At our Year 13 leavers’ assembly on Tuesday 8 November 2016, Head Prefect, Eva Goodisson gave an emotional speech reflecting on her time at Woodford House. Advice to my younger self Year 7, worried about what uniform to wear, being…Read More

Few would deny that new models of learning are required to better prepare our students for life and work in the 21st century. Current research shows that innovative teaching is required to support students’ development of the skills that will…Read More

Describing himself as a man of few words, Business Manager, Dean Mason is not one for big goodbyes, but we cannot let him go without taking a moment to reflect on his time at Woodford House. Dean will be leaving…Read More

As the school year draws to an end and our students start to get ready for examinations, it is a great time to reflect on some excellent achievements by our students on the sporting field. Here are a few highlights…Read More

This year the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) student committee organised two competitions. 2016 Photography Award This is the second year of this award, which was organised by VPA leaders Lydia Hill and Rosie Slader. The competition was launched mid-year…Read More

All girls from Years 7-13 that gain an Excellence grade in any assessment (formal, whole class/year level) are in the draw to attend a Dux Desserts evening. At the beginning of Term 4, 20 girls, 10 from Years 7-10 and…Read More

Year 8 student Hannah Roberts has danced her way into one of the most well-known ballets. At just 12 years old she has been selected to perform with the Imperial Russian Ballet Company in The Nutcracker. Hannah’s dance school, Briar…Read More

This year the Harcourt’s Hawke’s Bay Arts Festival introduced a Youth Ambassador Programme. It is an opportunity for young creatives to get up close and personal with established professionals in the New Zealand arts scene. It also gives the ambassadors…Read More

New technology is transforming today’s classroom environment and augmented reality is the latest tool being used to enrich learning at Woodford House. Augmented reality is a technology that superimposes a computer generated image, such as a video, over the top…Read More

CREST is a product development competition incorporating elements of creativity, science, innovation and technology. This year, a group of Year 12 students took up the challenge. Each member of the team took responsibility for the tasks best suited to their…Read More

It’s a common saying that “those who can’t, teach,” but the opposite is true at Woodford House. I recently got to see first-hand one of my teachers showcase their talents outside the classroom. In March I auditioned for the Napier…Read More

Renaissance Italy, calculus, sisterhood, leadership, lust, romance, betrayal and a moose. These were the settings and themes provided by a student audience to three young actors from New Zealand Playhouse. The talented actors were tasked with improvising a play with…Read More

It was a great week for our sports teams at the Lower North Island Secondary School (LNISS) tournament at the end of Term 3. The 1st XI hockey girls came 2nd and were presented with the overall Fair Play Award.…Read More

Ever since I was a young girl I have admired models. I used to be addicted to watching America’s Next Top Model programme and I think that’s what inspired me to become a model. I was signed up to Unique…Read More

Girls are progressing well in their Pathways programmes this year and many students have nearly completed their tourism, early childhood and agricultural units. The bulk of Pathways learning is self-directed on individual papers related to student interests. Year 12 student,…Read More

When someone is baptised, that person is brought to Jesus Christ and made a member of Christ’s Church. It is a new start to life in which the baptised person is accepted and sealed by God with the Holy Spirit…Read More

It was a privilege for our Performing Arts students to be invited to perform at a lunchtime concert at St Matthew’s Anglican Parish. The parish hosts a series of lunchtime concerts for the public as part of the Hastings Blossom…Read More

The Circle of Life gave rise to a circle of talent and friendship as more than 80 students from Woodford House and Lindisfarne College came together to bring Disney’s The Lion King JR to life. Woodford House secured the rights as…Read More

The Circle of Life gave rise to a circle of talent and friendship as more than 80 students from Woodford House and Lindisfarne College came together to bring Disney’s The Lion King JR to life. Woodford House secured the rights as…Read More

“In the world through which I travel, I am endlessly creating myself.” Unknown. London, Ypres, Paris, Venice, Rome, Sorrento and Hong Kong through which we travelled, sparked the creation of twenty-one daring, attentive and travel-savvy senior students from Woodford House.…Read More

Wellbeing is the ‘oil of learning’ (Mann 2006). Our pastoral care for our girls is not the destination but the nourishment for their learning journey. Boarding provides a platform for a pastoral care system that supports the development of our…Read More

In early July, a group of eager Level 2 and 3 accounting and economic students travelled to Wellington to experience potential career pathways beyond tertiary degree level study. The 22 students and four members of staff were lucky to be…Read More

This term we have a wealth of workshops and programmes available to support our students to develop resiliency. Life is a mix of high and low points, with challenges and disappointments encountered along the road to success. Resiliency is about…Read More

Elizabeth Harrex from Attitude NZ visited Woodford House at the end of Term 2. Liz spent the day engaging our girls in interesting, funny and thought-provoking health presentations. Her presentations covered the topics of Choices and Resiliency, Wellbeing, Drugs and…Read More

A pat on the back to the students who have progressed through the majority of their STAR and Gateway programmes for the year. Their efforts will leave them ample time to concentrate on preparing for their other exam subjects and…Read More

I was approached at the end of Term 2 about plans around the makeup for the combined Woodford and Lindisfarne production of Disney’s The Lion King JR. With my prior knowledge of makeup, and the skills learnt from the National…Read More

Woodford House girls continue to achieve in sport with strong individual and team performances. Here is the latest round up of sports events and results during the July holidays and in Term 3. The Senior Premier Netball team made history…Read More

Two senior students guide their small choir of 12 girls through a weekend practice as the weather rages outside. A storm is thrashing against the windows and the frequent power outages render the practice space cold, dark and unwelcoming. Even…Read More

More than 50 Chaplains came together for an action packed gathering over three days at the start of August. This annual gathering for the New Zealand Association of Teachers and School Chaplains began with an opening powhiri and worship at St John’s Anglican…Read More

For my NCEA Level 3 Materials Technology course I decided to make a wall hanging for the Health Centre. The idea came to me at the beginning of the year when I first saw the freshly painted walls in the…Read More

‘Beautiful tone’, ‘ambitious programme’, ‘well directed’ – these are a selection of comments from the adjudicators’ reports about our three choirs who participated in the East Coast Big Sing regional competition. The Chapel Choir, directed by Ms Tess Tobin, and…Read More

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) scholarships provide recognition and monetary reward to top students who are assessed against challenging standards, which are demanding for the most able candidates in each course. Scholarship candidates are expected to demonstrate high-level critical…Read More

Junior Quad was hosted by Woodford House this year in competition with Carncot, Iona College and St George’s School. The day began with a meeting in the School hall to welcome everyone and to sign the good sportsmanship agreement. Mr…Read More

Creativity, innovation, capital investment, production lines, marketing, sales and profit – these are just a few of the buzz words you will hear from our Business Studies students. Market Day offers our girls the opportunity to be involved in a…Read More

The opportunity arose in Materials Technology to design, develop and construct a costume for Disney’s The Lion King JR, which will be performed by Woodford House and Lindisfarne College in August. Working for a client with a strict budget and…Read More

Tall poppies was an appropriate subject for Community Prefect Abigail (Abby) May to base her speech entitled ‘Don’t Shrink, Shine’ around at a recent young speechmaker competition in Masterton. Abby spoke about pride and being a tall poppy at the…Read More

Louise Anaru, Principal of Flaxmere College, visited Woodford House to speak to our Year 12 and 13 boarding leaders about leadership. Louise was representing the Sir Peter Blake Trust Dream Team. Year 12 weekly boarder, Cilla Hewitt gives an insight…Read More

The audience gathers. They have been led through a creek and over a felled gum tree and find themselves sheltered under the giant redwoods at the base of Te Mata Peak. As a hush descends the performers take to the…Read More

Find out the latest results from our action packed calendar of sporting events. Girls have competed far and wide in cross country, football, hockey, netball and orienteering. We also held our highly successful Growing Athletes event which was attended by…Read More

Having spent almost a year at Woodford House and travelling the Southern Hemisphere, it is almost time to say goodbye to our gap students, Marie Baumeister and Alice Young. Both girls gave an emotional speech at assembly recounting the many highlights…Read More

It was a delight to have Hukarere Girls’ and Te Aute Māori Anglican Boys’ Colleges celebrate with us at an evening service on Sunday 12 June. This year our theme was ‘weaving the bonds of love through prayer and worship’.…Read More

Making healthier food choices is the focus of many communities in this changing world we live in. The challenge for Year 13 home economics students this term was to try and make a difference in our local community by planning…Read More

Last term I travelled to Masterton for a boarding prefect conference. All the other boarding prefects were wearing boarding mufti which had designs incorporating the word ‘boarder’ with their school logo. I decided to bring this idea to our boarding…Read More

With the second term well under way, girls are busier than ever. The afternoon air is often abuzz with chatter as girls rush from one activity to the next.  House Music, hockey practice, choir, netball… For many of our girls…Read More

This year’s House Music presented some of the best performances I’ve seen in my time at Woodford. While there were many changes to the format such as the timing and the venue, the girls and the house leaders took in…Read More

It was a busy and exciting Term 1 for sport with girls travelling the length and breadth of New Zealand to compete in their respective fields.  Here are some sporting achievement highlights. Sports Highlights in Term 1 Winners of HBSS Cricket Competition…Read More

Three words that were made to go together – friendship, fun and boarding. Friendships are the most important part of being teenage girls and they want to have fun together. You only need to talk to our students to find…Read More

Twelve girls attended the special Dux Desserts evening earlier this term. Dux Desserts is a celebration at the end of every term for girls who gained an excellence grade in any summative assessment (formal, whole class or year level). As…Read More

The girls have been embracing drama and dance this term with Disney’s The Lion King JR rehearsals and attendance at the Regional Shakespeare Festival. Woodford attended the Regional Shakespeare Festival also known as Sheilah Winn, which was held at Napier Boys’…Read More

More than 100 secondary school students from across Hawke’s Bay have been given inspirational pep talks – and reality checks – by some of our greatest sporting athletes. The students were chosen by their schools to attend the inaugural Growing…Read More

Our Woodford catering team are broadening their international repertoire, and it’s not just the cuisine. Alliance catering has welcomed new Head Chef, Jonathan Del Pino into the kitchen. Originally from Mexico City, Jonathan’s surname translates as ‘from the pine tree’ which…Read More

We are delighted to welcome Nurse Nikki to the Woodford Health Centre. Nurse Nikki has been with us since the start of the school year as a relief nurse. We now welcome her as a permanent member of staff. I am…Read More

Five girls were the recipients of the new Prefects’ Award in Term 1 including Caitlin Hedge (Year 8), Jessica Macfarquhar (Year 10), Juliet Wilkie (Year 10), Imojien De Brett (Year 11) and Emma White (Year 12). Communications and Marketing Coordinator,…Read More

I had great pleasure in welcoming our international students into my home for an evening on dumpling making last term. The girls, who are from Futuna Island, Thailand, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and China, came together to learn how to…Read More

The tourism industry is now the number one earner in New Zealand. Earlier this month Megan Soper from the Queenstown Resort College spoke at assembly about opportunities within the tourism and hospitality industry. 23 students then attended a presentation  at…Read More

House spirit and an abundance of sporting prowess were alive and well at our Twilight Athletics event from our girls, staff and parents in Term 1. Congratulations to our cup winners.   Junior High Jump Laura Foss Junior 100m Laura Foss…Read More

This year we had eleven students attend the National Youth Drama School (NYDS) held during the holidays. NYDS is an annual event held at Havelock North High School. More than 250 students, aged 14 -19, from all over New Zealand…Read More

If you were unable to join us recently to help demystify NCEA please take the time to visit the NZQA website and use the following resource to aid in your understanding about the national qualifications our Year 10 -13 girls…Read More

At the start of July, 21 students from Years 11-13 will be undertaking an exciting three week Curriculum Trip to Europe. We will be travelling to London, Paris, Venice, Rome and Sorrento as well as visiting the World War One…Read More

There was 77 years’ difference between the eldest war veteran and the dedication speaker at this year’s ANZAC Dawn Service in Napier. Abby May is a 17-year-old student at Woodford House and Guy Natusch is a 94-year-old veteran of World War…Read More

Community Prefect Abby May delivered an award winning speech called The Ultimate Sacrifice, which was inspired by her great grandfather and great uncle, at the Hastings Hospital ANZAC Day service. May’s speech won the ANZ RSA Cyril Bassett VC Speech Competition…Read More

The large signs around Hawke’s Bay may have loudly congratulated our girls on 100% NCEA pass rates but the success stories behind these need to be heard even louder. The stories of individual excellence and personal growth continue to be talked about…Read More

The Swimming Sports this year was another fantastic event that showcased our exceptional swimmers, our team spirit, our staff and parent support and the camaraderie of girls. We were fortunate to have Grundy Productions video company capture the essence of the day in…Read More

The inaugural year of the Scholarship Academy has resulted in exceptional academic success with seven national scholarships being awarded to girls across the subject areas. Each year the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) awards approximately 3000 scholarships to students nationwide. NZQA…Read More

The speed with which girls ran up the hill following athletics may have been faster than the times on the track. The reason was that the final cast list for our big production of Disney the Lion King Jr, which…Read More

Using our hands feels good and is good for us. Tactile work enhances physical and emotional wellbeing as well as creativity. Makerspace sessions, where students can participate in planned activities and challenges using a variety of different materials, have started…Read More

Our Year 10 Social Studies programme has got off to a swinging start with our study of changes during the 1960s. The sounds of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and the Beach Boys could be heard throughout the Hodge Classroom…Read More

Well done to the following girls who continued to excel in their sports codes during the school holidays and start of Term 1. Athletics – Ruby Hansen Ruby competed at the New Zealand Athletics Club Track & Field Championships finishing…Read More

Seventy students were interviewed for places in the 2016 Sports Academy. Forty of those students have been selected, based on their current level of performance, future aspirations and recognition of how the Sports Academy will benefit them. When determining their…Read More

In early March, Tamatea High School Principal Robin Fabish, used the local media to challenge the region’s principals to compete in the Tremains Triathlon. The rules were simple; the team had to include a principal, teacher, and prefect. Head Prefect…Read More

Several girls have started their Community Coach award where they have to complete five modules within two years. These girls have set a target to complete all five modules in the next month. Some girls are returning student coaches but many…Read More

How do you sum up a year of experiences, challenges, memories and hardships? Before going into that, let me start with a few ice-breakers on how some  students initially perceived South Africa. Since being at Woodford, I have been asked…Read More

The senior art room was silent despite ten excited girls being inside. Their heads were down, their concentration was strong, and only the faint sound of tools working delicately could be heard. Emerging from the hands of the young artists were…Read More

Chapel took on a more creative focus on Sunday 13 March as we incorporated the famous pancake race into our service. Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent,…Read More

A giant scrabble set with 200 pieces was created in four and a half hours by Year 9 students during a session on activities outside the class room. Students worked together to sand blocks of wood, apply base coats and…Read More

In addition to providing support for our school families, the Parents’ Association fundraises to support the funding of projects which benefit all girls. Your support for fundraising initiatives and activities is vital and appreciated. One simple way to assist is through the annual…Read More

Our intermediate swimmers outshone themselves at the Hawke’s Bay Intermediate Swim Championships last week, despite being four swimmers short. It is so heartening to see such courage and determination to do well in our youngest members of the school family,…Read More