Boarding offers a special dimension to life at Columba College and boarders fill significant numbers in the lists of academic achievers, sporting stars, expert musicians and theatrical talents to come out of Columba College. Boarding school offers everything in one neat package: access to a broad academic curriculum, varied co-curricular activity through involvement in sport and the arts, connection with others of the same age and stage plus 24/7 supervision in a safe, caring and supportive environment.
Boarding
Life at Columba College Boarding School
Our on campus living in the heart of the city of Dunedin means that a whole new world of opportunity is available. Boarders have the ability to get involved in activities all week long, which means more time to try new things.
Boarders are surrounded by people who genuinely care about their welfare. With an emphasis on fun and laughter, the boarding environment is always bustling with life and staff are available to offer advice, help co-ordinate busy lives or just chat.
As the lifestyles of New Zealander’s have changed, so has boarding school. Columba College has adapted to these changes and offers a boarding solution for girls and young women from year 7 to 13 that emphasizes trust and doing the right thing, through using praise, constructive role modelling and positive reinforcement.
Our Commitment
Boarding is committed to excellence. However, we recognise that excellence is a relative, not an absolute concept and should be viewed in terms of personal growth. Boarding is an integral part of supporting excellence in personal growth and development. As such, we acknowledge that boarding must provide opportunity and personal choice and help empower young people to be better citizens who can more effectively contribute to society. Boarders have the opportunity through living in a community to develop vital social skills such as perseverance and self-management. They are able to figure out where their strengths lie and what their passions are. Further boarders are better able to adapt to change, to get on with all types of people from a variety of different walks of life and cultures and most importantly, through changing circumstances, develop resilience.