Homestay

As an international student at Otago Girls’ High School, we ensure that you have a caring environment which will help you to adjust to life in a new country.  All international students live with host families.  You will experience life with a New Zealand family.  You will settle in to school life more easily. Your host family will help your English skills to improve quickly, and will be interested in your welfare. Your host family will be involved in your academic progress and will be in regular contact with the school. You will be included as a valued member of your host family.

We try to ensure that you live with a family who share your interests.  It takes some time to get used to living with a host family, so please be open to a new family, a new culture and a new lifestyle.

All of our homestay families have been carefully selected, are regularly monitored, and are subject to police checks, which is a requirement of New Zealand law.

Looking After Your Daughter

Otago Girls' High School takes its responsibility to look after its international students very seriously.  The Dean of International Students has responsibility for the academic and pastoral care of all our international students and she maintains a close and caring oversight. The International Student Director supervises home stay and runs the orientation programme and she is available to assist the students daily.

Otago Girls' High School has a full time student counsellor to provide advice and guidance for students where required and is available for consultation at any time during the school week.  Health, careers and further education advice is also available to all students.