Bayfield High School, Dunedin
Bayfield High School is a co-educational high school in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was established in 1961 and is located on the corner of Musselburgh Rise and Shore Street, adjacent to the Otago Harbour. The school currently has approximately 600 students.
Bayfield High School | |
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Location | |
2 Shore Street New Zealand | |
Coordinates | 45.895653°S 170.523021°E |
Information | |
Type | Secondary |
Motto | Latin: Quaerere Verum (Seek the Truth) |
Established | 1961 |
Ministry of Education Institution no. | 382 |
Chairperson | Stephanie Woodley |
Principal | Mark Jones[1] |
School roll | 597[2] (April 2023) |
Socio-economic decile | 7O[3] |
Newspaper | The Bayleaf |
Website | www |
Facilities

Stage one of a new gymnasium was opened on 22 August 2008, after teachers approached the Ministry of Education in 2007 requesting an upgrade to undersized facilities.[4]
House system
There are five houses with approximately 160 students in each house. The houses are Anderson, Begg, Herron, Ross and Somerville. All houses except Herron are named after the founding fathers of the district; Herron is named after the first principal Jack Herron. Each house has four tutor groups with a tutor teacher and associate teacher. Each house has a dean that looks after the house.
Curriculum and culture
The school is well known throughout the local community for having a strong music department. Students perform regularly in the wider community and in 2006 the school Orchestra, Jazz Band and Madrigal Choir flew to Sydney, Australia to play in the Sydney Opera House with a company called United World Concert Tours. The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony and the Honolulu Community Concert Band, from Hawaii, also performed. Another tour to Melbourne, Australia took place in June 2010 for 30 students and their supporters.
Bayfield High School has an ESOL department for overseas fee paying students. In 2010 there were 40 overseas students enrolled from Japan, China, Brazil, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, France and Korea. The overseas students have specialist English Language classes together with regular classes. They also enjoy trips away from school including visits to Fiordland, the Queenstown Ski area and Mount Cook.
History
Bayfield High School canteen replaced unhealthy options from its menu and starting selling sandwiches, salads and wraps, the canteen has been making more money in a day than it previously did in a week. The success of the canteen revamped menu has won the school a Heart Start Excellence Award from the National New Zealand Heart Foundation - the first secondary school in Otago to receive the award.[5]
Notable alumni and staff
- David Bain – acquitted of murder after a retrial in 2009
- David Benson-Pope – former cabinet minister, was a teacher at the school.[6]
- Daniel Borgman – director of The Weight of Elephants
- Len Cook – former National Statistician of the United Kingdom
- Anna Grimaldi – para-athlete, Paralympic gold medallist.[7]
- Danyon Loader – Olympic Gold medallist
- Gary Seear – All Black rugby player (1976-79)
References
- Hudson, Daisy (14 November 2019). "Opportunity too good to miss - new principal".
- "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
- Lewis, John (23 August 2008). "Bayfield gets to try its new gym". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- Lewis, John (30 August 2015). "Healthy canteen menu wins excellence award". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
- Fisher, David (26 February 2006). "New questions for Benson-Pope". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- McMurran, Alistair (28 May 2014). "Grimaldi fast out of the blocks". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 5 June 2016.