At Waikato Diocesan School, we value international education opportunities and we encourage our students to embrace the chance to experience living and learning in different countries. Such experiences serve to develop the individual and foster an environment of understanding and tolerance in a global society.      

By building relationships between ‘sister’ schools across the world, Waikato Diocesan School can ensure that our students are able to build on the values and academic rigour of our own school, while also enjoying many new experiences. Sustained relationships with ‘sister’ schools build a sense of tradition as our students become increasingly familiar with what each exchange school is like.

Hosting exchange students at Waikato Diocesan School adds an international dimension to classes, sports and cultural teams, peer groups and families. Life-long friends are made, and a greater sense of cultural understanding and appreciation is developed.

Student exchanges are a major commitment and responsibility. The school must ensure that systems and structures are sound, and that the exchange school is satisfactory in terms of safety, shared values and availability of opportunities. The school and its teachers must also be willing to accept students from other cultures and/or languages into classes and provide them with the best exchange experience possible. For families the commitment is financial, and the responsibility is to ensure that both their daughter and their exchange ‘sister’ meet the expectations of the exchange. The girls on exchange also have commitments and responsibilities, all of which are made explicit in the exchange documentation.