Principal Bridget Davidson's welcome

Nau Mai Haere Mai

It is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to our school. For 152 years Otago Girls’ High School has provided excellence in education. The women who have gone before us inspire great self-belief and confidence in who we can be. We are traditional and yet also bravely progressive, leading in innovative technologies, the Arts, STEM, sustainability and digital education.

Our school vision is: Inspire ~ Empower ~ Challenge ~ Dream. The Chambered Nautilus is our

school symbol and represents the growth into each chamber, each new year until we finally move out into independence. Our strongly-held and treasured school values are Kia Whakaute – Respect, Kia Hihiri – Positivity, and Kia Pono – Integrity. We invite you to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages where you can see the school in action, celebrating the everyday vibrant school life that happens here.

Learning is at the heart of all that we do. Our point of difference is in being the oldest state school for girls in the Southern Hemisphere and maintaining academic results and opportunities found only in top-performing schools in New Zealand and around the world. Across 27 schools in Otago, we stand in the top three schools for both Levels 2 and 3 NCEA. We are in the top five schools in Otago for University Entrance and remain in the top three schools in Dunedin for girls’ performance in Scholarship. Our teaching staff are talented and passionate.

Sports, Cultural, Outdoor Education, Leadership and other school activities are a valued part of our learning – going hand in hand with academic success. We have a partnership with our brother school, Otago Boys’ High School, and share a combined Choir, Kapa Haka group - Wairua Pūhou, Moana Pacific Group - Teine Mai Le Moana, School Production, Orchestra, Jazz Band and Quiz Night.

We care about you, your whānau and your journey with us. We have strong student leaders who look after you and a strong pastoral team to support you through your time with us. School and House Spirit are valued here. We are a Positive Behaviour for Learning and Restorative Practice school. We meet with you and your whānau twice a year in Years 10-13 for in-depth conversations in our Student Learning Conferences. Parents comment that the teachers here really know the students well and that they are supported by many people on their path to success.

We value the home-school partnership that will last through to and beyond the final special events of the Celebration Service and Graduation Ball at the conclusion of Year 13. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Ngā mihi nui

Bridget Davidson

Tumuaki ~ Principal