Columba College

{{Infobox school

| name = Columba College

| seal_image = Columbacollege.jpg

| seal_size = 150px

| motto = {{langx|la|Gratia et Disciplina Bona}}

| type = State-integrated, Day & Boarding (secondary)

| years = 1–13

| gender = co-education primary (Year 1–6); single sex girls secondary (Year 7–13)

| established = 1915; {{years ago|1915}} years ago

| motto_translation = With Grace and Good Discipline

| address = 399 Highgate, Dunedin

| coordinates = {{coord|45.863125|S|170.494375|E|type:edu_region:NZ-OTA|display=inline,title}}

| principal = Charissa Nicol (2022–present)

| roll = {{NZ school roll data|386|y||y}} ({{NZ school roll data|||y}})

| decile = 10Z{{cite web |url= http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PrimarySecondary/SchoolOpsResourcing/OperationalFundingDeciles/DecileChanges_20142015.xls |title= Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools |publisher= Ministry of Education |access-date= 12 February 2015 |archive-date= 24 January 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150124000031/http://www.minedu.govt.nz/~/media/MinEdu/Files/EducationSectors/PrimarySecondary/SchoolOpsResourcing/OperationalFundingDeciles/DecileChanges_20142015.xls |url-status= dead }}

| MOE = 386

| homepage = [http://www.columbacollege.school.nz columbacollege.school.nz]

}}

Columba College is an integrated Presbyterian school in Roslyn, Dunedin, New Zealand. The roll is made up of pupils of all ages. The majority of pupils are in the girls' secondary, day and boarding school, but there is also a primary school for boys and girls in years 1–6.

History

File:Bishopscourt (Columba College).jpg

Columba College was established in 1915 by the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand as a private day and boarding school for girls with co-educational primary classes. The Rev'd Alexander Whyte was a key figure in the foundation of Columba College, through his vision for a Presbyterian girls' school.{{cite web|url=https://www.columbacollege.school.nz/columba-story/|title=The Columba Story|publisher=Columba College|accessdate=2 November 2021}}

Columba College was created from two earlier Dunedin girls' schools, Girton College and Braemar House. Girton College had been founded in 1886 by the first woman graduate of the University of Otago, Caroline Freeman, who sold it to Frances Ross in 1891. Ross then purchased Braemar House and combined it with Girton College.

Frances Ross was appointed by the Presbytery of Dunedin as the first Head Mistress of the newly created Columba College in 1914. The schools moved to the current site at Bishopscourt, purchased from the first Anglican bishop for Otago and Southland, Bishop Nevill. The large house there had been designed by William Mason and built in 1872.

Whereas most church schools took a conservative view of girls' education, Columba built on the traditions of Girton College. High educational standards were set, while due attention was given to music, physical training, domestic science and, of course, religious instruction. The differing abilities and aspirations of the pupils were acknowledged and fostered. Ross expected a great deal from her girls and was not disappointed. Columba girls took prizes, scholarships and degrees at university and made their mark in a range of occupations.

{{DNZB

|title=Frances Jane Ross

|first= Angus|last= Ross

|id=3r28

|accessdate=7 May 2021

}}

Grace Mackintosh was a Scottish-born teacher who became the principal in 1930. She appeared to be religious. She had difficulty in coping with the climate and the job. She suffered with arthritis and making routine decisions. She left after three years when she was appointed at the head of Presbyterian Ladies' College, Pymble.{{Citation |last=Sherington |first=G. E. |title=Grace Mackintosh (1890–1954) |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mackintosh-grace-11000 |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |access-date=2024-01-07 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}

Columba College was integrated as a composite school under the terms of the Private Schools' Integration Act effective 31 January 1994.{{Cite web|last=|first=|title=Integration agreements for state integrated schools: C to E|url=https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/information-releases/issue-specific-releases/integration-agreements-for-state-integrated-schools/integration-agreements-for-state-integrated-schools-c-e/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-07|website=Education in New Zealand|language=en-NZ|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913024054/http://www.education.govt.nz:80/our-work/information-releases/issue-specific-releases/integration-agreements-for-state-integrated-schools/integration-agreements-for-state-integrated-schools-c-e/ |archive-date=13 September 2019 }}

Boarding facilities

Attached to the school are boarding facilities, catering for approximately 110 students, both domestic and international from years 7 to 13. Students live in one of two on-campus buildings, Katharine Buchan House or Bishopscourt.

Enrolment

As a state-integrated school, Columba College charges compulsory attendance dues plus requests voluntary donations. For the 2025 school year, the attendance dues payable is $2,034 per year while the requested donation is $2,160 per year.{{Cite web |title=Admissions |url=https://www.columbacollege.school.nz/admissions/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Columba College |language=en-NZ}}

As of {{NZ school roll data|3=y}}, the school has a roll of {{NZ school roll data|386|y}} students, of which {{NZ school roll data|386m|y}} ({{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ school roll data|386m|y}}|R}}/{{formatnum:{{NZ school roll data|386|y}}|R}}*100|1}}%) identify as Māori.{{NZ school roll data|4=y}}

As of {{NZ school equity index data|203||y|||}}, the school has an Equity Index of {{NZ school equity index data|386|y||||}},{{NZ school equity index data|28|||y||}} placing it amongst schools whose students have {{NZ school equity index data|386b|y||||}} socioeconomic barriers to achievement (roughly equivalent to deciles 9 and 10 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}}

Notable alumnae

Frances Hodgkins – artist, at Braemar House{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}
Cilla McQueen – poet{{Cite web |date=2016-03-13 |title=New Zealand Book Council |url=http://bookcouncil.org.nz/writers/mcqueencilla.html |access-date=2023-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313135226/http://bookcouncil.org.nz/writers/mcqueencilla.html |archive-date=13 March 2016 }}
Greta Stevenson – botanist{{Cite web |last=Taonga |first=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu |title=Stevenson, Greta Barbara |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4s44/stevenson-greta-barbara |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=teara.govt.nz |language=en}}