Burnside High School
Burnside High School (Māori: Te Kura o Waimairi-iri) is a state co-educational secondary school located in the suburb of Burnside in Christchurch, New Zealand. With a roll of 2,439 students,[1] it is the largest school in New Zealand outside Auckland,[3] and is among the country's four largest schools.
Enrolment[edit]
Burnside, like many secondary schools in Christchurch, operates an enrolment scheme to help curb roll numbers and prevent overcrowding. The school's zone includes the suburbs of Burnside and Bryndwr, and parts of Bishopdale, Fendalton, Ilam and Avonhead.[14]
At the August 2013 Education Review Office (ERO) review of the school, the school had 2416 students enrolled, including 135 international students. Forty-seven percent of students were male and 53 percent were female. Sixty-three percent of students identified as European (including 56 percent as New Zealand European or Pākehā), 22 percent as Asian, eight percent as Māori, two percent as Pasifika, and five percent as another ethnicity.[15]
Structure[edit]
The school is split into four divisions – North, South, West and Senior – the first three consisting of students from Years 9–12 and Senior division consisting of only Year 13 students. Each division has a guidance counsellor, three deans and a divisional principal. In addition, Senior Division includes a careers advisor. The school has a Principal, Second Principal, Assistant Principal, 3 Divisional Principals, 12 deans and 13 Heads of Department.
Allan Hunter was principal from 1969 to 1980, when he retired.[16] The current acting principal is Andrea Griffin, who took over the role after Phil Holstein's resignation.[17][18]
Academics[edit]
As a state school, Burnside High School follows the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). In Years 11 to 13, students complete the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), the main secondary school qualification in New Zealand. Cambridge Mathematics (IGCSE, AS, and A Levels) has been offered for Year 11 to 13 students since 2011, and Cambridge Music has been offered for Year 11 to 13 students since 2022.[20]