Craighead Diocesan School

Craighead Diocesan School is a state-integrated Anglican girls day and boarding school in Highfield, Timaru, New Zealand. It is the only Anglican-affiliated school in South Canterbury.

Craighead Diocesan School
Address
1 Wrights Avenue, Timaru, New Zealand 7910
Information
TypeState-integrated, Girls, Intermediate and Secondary (Years 7-13) School, with both Boarders and Daygirls
MottoCoeli Gratia Superabo
Established1911; 109 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.357
PrincipalLindy Graham
School roll387[1] March 2020)
Socio-economic decile9[2]
Websitecraighead.school.nz

History
Shand House, pictured in 1911

The story of Craighead begins with a House. In 1875 local surveyor built a substantial home for his family on what was then the outskirts of Timaru. Fifteen years later Henry Le Cren purchased the property and named it “Craighead” after a castle owned by his brother-in-law in Scotland. In 1910 four sisters in Dunedin heard the property was on the market and they saw it as ideal for their dream of establishing a Girls School. The Shand sisters Eleanor, Fanny, Elizabeth and Anna, opened Craighead School in May 1911 with the expressed aim “to give such a liberal education on modern lines as will be best fitted to train the intellectual, artistic and moral faculties, to develop the character and ultimately to produce refined, cultured and capable young women”. The school began with a roll of six boarders and 11 day girls. From small beginnings the school has flourished, becoming an Anglican Church school at the end of 1926 when the Shand sisters retired from teaching. In 1981, the then-private school was integrated into the state system. The school has grown to a maximum role of 387 as of 2020.

Notable alumna


  • Paddy Bassett – Agricultural Scientist
  • Natalie Rooney – Sports Shooter
  • Pheobe Trolove - Rower
  • Kaylee Bell - Winner of Unsigned Only's top prize
  • Emma Dyke - Olympic Rower
  • Holly Zandbergen - Artist
  • Isla Brentwood - Singer


  • Main entrance
  • Side gates
  • Chapel of St Anthony of Padua

References
  1. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  2. "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 25 December 2015.

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