Welcoming international students to our school brings a valued dimension of culture and global connectiveness to Craighead and its students. Our international students are fully integrated into school classes and are supported academically with a specialist ESOL tutor. They are encouraged to immerse themselves in our school culture and the New Zealand way of life.
International students are given a warm and personal welcome to Craighead. Our new arrivals are met at the airport, an individual orientation programme is provided, uniforms and equipment purchased, and banking facilities set up.
Our International Student Director meets with new students daily until they are fully integrated into our school. Each girl then continues to spend time with our Director each week to discuss any concerns with her work or personal issues.
International Students at Craighead are accommodated in the School Boarding House or in Homestay. Boarding House accommodation is compulsory for the first year or until students are in Year 11. Each Year level, in the Boarding House, has a House Supervisor responsible for the care and welfare of the students and GAP students also provide additional support. Supervised homework time is provided as support for academic achievement. Senior girls sometimes choose to live in homestay and experience life outside the Boarding environment. Our excellent homestay providers are all Police vetted and checked by the School.
International students studying at Craighead follow the New Zealand Curriculum. Senior students sit their National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in Years 11-13 and can attain Levels 1, 2, and 3 as well as meeting New Zealand University entry requirements. Subject choices for International students, at all levels, are made in consultation with the Director of International Students, Deans and subject teachers.
IELTS is offered to senior students who may need this qualification for entry to international tertiary institutions. TOEFL, TOEIC and SAT can also be arranged on request.
Becoming an International Student at Craighead:
Our International Student Director
Ms Kerri Doy
Ms Doy is responsible for the International marketing of Craighead Diocesan School, the recruitment of students, co-ordinator of international student pastoral care, homestay co-ordination and responsible general well-being of our international student community, subject advice, and Agent relationship development.
To contact our International Student Director please email:
Ms Kerri Doy – doyke@craighead.school.nz
Code of Practice
“Craighead Diocesan School has agreed to observe and be bound by the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students published by the Minister of Education.”
The Code sets standards for education providers to ensure that:
- High professional standards are maintained
- The recruitment of international students is undertaken in an ethical and responsible manner
- Information supplied to international students is comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date
- Students are provided with information prior to entering into any commitments
- Contractual dealings with international students are conducted in an ethical and responsible manner
- The particular needs of international students are recognised
- International students are in safe accommodation
- All providers have fair and equitable internal procedures for the resolution of international student grievances.
Copies of the Code are available on request from this institution or from the New Zealand Ministry of Education:
https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/assets/Providers-and-partners/Code-of-Practice/Tertiary-and-International-Learners-Code-2021/NZQA_Pastoral-Care-Code-of-Practice_English.pdf
Accommodation
International Students at Craighead are accommodated in the School Boarding House or in Homestay. Boarding House accommodation is compulsory for the first year, or until students are in Year 11.
The Boarding House is located onsite, in the heart of the School. Students are accommodated in a friendly, caring atmosphere. 115 boarders are accommodated in modern and comfortable surroundings. Boarding students in Year 7 – 10 are accommodated in the Len Home Wing, who are spread over three floors. Room layouts range from four beds per room, each partitioned off for their own privacy up to single bed rooms.
Accommodation for our senior students, Years 11 -13, are located in our new Senior Boarding Wing, once again spread over three floors. Rooms on the Year 11 and 12 floors are shared between two, with the Year 13 students having single rooms sharing an ensuite. Each Year level has a House Supervisor responsible for the care and welfare of the students and GAP students also provide additional support. Supervised homework time is provided as support for academic achievement. Senior girls sometimes choose to live in homestay and experience life outside of the Boarding environment. Our excellent homestay providers are all checked and vetted by the School.
Study Options
International students studying at Craighead follow the New Zealand Curriculum.
Senior students sit their National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) in Years 11-13 and can attain Levels 1,2,3 as well as meeting New Zealand University entry requirements.
Subject choices for International students at all levels are made in consultation with the Director of International Students, Deans and subject teachers.
IELTS is offered to senior students who may need this qualification for entry to international tertiary institutions. TOEFL and TOEIC can also be arranged on request.
There are a number of compulsory and optional subjects to choose from at each year level and these are outlined in the Subject Structure Information located on this page.
Our Students
Hello! My name is Emma.
I have studied in Craighead for three and half years, and I am studying in Vancouver Canada now. No matter where I go, I never regret about the decision I made for coming to Craighead. When I first arrived at school, my English is really poor, I could only understand some simple words. The teacher was really nice, she asked a girl to take care of me in the school. Because Craighead is in Timaru, a place that doesn’t have a lot of Chinese, my English was improved really fast, just in half of the year, I can understand most of the conversation.
Compared to a lot of public schools, girls in here are much nicer, there wasn’t any misunderstanding due to the different culture backgrounds. Even now I am not in New Zealand, I still have contact with lots of my high school friends. Because of study in Craighead, I have friends from Japan, Korean, Thai, New Zealand and a lot of other places. Most of students here studied hard and also enjoy a great life here. After I came to Vancouver, a place with lots of Chinese, I realized a good environment for studying English is really important. I really miss my time at Craighead, sitting on the grass, have lunch with my friends. If given a second chance, I will still choose to come to Craighead.
你们好， 我叫Emma， 曾经在Craighead 学习了三年半， 如今在加拿大温哥华上大学。 可以 说不管走到哪里，我都十分庆幸当初父母为我选择了这所学校。 刚入校的时候，英语十分 的不好，只能听懂简单的问好之类的， 老师十分亲切，特意找了一个比我提前来的国际留 学生照顾我。 由于 Craighead 在Timaru， 一个华人不是特别多的地方，所以我的英语真的进 步的很快，过了不到半年，几乎就可以听懂学习生活上的大部分。 相比大部分公立高中， 这里的学生更加友善，在学校几乎没有发生过一些因为文化不同所带来的误会。 如今虽然 已不在新西兰，但还是和当初很多同学保持联系，也因为在这里，认识了来自日本，韩国 ，泰国，新西兰还有很多其他地方的朋友。由于身边良好的学习环境，身边的同学都很有 自己将来的人生规划，所以在Craighead的留学生都十分努力的学习，同时又很享受这边的 生活。 自从来到温哥华这座华人很多的城市，我深刻的体会到一个好的语言环境对我们这 些学生的语言进步起到了很大的作用。学校的校舍也十分漂亮。还记得那几棵三四个人都 围不住的大树，阳光明媚的时候坐在草地上与朋友谈天说地。 可以说在Craighead的那段时 光真的很快乐，无忧无虑。学校会帮助我们解决很多生活与学业上的问题。 当初报考加拿 大大学的时候十分担心他们不承认新西兰的教育体系，但是这份担心是多余的。在 Craighead的成绩可以说已经高过大多数留学生，并没有给我申请除新西兰大学之外的国家 大学带来任何麻烦。Timaru是一个非常美丽的城市，哪里有我至今见过最蓝的天和最美的 星空。我想如果再让我选择一次，我还是愿意回来这所学校去度过我全部的高中生涯！
One of our Thai students says
One of our Japanese students says
