Bayfield High School, Dunedin

Bayfield High School was founded in 1961. The school celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2011.

On 14 November 2023, Bayfield attracted significant domestic media attention following an email threat. In response, the school was placed on lockdown for two hours while members of the New Zealand Police's Armed Offenders Squad searched the school grounds.{{cite news |last1=Ruru |first1=Karanama |last2=McNeilly |first2=Hamish |title=Lockdown lifted at Dunedin high school, police presence remains |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/otago/301008129/lockdown-lifted-at-dunedin-high-school-police-presence-remains |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Stuff |date=14 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120002414/https://www.stuff.co.nz/otago/301008129/lockdown-lifted-at-dunedin-high-school-police-presence-remains|archive-date=20 November 2023|url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Dunedin school lockdown lifted, nothing of concern found |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-school-in-lockdown-armed-police-on-the-scene/HRYRE33U3VBGNEQIDBLE2PXULE/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=14 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119161825/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/dunedin-school-in-lockdown-armed-police-on-the-scene/HRYRE33U3VBGNEQIDBLE2PXULE/|archive-date=19 November 2023|url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Lockdown at Dunedin school lifted after email threat |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/11/14/dunedin-school-in-lockdown-after-email-threat/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=1News |publisher=TVNZ |date=14 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114235732/https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/11/14/dunedin-school-in-lockdown-after-email-threat/|archive-date=14 November 2023|url-status=live}} Police subsequently spoke to a youth who was identified as a "person of interest" and the source of the threat which sparked the lockdown.{{cite news |last1=Priestley |first1=Laine |title=Youth in frame for Bayfield High school threat |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/youth-frame-bayfield-high-school-threat |access-date=29 April 2024 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=16 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118230439/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/youth-frame-bayfield-high-school-threat |archive-date=18 November 2023|url-status=live}}

On 24 September 2024, the school was evacuated after receiving another email threat. Police subsequently arrested and charged a 16 year old youth with threatening to kill.{{cite news |title=Teen charged with threatening to kill after Dunedin’s Bayfield High School put into lockdown |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/teen-charged-with-threatening-to-kill-after-dunedins-bayfield-high-school-put-into-lockdown/QLBZ2EEKGJA4ZAJKEZW6OIWXXQ/ |access-date=25 September 2024 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=24 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924073240/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/teen-charged-with-threatening-to-kill-after-dunedins-bayfield-high-school-put-into-lockdown/QLBZ2EEKGJA4ZAJKEZW6OIWXXQ/ |archive-date=24 September 2024}}{{cite news |title=Teen arrested over Bayfield threat |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/police-escort-students-school-closed-over-email-threat |access-date=25 September 2024 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=24 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924041954/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/police-escort-students-school-closed-over-email-threat |archive-date=24 September 2024|url-status=live}}

As of {{NZ school roll data|3=y}}, Bayfield High School has roll of {{NZ school roll data|382|y}} students, of which {{NZ school roll data|382m|y}} ({{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ school roll data|382m|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ school roll data|382|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%) identify as Māori.{{NZ school roll data|4=y}}

As of {{NZ school equity index data|203||y|||}}, Bayfield High School has an Equity Index of {{NZ school equity index data|382|y||||}},{{NZ school equity index data|28|||y||}} placing it amongst schools whose students have {{NZ school equity index data|382b|y||||}} socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 5 and 6 under the former socio-economic decile system).{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=School Equity Index Bands and Groups |url=https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/data-services/guidelines/school-equity-index-bands-and-groups |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=www.educationcounts.govt.nz |language=en-NZ}}

File:BayfieldArch.JPG

Like most New Zealand state secondary schools built in the 1960s, Bayfield High School was originally built to the Nelson Two-Storey plan. The Nelson Two-Storey is distinguished by its two-storey H-shaped classroom blocks, with stairwells at each end of the block and a large ground floor toilet and cloak area on one side.{{cite web |date=August 2013 |title=Catalogue of Standard School Building Types |url=http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/PropertyToolBox/StateSchools/Design/EarthquakeResilience/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PrimarySecondary/PropertyToolbox/StateSchools/Design/General/MOEstandardbuildingcatalogue_ReV1.2.pdf |access-date=10 July 2014 |publisher=Ministry of Education |location=Christchurch}} Bayfield has two of these blocks, known as B block and C block.

Stage one of a new gymnasium was opened on 22 August 2008, after teachers approached the Ministry of Education in 2007 requesting an upgrade to undersized facilities.{{cite web|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/19122/bayfield-gets-try-its-new-gym|title=Bayfield gets to try its new gym|last=Lewis|first=John|date=23 August 2008|publisher=Otago Daily Times |accessdate=2008-08-23}}

The school is well known throughout the local community for having a strong music department. Students perform regularly in the wider community and in 2006 the school Orchestra, Jazz Band and Madrigal Choir flew to Sydney, Australia to play in the Sydney Opera House with a company called United World Concert Tours. The Colorado Springs Youth Symphony and the Honolulu Community Concert Band, from Hawaii, also performed. Another tour to Melbourne, Australia took place in June 2010 for 30 students and their supporters.{{Cn|date=August 2022}}

Bayfield High School has an ESOL department for overseas fee paying students. In 2010 there were 40 overseas students enrolled from Japan, China, Brazil, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Taiwan, France and Korea. The overseas students have specialist English Language classes together with regular classes. They also take trips away from school including visits to Fiordland, the Queenstown's ski fields and Aoraki / Mount Cook.{{Cn|date=August 2022}}

There are five houses with approximately 160 students in each house. The houses are Anderson, Begg, Herron, Ross and Somerville. All houses except Herron are named after the founding fathers of the district; Herron is named after the first principal Jack Herron. Each house has four tutor groups with a tutor teacher and associate teacher. Each house has a dean that looks after the house.{{Cn|date=August 2022}}

• David Bain – acquitted of murder after a retrial in 2009{{cite news |last1=Sinclair |first1=Kay |title=Witness reports 'strange dynamics' in Bain family |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/witness-reports-strange-dynamics-bain-family |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=29 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706100504/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/witness-reports-strange-dynamics-bain-family |archive-date=6 July 2022}}
• David Benson-Pope – former cabinet minister, was a teacher at the school.{{cite news |last1=Fisher |first1=David |title=New questions for Benson-Pope |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-questions-for-benson-pope/PT4DPZXY4WIOQBUF3YFNCXZLDE/ |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=The New Zealand Herald |publisher=NZME |date=26 February 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114233141/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-questions-for-benson-pope/PT4DPZXY4WIOQBUF3YFNCXZLDE/ |archive-date=14 November 2023|url-status=live}}
• Daniel Borgman – director of The Weight of Elephants{{cite news |last1=Gilchrist |first1=Shane |title=Heavy on life |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/film/heavy-life |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=17 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126112346/https://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/film/heavy-life |archive-date=26 January 2022|url-status=live}}
• Len Cook – former National Statistician of the United Kingdom{{cite journal |last1=Scott |first1=Carson |title=Len Cook in London |journal=New Zealand Statistical Association Newsletter |date=March 2003 |issue=57 |url=http://nzsa.rsnz.org/Newsletter57/LenCook.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926220426/http://nzsa.rsnz.org/Newsletter57/LenCook.htm |archive-date=26 September 2007}}
• Anna Grimaldi – para-athlete, Paralympic gold medallist.{{cite news |first= Alistair |last= McMurran |date= 28 May 2014 |title= Grimaldi fast out of the blocks |url= http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/303774/grimaldi-fast-out-blocks |work= Otago Daily Times |accessdate= 5 June 2016}}
• Danyon Loader – Olympic Gold medallist{{cite news |last1=McLean |first1=Elspeth |title=Secret ingredient of success is help |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/secret-ingredient-success-help |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=12 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114234307/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/secret-ingredient-success-help |archive-date=14 November 2023|url-status=live}}
• Gary Seear – All Black rugby player (1976–79){{cite news |last1=Hepburn |first1=Steve |title=Former All Black ahead of his time |url=https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/former-all-black-ahead-his-time |access-date=14 November 2023 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=9 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114235330/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/former-all-black-ahead-his-time|archive-date=14 November 2023|url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.bayfield-high.school.nz/ www.bayfield-high.school.nz}}

{{Schools in Otago}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Secondary schools in Dunedin

Category:New Zealand secondary schools of Nelson plan construction

Category:Educational institutions established in 1961

Category:1961 establishments in New Zealand