Woodford House

More about Woodford House

Located in the Hawke’s Bay region, on the East Coast of the North Island, New Zealand, Havelock North is a lovely prosperous suburb with warm and moderate climate. This is where you will find Woodford House, a leading school for girls, and a home to excellence.

Woodford House was established in 1894 and has since had a long standing reputation for educating intellectual, competent and well-rounded young women. We deliver the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) curriculum which is widely recognised and accepted by the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, Thailand and many other countries. We are dedicated to innovation, global citizenship, and a future focused education.

We offer the girls a safe, secluded environment for studying and enjoying a privileged lifestyle with a 25-meter swimming pool, two gymnasiums, and numerous beautiful walkways through the woods and gardens. The school is only 1.4km away from the town centre, which has a range of cafes and shops, so the students can go for a stroll downtown after school.

Woodford House is a culturally diverse community and is home to about 335 girls. Approximately 180 girls are boarders, including around 20-30 international students. The students are from 12 to 18 years old, studying from Year 7 to Year 13. They come from many different countries, including Germany, Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, and South Korea, with a range of interesting educational backgrounds.

Woodford House is proud to offer small class sizes, personalised learning and particular strengths in Design and Creative Technologies, Science, Physical Education and Health. Class sizes range from 5 – 20 students. Staff to student ratio is 1/5 approximately. Everything we do is focused around ongoing learning and personal excellence.

Boarding at Woodford House is a special and sought-after experience for students. It is a place where our girls are deeply cared for and where they gain a strong sense of belonging. We have five boarding houses that are equipped with single and double bedrooms, common rooms for the girls to socialise in, study nooks, bathrooms and kitchens. The girls are encouraged to decorate their rooms with photos to make them homely. When girls are in Year 13 they experience apartment living; this style of living helps to prepare the girls for a life beyond Woodford House.

Boarding students receive breakfast, morning tea, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea and supper each day. The food is prepared by professional in-house chefs and is not only delicious, but also  aligned with the Ministry of Health guidelines. All Woodford House boarding girls are cared for 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a dedicated House Supervisor.

Testimonials

Year 13 Deputy Prefect Manae Feleu (2014-2016): “It has been a really enriching experience. I have learnt a lot about myself and others. Woodford House has helped me grow as an individual and become more independent.”

Mrs. Rose Li, mother of Tracy Zeng (2015-2019): “We fell in love with Woodford House at first sight. The girls have passion and integrity, and the School is full of harmony and freedom. My daughter enjoys her friendships and her classes. Woodford House has helped her be the girl she wants to be.”

Mrs. Pia Wembacher, mother of Helene Wembacher, Year 11 student (2018): “We are grateful that Woodford House and the staff make Helene feel safe and welcome, and at the same time give her enough space to grow, develop new skills and take on new challenges. She is happy and will benefit from this stay more than we probably expected. We can´t wait to come and  see New Zealand  for ourselves. It seems to be a magical place.”