Resources & Facilities
While enjoying a central location in Auckland, convenient to motorways and public transport, Diocesan students enjoy park like grounds featuring established gardens and trees. The campus has been expertly designed to accommodate buildings, sports facilities and recreational areas on a relatively compact site, while achieving a sense of space and open vistas. At the heart of the School are the Chapel, School Hall and School House, all buildings of historic significance. Courtyards link the central school buildings, creating recreational pockets for students.
In 1903 the School purchased the colonial homestead known as ‘St Johns Wood’, along with some six hectares of land, from the Hesketh family. In the School’s earliest years this gracious old building was home to almost all aspects of School life. Teaching, boarding, assemblies and Chapel all took place within its walls. As the School facilities grew however, School House was used increasingly to accommodate boarding pupils, house staff and resident teaching staff, and it continued in this way until the closure of boarding on the School site. At present, School House is home to some of the School’s administration, meeting facilities, School Reception and the Principal’s Office. School House has seen a number of alterations and renovations over the years and has withstood the hi-jinks of generations of boarders and yet somehow still retains much of its Victorian elegance and dignity.
The Chapel has been built in several stages, and is really two chapels in one. The earliest part of the Chapel complex, the St Barnabas Chapel, was built of kauri in 1864 at Bishopscourt, Bishop Selwyn’s residence in Parnell, where it served as the Bishop’s private Chapel. In 1909 however, it was decided to relocate this historic building and in 1910 it was moved to the School. In 1922 the Chapel of Our Glorified Lord was added and in 1927 the Chancel was dedicated to commemorate the work of Miss M E Pulling, the first Headmistress. The Chapel Porch was built in 1979 to commemorate the life and work of our third Headmistress Eliza Edwards. The Chapel is very much the heart of the School and is open to all.
The Hall
Designed by Miss Pulling, the Hall was built in 1905 and enlarged in 1909. While it is many years since the Hall was big enough to house the entire School, its special character ensures that its crests and photographs and painted texts, celebrate our links with the schools in Great Britain who pioneered secondary education for young women, and the School’s Anglican heritage. The Honours Board at the end lists the Associates. These were students who reached a certain level of academic standard as stated by the School in the early days.
The Junior School, which caters for Years 1 to 6, was opened in 1997 on the site of the previous Junior School. Its excellent design provides a warm and welcoming environment for our youngest students.
After School Care - Years 1 to 6
After School Care is located on Level 1 of Centennial Building and is available for Junior School students daily from 2.45pm to 6.00pm. Activities offered include dance, drama, sport, computers, cooking etc. For further information about this programme please contact our After School Care Manager on 021 162 7827.
Centennial Building
Centennial Building is a four-storey block, opened in November 2003. It houses the School Office, offices for a number of academic and administrative staff, Information Systems Support, the Library, the Careers Department, the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and teaching classrooms and facilities for Languages, Mathematics, Religious Studies, Humanities and Classical Studies.
The Diocesan School for Girls Senior Library is an integral part of, and essential to, the support of the School’s Educational Programme for Years 7 to 13, including both NCEA and the newly introduced International Baccalaureate.
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The Library provides |
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dynamic and welcoming environment with state-of-the-art facilities |
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a wide variety of fiction books, DVDs, graphic novels, and sophisticated picture books. |
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an extremely well resourced non-fiction collection, including printed literature and access to a range of online research databases, periodicals, information file and the internet |
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wireless internet and computer access to support digital learning in the school |
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The Library promotes |
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the development of independent research skills to access and analyse information in and beyond the School |
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the independent and life-long love of reading and learning and the role libraries play in the learning process |
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excellent customer service |
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Hours |
| Monday - Thursday |
7.30am - 5.00pm |
| Friday |
7.30am - 4.00pm |
The library is also open between terms and has extended hours during end-of-year exams.
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The Library is staffed by |
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a Teacher Librarian |
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4 qualified Librarians |
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a team of 45 student librarians Years 11 to 13 |
The Whare, which forms part of the Te Reo Maori teaching space, is located in Centennial Building, and opens onto a deck area and steps down into the garden.
Priest Te Kitohi Pikaahu named the whare ‘Matariki’ which means ‘Maori New Year’, but for us here at Diocesan means ‘A new dawn, a new day’. The whare is divided into two sections, the one used as the classroom area and the other area for such activities as Tikanga Maori (Maori protocols and workshops), Powhiri (formal welcome for visitors), Maori arts, the Kapa Haka cultural group’s practices and performances, Maori professional development and extra-curricular activities.
Run by the Parents and Friends’ Association, the cafeteria offers a great selection of healthy food options, many of which are made fresh daily. It is open before and after school, at interval and at lunchtime.
A selection from our menu
| Sandwiches |
Roasted Vegetable Salad |
| Nachos |
Hot Dogs |
| Sushi |
Fruit Smoothie |
| Fresh Fruit |
Naan Wraps |
| Panini |
Mini Pizza |
| Quiche |
Vegetable Soup |
| Pasta Salad |
Juice and Mineral Water |
The Drama Centre began life as the School Library in 1974, however when, in 2003, the Library moved into its new home in the Centennial Building, the former Library was seen as an ideal environment for Drama. It contains three large rooms, two studios and one classroom, equipped with computers.
Opened in 1987 this building caters for a wide variety of activities. The floor space can be divided into two teaching areas. Completion of this building enabled the School to have on-site coaching of several sports codes. It can also be used for full School assemblies, concerts and prizegivings.
The Music Block opened in 1970. This contains two large teaching and practice rooms and a number of small teaching studios. Specialist music teachers for a large variety of instruments are available during the day.
Our state of the art indoor swimming facility was officially opened 13 February 2009 by Governor-General, Anand Satyanand and includes a purpose built fitness centre, separate junior pool and spectator gallery which seats 400 people. The pool measures 25 metres by 20 metres and has a moveable floor shipped in from the Netherlands, which can be lowered to a maximum depth of two metres and raised for learn to swim classes.
The present Science Block was opened in 1999 and replaces an earlier Science building which opened in 1967. This building contains specialist science facilities with Chemistry, Physics and Biology laboratories and additional general purpose and research laboratories.
The Shrewsbury Building, opened in September 1991, has been extended and contains Food Studies, Fabric Studies, Design Technology, Graphics and specialist Art facilities, along with a Design computer suite. These facilities are amongst the most modern in the country and allow for quality teaching in these subject areas.
Patteson Block was opened in 1979 and was built to commemorate the 75th Jubilee of the founding of the School. When Centennial Building was constructed, Patteson Block underwent total refurbishment and now links seamlessly to the newer building. Predominantly home to the English Department, it has ten classrooms, two large resource areas and a small theatre that seats approximately sixty people.
The Professional Centre was opened in 1993 and serves as a staffroom and work area for staff. It also houses offices for administrative staff.
Catering for our senior students, a new Common Room Building housing Years 11, 12 and 13 was opened in February 2007. This provides our senior students with their own area for relaxation and study. Deans for these year levels are also located in this building. The building has several classrooms and two large spaces currently used for teaching Drama.