Gunshots fired near St Cuthbert's College campsite injure staff member

St Cuthbert's Kahunui Campus in the Bay of Plenty. The staff member was injured while out camping with students near the campus.

A staff member from a prestigious private girls school was hit in the face by shards of rock after gunshots were fired near a school camp.

The Auckland private school released a statement this afternoon confirming a male staff member received minor injuries during a camping incident just before midnight yesterday.

St Cuthbert's College principal Lynda Reid said none of the girls on the camp were injured. She travelled to the camp this morning to support staff and students.

"We're very concerned about the incident but thankful the injuries were not more serious. We're offering our full support to the staff member, his family and all those affected."

The gunshots were fired near the campsite of a group of students near St Cuthbert's remote Kahunui campus for Year 10 girls.

Each year around 25 students spend a month at Kahunui to complete an academic, social living and outdoor programme.

She said students were asleep at the time of the incident and unaware it happened.

Police said in a statement last night a man was hit in the face and leg by shotgun pellets while camping, but this afternoon senior sergeant Malcolm Collins corrected that.

"It sounds like maybe a [shotgun] shell has hit a rock and splinters have come off that and that's what he was hit by. It was not a shotgun pellet," said Mr Collins.

"He just had a few cuts. Ambulance treated him last night up the road from the scene and he went back to the camp."

Mr Collins said police were investigating and spoke to a group of hunters last night and were seeking another group of hunters believed to be in the area at the time.

Mr Collins said the man that was hit was not in the immediate area where the girls were asleep.

"My understanding was the school wanted them to leave last night. I couldn't confirm whether they were going to head back [to Auckland] or head to another location.

"The actual person that was hit by shards of rock was actually a little bit away from the main group. I think he was a bit around the corner from the girls. [They were] not in danger from what I understand from the report."

The school said the camp would continue as planned.