Geraldine High School


Geraldine High School is a co-educational state secondary school located in Geraldine, South Canterbury, New Zealand. The school serves students from Years 7 to 13 and from both the town of Geraldine and the surrounding rural communities.
WWW geraldinehs.school.nzIG geraldine_high_school

History

From the passage of the Education Act of 1877 to 1901, local residents of Geraldine worked to gain approval for establishment of a district high school in Geraldine, raising the status of the Geraldine Primary School. The origins of Geraldine High School trace back to January 1902 with the establishment of the Geraldine District High School. At that time, 27 students were enrolled in the high school.
In 1906 the school building was destroyed by fire, and for seventeen months, the seniors met in the town's Volunteer Hall and juniors met in the Oddfellows Hall. Unfortunately, the low numbers resulted in the closure of the high school in 1909. In 1915, it was reopened in the Oddfellows Hall, with twenty students attending.
In 1963, the institution was restructured and officially became Geraldine High School, expanding its facilities and curriculum to accommodate a growing student population.

Campus

Situated at 93 McKenzie Street, the school has undergone significant developments over the years. A notable recent project includes the construction of a new gymnasium, completed in early 2025, funded by the Ministry of Education.

Academic programmes

Geraldine High School offers a comprehensive curriculum aligned with the New Zealand National Curriculum. The 2023 report of the Education Review Office listed strengths as:
Students work towards the National Certificate of Educational Achievement across various subjects. In addition to traditional academic courses, the school provides vocational programmes, including a Building Academy introduced in 2025.

Leadership

As of 2025, the principal of Geraldine High School is Marcus Cooper.

Notable alumni