Welcome from the Housemaster
My family and I feel privileged to be part of the Corfe House community.
Tēnā koutou katoa
Nō Ngāti Ingārangi me Ngāti Āwherika ōku tīpuna
I tipu ake au i Āwherika ki te Tonga
Engari e noho ana au i Ōtautahi ināianei
Ko Vikki Wood tōku hoa rangatira
Ko Rebekah tāku tamāhine
Ko Joshua tāku tama
Ko Arthur Wood tōku ingoa
Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tena rā tātou katoa
As Corfe Housemaster, I would like to introduce the Wood clan. My wife, Vikki, is a primary school teacher. Our daughter, Rebekah, is completing her Clinical Psychology qualification at the University of Canterbury while our son, Joshua, has completed a Sports Coaching degree at UC and plans to join the New Zealand Defence Force. We immigrated from South Africa in 2007 – where I was Director of Boarding at Durban High School – and I took on the role of HOD Mathematics at Buller High School in Westport. I joined Christ's College in 2008 as a Mathematics teacher. I left teaching at the end of 2012 to pursue an opportunity in industry before returning to College in 2016 as a member of the Mathematics and Physical Education departments. I was appointed School House Housemaster in 2017. In 2022, I took on the new role of Diploma Awards Coordinator, helping to lead the development of the Christ’s College Diploma. I love sport and have coached the College 1st XV and, more recently, the U15A rugby and the Year 9A cricket teams.
We look forward to meeting you and welcome the opportunity to help your son grow and develop at College and, in particular, within the supportive and encouraging environment of Corfe House.
Rem bene!
Nāku noa nā
Arthur Wood
Welcome from Head of Corfe House
Corfe House is a place where each student is encouraged to participate fully, take on challenges, and contribute to the strong sense of community that defines our House.
We take pride in being inclusive, supportive, and determined – values that guide us in everyday College life and in representing our House across all areas of the school.
A key strength of Corfe is the way students from all year levels connect and support one another. New students are welcomed into an environment where effort, respect, and teamwork are valued above all else. This culture allows everyone to feel confident, involved, and proud to be part of something greater than themselves. In recent years, Corfe House has continued to perform strongly in interhouse events, with achievements in academics, sport, culture, and leadership. These successes reflect our shared commitment to always do our best and always uphold the standards and traditions that make Corfe unique.Reme Bene, Do It Well.
Yul Kwon
Head of House 2026
House staff
Andrew Levenger
Deputy Housemaster/Mentor
Andrew Levenger
Deputy Housemaster/Mentor
Andrew was a strike bowler, taking a best of eight for 52 and securing a 50-wicket haul in his final year at school. A back injury forced his retirement from the cut and thrust of club cricket in 2007. He has scored one century and taken the wickets of two test players – although they were both a little past their prime.
Following a fine season coaching the 9A Blacks to silverware in 2018, Andrew has moved up and continues to work his wonders as 1st XI manager.
Hannah Clarkson
Mentor
Hannah Clarkson
Mentor
Hannah Clarkson is the Director of Drama at Christ’s College, where she has been inspiring students for the past five years. With a career spanning more than two decades in performing arts education, she brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role. Before joining Christ’s College, Hannah spent 15 years at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, where she held multiple positions, including teacher, dean, and co-ordinator of wellbeing. Her extensive background in theatre includes directing and choreographing numerous acclaimed productions, including Anything Goes, Cats, Evita, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr., and West Side Story.
Hannah is committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive Drama Department, providing a diverse range of opportunities for boys to engage in the performing arts. Under her leadership, boys at Christ’s College can participate in classroom drama, major productions, speech and drama, dance, theatresports, the National Shakespeare Festival, the NZ Dance Made competition, and a drama tour to London. She is passionate about nurturing creativity, confidence, and collaboration, ensuring that every student can discover more about themselves while exploring the world of performance.
Tony O’Connor
Mentor
Tony O’Connor
Mentor
Mathematics teacher and rowing coach Tony O’Connor emigrated to New Zealand in 2004 and is now enjoying his third stint at Christ’s College.
From Dublin, Tony is a former world champion and Olympic finalist. He was on the Irish national team for nine years and spent two years coaching the national team. Last year he coached Old Boy Sam Bosworth (coxswain) and the New Zealand’s men’s eight to gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
Tony says rowing requires total commitment – “you learn a lot in the classroom, but you learn a lot on the river, too. You learn how to lose, and that can teach you more than winning.”
Shannon Small
Mentor
Shannon Small
Mentor
Shannon Small first became involved in Theatresports as an Ashburton College student, travelling to Christchurch for competitions. He was awarded a blue – the equivalent of a College Colour – for his contribution to Theatresports at secondary school. Shannon then completed a Theatre Studies degree at the University of Otago, including papers on improvisation. Next, he gained entry to the prestigious Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School to study for a degree in acting. Following his graduation, workshopping and devising plays became part of his professional life. A career change into teaching took Shannon in a different direction. In 2023, he returned to the sport by coaching the Christ’s College Theatresports teams, with the junior team winning that year.
House booklet
History of Corfe House
The current Corfe House began in the building now known as Selwyn. That building was originally a Master’s House and then it accommodated Condell’s House.
With the increase in dayboy numbers in the 1960s, the residential part of the House became the fourth dayboy House, Corfe, and the upstairs area was turned into a biology laboratory and a classroom. The name Corfe had earlier been associated with a House within the College. In the 1870s, those boys who had boarded with the Headmaster, Charles Carteret Corfe, had, in the tradition of the time, taken on the name of their Housemaster.
Corfe House has taken the tui or parson bird’s head as its symbol. This forms the crest of the College Arms, and the white tuft with almost black plumage reflects College colours — black and white. In 2002 Corfe, moved across Rolleston Avenue to the new dayboy Houses in Gloucester Street. The building in which it was once housed was renamed Selwyn after George Augustus Selwyn, the First Warden of Christ’s College and the only Anglican Bishop of the whole of New Zealand.