Another parent said her daughter’s "horrific" experience was so bad she withdrew her from the school to home-school her.
The school’s board of trustees will work with barrister Ben Nettleton, a statutory manager, appointed by the Ministry of Education.
His appointment comes on the back of a series of school-yard bullying incidents and increasing truancies.
A recent ERO report said fewer than half the students were attending school regularly.
Mr Nettleton will take over the functions of the board, but the day-to-day operations of the school would continue as normal.
In February, police were called to the school after a 13-year-old student was left with a head injury following a playground incident. That led to the school denying there was a bullying culture.
Just a month later, a 14-year-old student reportedly had her head "smashed" into the ground by another student.
The parent of that child was elated with the development.
"Wow, it’s about time; I’m so glad," she said.
The incident in March was the second time her daughter had been assaulted, after another attack in November.
Both attacks involved older students, she said.
"She was assaulted twice and the last time was very violent and it wasn’t her fault, but she was made to feel like it was. She got suspended and stood down, as well, when she was the victim, and then she had to go up against the board to stay at the school."
She was trying to get her daughter into another school.
"The only other option she had was online schooling and, you know, bullying is horrendous, but online schooling is extremely isolating and those are the only two options she had."
While her daughter was "doing better", the school was still, as a whole, "just out of control", she said.
A sign of the school’s dysfunction was students struggling to find an empty toilet cubicle due to so many being used for vaping.
"The girls can’t even get to the toilet when they need it. And, for any people, but teenage girls especially, should be able to go to the bathroom when needed."
Another parent, Zara Murphy, said her gifted and neurodivergent 14-year-old daughter faced persistent bullying, sexual harassment, inappropriate comments from teachers and physical assault from a group of girls, including being pushed down stairs.
"My daughter started ... year 9 this year — we’re relatively new to the Oamaru community and, unfortunately, [Waitaki] Girls’ High was the only high schooling option for us here locally.
"She experienced continued bullying from a specific group of girls to the point that [her] things were taken from her. Things like her Chromebook.
"The school were reasonably nonplussed about that. They always came from the angle of it being restorative, but didn’t really seem to understand what restorative really meant.
"Incidents started to mount up, to a point where in class she was experiencing really horrific sexually-based name-calling."
Name-calling was not restricted to students, she said.
"We had a very inappropriate situation with the male teacher on staff. He made really horrendously inappropriate comments in front of my daughter about her worth as a person and felt that she needed to improve who she was in order to be liked by other individuals in the class."
After an incident where her daughter witnessed a "terrible attack" on another girl at the school bus stop and another in which her own daughter was pushed down stairs, she took her daughter out of school.
"I know other mums or parents, caregivers, have been through it for much longer than we have. We’re only able to put up with two terms of it."
Mr Nettleton told the Otago Daily Times he was appointed at the request of the Ministry of Education, with no specific incident triggering the appointment.
"The board of obviously engaged with the ministry. The ministry have engaged around what’s causing them some challenges and that’s led to the request that I be appointed to come in and assist.
"So, what I do at the beginning stage is really what we call the scoping period.
"My role is very much a listening one for the next couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to engaging with all the stakeholders and helping them work through any challenges that have arisen."
- A previous version on this article stated the school's board of trustees had been dumped. This was incorrect. The Board remains in place with some responsibilities delegated to the limited statutory manager.
Statement from Ben Nettleton
Recent reporting has suggested that the Waitaki Girls’ High School Board of Trustees has been “dumped.” This is inaccurate.
The Board remains in place and continues to serve the school community. At the Board’s own request, the Ministry of Education appointed a Limited Statutory Manager (LSM) to provide additional governance support.
The LSM has temporarily assumed certain responsibilities, such as employment, policy, and communication, while the elected Board continues its other important functions.
This arrangement is a constructive step forward, not a punitive action. It ensures the school has extra expertise and capacity to address challenges and strengthen systems, while maintaining community representation through the Board.
The wellbeing, safety, and success of our students are our top priorities. We acknowledge that the school has faced challenges, and we are taking them seriously. With the support of the Board, the Ministry, Staff, and Whānau, we are already putting improvements in place.
We are committed to transparency and accountability. Parents and Whānau will be kept informed through regular updates and open communication.
Our focus is on ensuring safe, supportive, and thriving environment for every learner.
Waitaki Girls’ High School is proud of its students and community. We ask for fair and accurate reporting to ensure the public has a clear understanding of the positive steps being taken. Together, we are determined to create a strong future for our school.
