Last updated October 2026
Otago Girls’ High School is a state, girls’ secondary school for Years 9 to 13 at 41 Tennyson Street, Dunedin. It opened in 1870 and had 715 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Kaikorai, Wakari, Roslyn, Belleknowes and Māori Hill, and parts of Dunedin City Centre, Halfway Bush, Glenleith, North Dunedin, Mornington, Woodhaugh and Bradford; the zone map below shows the full boundary. Its site lists a wide subject choice, including te reo Māori, Spanish, Japanese and French, Gateway and Otago Secondary Tertiary College pathways, and outdoor education at every year level, from a Year 9 camp to ski, climbing, surfing and tramping trips. It also lists arts and culture from kapa haka to digital media, Year 9 scholarships, and an international programme in which students live with host families.
At a glance
- Principal
- Bridget Davidson
- Address
- 41 Tennyson Street, Dunedin
- Phone
- 03 474 0496
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Belleknowes Dunedin, Wakari, Roslyn Dunedin, Māori Hill and Kaikorai.
Parts of Dunedin City Centre, Halfway Bush, Glenleith, North Dunedin, Mornington Dunedin, Woodhaugh Dunedin and Bradford: check your street.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 715 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
28 international students
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Evaluation Report from June 2024. ERO found outcomes for students becoming more equitable while staying at a high level.
Students, including Māori and Pacific learners, continued to do very well in NCEA Levels 1 to 3 and University Entrance, most Year 9 and 10 students were at or above national expectations in literacy and numeracy, and regular attendance was above national averages.
ERO also noted students’ strong connection to the school, stronger reporting and evaluation within curriculum areas, and Māori and Pacific strategic plans developed with learners, whānau, hapū and iwi.
The school’s next steps are to keep mentoring curriculum leaders, especially new ones, to strengthen evaluation, and to use curriculum area reports to shape strategic planning, while monitoring attendance, retention, NCEA results, scholarships and the progress of priority learners.
Read the ERO reports for Otago Girls’ High School
Enrolling
Students who live in the home zone are entitled to enrol. Out-of-zone places are offered under the enrolment scheme in priority order, starting with siblings of current students, and by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
Enrolment is online or through the school office, and the school publishes its Year 9 closing dates and a list of in-zone streets on its enrolment pages. Year 9 entrance scholarships are also offered by application.
Schools nearby
In Dunedin City Centre
Otago Girls' High School is in Dunedin City Centre. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Questions parents ask
Is Otago Girls' High School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Belleknowes Dunedin, Wakari, Roslyn Dunedin, Māori Hill and Kaikorai and parts of Dunedin City Centre, Halfway Bush, Glenleith, North Dunedin, Mornington Dunedin, Woodhaugh Dunedin and Bradford.
What years does it teach?
Years 9 to 13.
How many students go there?
715 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
It may. It is not in the donation scheme, so it can ask families for donations.
What is its Equity Index?
439. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
Is it a single-sex school?
Yes. It takes girls only.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 88.7% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 25 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0). Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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