Burnside High School

Education institution number:
319
School type:
Secondary (Year 9-15)
School gender:
Co-Educational
Definition:
Not Applicable
Total roll:
2434
Telephone:
Address:

151 Greers Road, Burnside, Christchurch

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Burnside High School

Te Ara Huarau | School Profile Report

Background

This Profile Report was written within 18 months of the Education Review Office and Burnside High School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz

Context

Burnside High School is located in Christchurch and provides education for 2300 students in Years 9 to 13. Due to the retirement of the long serving principal in 2022 there have been recent changes in leadership. A significant building programme is underway on the campus. The school hosts the Specialist Music Programme (SMP).

Burnside High School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are to:

  • foster a climate of safety, care and connectedness for all through the BHS values

  • commit to the growth, dignity, inclusion and mana of all, guided by the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi

  • provide future-focused, flexible and student-centred learning

  • strengthen relationships and collaboration between BHS and the community.

You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan on Burnside High School’s website.

ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the effectiveness of its school-wide use of internal evaluation and reporting for improvement and innovation as it implements the new, visionary strategic plan for its future.

The rationale for selecting this evaluation is that the school aims to strengthen its use of systematic and collaborative inquiry, monitoring, and reporting to better know the impact of its strategic decision making.

The school expects to see valid and useful evidence of the outcomes and impact of its strategic priorities especially for Māori and Pacific learners.

Strengths

The school can draw from the following strengths to support the school in its goal to evaluate the effectiveness of its school-wide use of internal evaluation and reporting for improvement and innovation:

  • representation and partnership with Māori so leaders can know and respond to whānau aspirations for Māori learners

  • the extent to which it provides an inclusive, values-based, student-led culture with high expectations for all learners

  • established systems for review of teaching and learning programmes that ensure student needs are met in a timely, responsive way.

Where to next?

Moving forward, the school will prioritise:

  • monitoring, regular evaluation and reporting against valued outcomes for learners through a strengthened evaluation framework.

ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.

Shelley Booysen
Director Schools

28 April 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement.  educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Burnside High School

Provision for International Students Report

Background                                               

The Education Review Office reviews schools that are signatories to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020.

Findings

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary an International Learners) Code of Practice 2021 established under section 534 of the Education and Training Act 2020. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code and has completed an annual self-review of its implementation of the Code.

At the time of this review there were 76 international students attending the school, and no exchange students.

Students are well supported to settle into classes and school life, and they feel included as part of the multicultural school environment. There are a wide range of activities and opportunities available to them at school and in the community. Teachers and support staff are responsive to their needs, and most international students in the senior school achieve their academic goals.

Senior leaders and the board receive regular information about the international department’s performance, including comprehensive annual reporting on the progress and achievement of international students, especially in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA).

Shelley Booysen
Director Schools

28 April 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Burnside High School

Board Assurance with Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Report 2022 to 2025

As of August 2022, the Burnside High School Board has attested to the following regulatory and legislative requirements:

Board Administration

Yes

Curriculum

Yes

Management of Health, Safety and Welfare

Yes

Personnel Management

Yes

Finance

Yes

Assets

Yes

Actions for Compliance

The board has identified the following area of non-compliance during the board assurance process:

  • the requirement to have in place a ratified policy and complete procedures that meet the Education (Physical Restraint) Rules 2017.

The board has since addressed the area of non-compliance identified.

Further Information

For further information please contact Burnside High School Board.

The next School Board assurance that it is meeting regulatory and legislative requirements will be reported, along with the Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report, within three years.

Information on ERO’s role and process in this review can be found on the Education Review Office website.

Shelley Booysen
Director Schools

28 April 2023 

About the School

The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home

Burnside High School - 29/06/2017

Findings

Students at Burnside High School learn and develop within an inclusive, values-based learning environment. The school fosters and very effectively supports ‘personal excellence and care for others’. High quality leadership is committed to supporting staff, students and their parents and whānau to feel respected, connected and motivated to achieve success for students. Students enjoy the extensive range of opportunities they have to succeed and excel.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Burnside High School is a large, culturally diverse Year 9 to 13 co-educational secondary school in Christchurch. It has over 2500 students and is divided into four divisions: North, South, West and Senior. Over 100 international students are on the school roll. The roll has increased over the last three years.

Students continue to achieve well, some excelling, in a wide range of academic, sporting and cultural areas. Of particular note is the ongoing success students have in the performing and visual arts.

The school is a member of the Waimairi-iri Community of Learning/Kāhui Ako, an amalgamation of the Burnside and Hereora Clusters.

In 2015 a new principal was appointed. The current senior leadership team members are all new to their roles, with some new senior leadership positions being created.

The school has responded well to ERO’s last report in 2013, with many positive changes and developments. These include:

  • a reviewed and streamlined charter, which is well aligned to the closely monitored annual plan
  • a focused approach to staff professional learning and development, with fewer priorities
  • broadening and strengthening bicultural understandings and practices for students and staff
  • extended opportunities for student leadership, including leading teachers in their learning
  • students bringing and using digital devices to school as a learning tool
  • a positive shift in staff culture and ways in which people are working together.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

Trustees, leaders and teachers make effective use of achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement.

The school’s achievement information shows consistently high achievement for students in Levels 1, 2 and 3 National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) overall. The school is working very positively towards eliminating some disparity in NCEA achievement, and in particular, raising the achievement of Māori students and that of boys. Very high proportions of senior students achieve the literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA. Many senior students gain academic scholarships across a range of subjects. A very high proportion of school leavers attain NCEA Level 2. Students also achieve success in a range of pre-employment courses and an international examination.

Teachers make sound judgements about the degree to which individual junior students are working within the levels of the New Zealand Curriculum or acquiring the competencies and skills specific to a learning area, and report these to parents. Students are being encouraged to use this information to set learning goals and monitor their own progress.

Trustees, leaders and teachers have high expectations for students’ engagement and academic excellence. Student success is widely celebrated. Trustees and school leaders set annual improvement targets to raise student achievement. These are well-aligned with school priorities. Heads of learning areas regularly analyse achievement data and report annually to the board. This information forms part of an overall achievement picture senior leaders and the board use to inform their governance and resourcing decisions to optimise outcomes for learners.

Teachers use reliable systems to identify students who need additional support and extension with their learning. The progress these students make is closely monitored. Pastoral teams of teachers collaborate well to identify and plan effectively for the learning and wellbeing needs of students, with positive outcomes. Learning information from contributing schools is successfully used to support students’ smooth transition into the school.

The next step for leaders and teachers is to extend the analysis and reporting of student achievement and progress information, school-wide and for identified groups. This should enable leaders and the board to better evaluate the impact of school programmes and practices.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum very effectively supports and promotes students’ learning.

The school promotes a highly inclusive learning culture so that each learner can ‘strive to excel in learning and life’. The curriculum provides students with equitable access to a wide range of learning opportunities and choices. The school’s key learning objectives are underpinned by an ethos of respect, pride and excellence. Students are encouraged to value teaching and learning and celebrate diversity within the school.

Programmes are flexible and responsive to students’ needs, interests and abilities. There is a well-planned range of opportunities for students of different abilities within classes or year levels to learn at a level that challenges them appropriately. This effectively helps learners who need additional help or a greater level of challenge in their learning.

Students benefit from the extensive range of co-curricular activities. In doing so, they develop their strengths in sporting, artistic or cultural activities, give service to the school or wider community, or show leadership in meaningful contexts.

Students are well supported to improve their attendance and achieve personal excellence. They know the school expects them, as learners, to ‘be respectful’ and ‘have pride’ in what they do. This helps learners as they ‘strive to excel’. The school places a priority on high rates of attendance so that students have plenty of opportunity to learn.

Some departments are providing collaborative learning environments for students, where more than one class learns together.

At all levels of the school students make effective use of digital technologies as a naturally integrated part of how they learn and to show what they have learnt.

Curriculum leaders and teachers have strengthened the way in which they work together to:

  • support the literacy needs of learners who need extra assistance with written language
  • gather and respond to students’ opinions to make learning more engaging and effective for students
  • help students interact collaboratively with each other to gain subject knowledge and to promote teamwork, tolerance and respect for others
  • work with other staff to reflect on and inquire into the effectiveness of their own teaching practice.

A next step for the school is to document a shared, agreed understanding of how students will experience learning at this school. This will provide clarity for learners about what they can expect, guidance for teachers about what they should provide, and a benchmark for leaders against which evaluation can be carried out.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school effectively promotes educational success for Māori learners, as Māori. A well-planned strategic approach to supporting success for its Māori students is highly evident and well documented. The school ensures that the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi are respected and deliberately supported. The wide representation within the school’s He Māhuri steering group, including the Māori Student Achievement Team, ensures actions are in place to achieve the school’s goals for Māori learners.

Māori learners can be confident that their identity, language and culture are valued at this school. They experience an increasing consistency of culturally responsive practices in their everyday teaching and learning. They enjoy opportunities to act as tuakana to other students, and to staff members to support their efforts to be increasingly bicultural in their teaching practice. Teachers are well supported through staff development, to increase their knowledge of bicultural practices and make teaching and learning more culturally responsive for Māori learners. Māori students feel that the school values Māori culture.

The board has set a target for improved attendance by Māori students to support greater engagement with learning and to lift achievement. In response, leaders and teachers have improved engagement with Māori learners and whānau so that more Māori students are making the extra commitment to stay longer at school to achieve appropriate qualifications. An increased number of Māori students are leaving school with at least Level 2 NCEA. Māori learners are well supported to strive towards achieving their potential. Māori students’ success as learners and as Māori are well celebrated.

The next steps for the school are to:

  • continue the well-structured work already under way to raise Māori achievement
  • better analyse, evaluate and report on the impact of actions taken to improve outcomes for Māori learners.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Pacific students?

The school is positively promoting and supporting educational success for Pacific students. The board has implemented a Pasifika strategy to ensure all Pacific students are provided with suitable learning opportunities to succeed. A range of initiatives within this strategy are fostering Pacific students’ language, culture and identity.

The recent appointment of a Pacific coordinator and student support person is aimed at further supporting Pacific students. This includes raising the profile of Pacific culture within the school and strengthening links with the Pacific community. Senior leaders regularly monitor and track Pacific students’ progress and attendance to optimise their opportunity to learn.

Pacific students who spoke with ERO said they valued the efforts the school was making to support their learning. Students said they would welcome greater opportunities to provide feedback about how they were finding their teaching and learning.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The school is very well placed to sustain and improve its performance. This can be seen in the:

  • positive way in which the board’s redeveloped and refined charter is guiding the school
  • effective way in which school leaders are developing conditions for staff collaboration and inquiry that are contributing to continuous improvement
  • professional capability, leadership and collective capacity of staff
  • productive ways in which information gathering informs school development and improvement
  • very effective ways in which teachers, departments and faculties are working together to ensure best outcomes for students
  • robust staff appraisal system and the way teachers are using well-embedded, useful processes to inquire into the impact of their teaching practice on outcomes for students.

School leaders have developed strong, educationally focused relationships with other institutions including local schools, community and tertiary organisations. The school is working proactively with the Waimairi-iri Community of Learning/Kāhui Ako and regional principals’ groups. There is a more deliberate focus on involving parents and whānau as partners within the school, supporting their children’s learning. This can be seen in the increased ways in which the school communicates with parents, whānau and the wider community.

The principal fosters caring, reflective and ethical leadership. He and other senior leaders are strengthening relational trust amongst staff. They are building the capability of teachers to be leaders who, in turn, promote and support improvements in teaching and learning for students. 

School systems for alignment, accountability and improvement are well developed and effective. There is direct alignment between the school’s strategic plan, annual planning, professional learning and development, school-wide appraisal and student achievement targets. Leaders recognise the importance of this in a large school. They ensure there is a systematic approach to supporting the school’s vision for its learners. Staff have useful opportunities (including forums) to receive and communicate information about school operations and priorities. This has resulted in greater staff engagement in and ownership of the school’s direction.

Next step

The school should extend its processes for internal evaluation. To support this it should build staff capacity to carry out and make best use of evaluations through coherent expectations, guidelines and practices. This will complement the school’s sound vision and mission for its students.

Provision for international students

The school is a signatory to the Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code of Practice 2016 (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code. At the time of this review there were 169 international students attending the school. The school provides high quality education and pastoral care for its international students. The students are well integrated into the life of the school, in class and through a wide variety of clubs, sports and other activities. The international department members listen to students’ ideas and opinions, and regularly survey them to find ways to improve their systems and processes.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

  • board administration
  • curriculum
  • management of health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial management
  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
  • physical safety of students
  • teacher registration
  • processes for appointing staff
  • stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
  • attendance.

Conclusion

Students at Burnside High School learn and develop within an inclusive, values-based learning environment. The school fosters and very effectively supports ‘personal excellence and care for others’. High quality leadership is committed to supporting staff, students and their parents and whānau to feel respected, connected and motivated to achieve success for students. Students enjoy the extensive range of opportunities they have to succeed and excel.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Dr Lesley Patterson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Southern (Te Waipounamu)

29 June 2017

About the School 

Location

Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

319

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 13)

School roll

2568

Number of international students

169

Gender composition

Girls: 54% Boys: 46%

Ethnic composition

Pākehā
Māori
Pacific
Asian
Other

48%
8%
3%
23%
18%

Review team on site

April 2017

Date of this report

29 June 2017

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review
Education Review
Education Review

October 2013
January 2010
December 2006

 

Burnside High School - 09/10/2013

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Burnside High School is a very large urban, co-educational school. The 2011 Canterbury earthquakes continue to impact on many students and staff.

The school has identified that the nature of its student intake is increasingly diverse. Teachers and senior managers have strengthened pastoral care support to improve engagement and learning for all students. ERO observed positive and respectful relationships between students and teachers. Staff and students are proud of their school. There are high expectations for achievement throughout the school community.

In 2012 student achievement in the National Certificates of Education Achievement (NCEA) was higher than that of students in similar schools. Students attain high levels of endorsements and scholarships in NCEA.

Students continue to enjoy success at national and international levels in a number of cultural and sporting activities. The performing and visual arts are a particular strength of the school. There are high levels of community involvement and support for learning and co-curricular programmes.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

Overall, teachers and senior managers are making good use of what they know about student progress and achievement. They collect a range of useful information that is helping them to focus on students’ individual needs and abilities, and to reflect on their teaching practice.

Senior managers and teachers are developing useful systems to predict achievement levels of Years 9 and 10 students. These systems are helping to monitor student progress and achievement more effectively over their time at school.

The school successfully supports students with identified learning needs. The learning support coordinator and staff use achievement information well to plan appropriate programmes and monitor students’ progress. Students from a range of backgrounds benefit from well-planned and resourced programmes for students needing additional support to learn the English language (ESOL).

Senior leaders and teachers have introduced a number of systems to support teachers to continue to develop high-quality teaching practices. They are looking at ways to spread this good practice across the school. This should help all teachers to improve learning and achievement for all students.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school’s curriculum effectively supports and promotes student learning.

Students continue to have very good opportunities to experience high levels of academic success. In recent years the senior and middle managers have broadened the curriculum to provide flexible pathways to cater for the aspirations and changing needs of students.

Developments in information and communication technologies (ICT) and links with tertiary, industry and community providers have contributed to a more responsive curriculum. Knowledgeable staff help students to make appropriate choices about their courses and career pathways.

Teachers and managers provide a wide range of opportunities for student leadership throughout the school in divisional assemblies, class, sporting and cultural activities.

There has been a variety of professional learning opportunities for staff which have supported individual and school-wide goals. These opportunities are extending teachers' capability to include wider range of ways to improve outcomes for all students. The next steps for the senior management team and board are to:

  • narrow the focus of professional development in the school
  • clearly state the purpose of Professional Learning and Development (PLD)
  • monitor its impact on learning and teaching and use the evaluation of PLD to inform further curriculum development.

Effective use of ICT is supporting teachers and parents to monitor students’ attendance, learning, engagement, progress and achievement. Students and parents have ready access to this digital learning outside school hours and are benefitting from innovative programmes that enhance student learning.

While good progress has been made with curriculum content and delivery of the key competencies of the curriculum, the next step is to evaluate how well the school's curriculum reflects the vision, values and principles of the New Zealand Curriculum.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

The school is effectively promoting Māori success as Māori. In 2012, at Levels 1, 2 and 3 of NCEA, Māori students achieved above their Māori and non-Māori peers in similar schools.

Junior students who are at risk of not achieving are identified early, provided with appropriate support and their progress is monitored.

A Māori focus group involving staff and board members, provides good leadership and direction for the ongoing development of tikanga and te reo Māori programmes and has a focus on lifting Māori student achievement. The kapa haka group is also having a positive impact by raising the awareness of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage.

The school has been successfully involved in an externally provided PLD programme for senior and middle managers. This is helping teachers to develop their understanding and confidence to increase bicultural perspectives in their practice and curriculum planning. The next step will be to progress this work with classroom teachers.

The liaison teacher of Māori is supporting students and teachers with learning and teaching programmes and making close links with whānau and community.

How effectively does the school support educational success for Pacific Students?

The school has a very useful plan to promote the learning and wellbeing of Pacific students. Skilled liaison staff are building good partnerships with parents and the community. They have established a well-used space for Pacific students that provides a sense of belonging and helps to strengthen learning relationships. The well-resourced homework centre has proved beneficial for Pacific students.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The board and senior management team continue to build on the school’s good performance to further improve outcomes for all students. However, aspects of governance and senior management practice have the potential to impact on the schools ability to maintain and improve its performance.

The board and Senior Management Team (SMT) have identified, and ERO agrees, there is a need to review their school charter. The board's existing strategic plan covered the period 2011-2014. Given that timeframe, and the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes and the pending changes to education in Canterbury the board should review these documents including:

  • revisiting the school’s vision and strategic focus to ensure there is a shared understanding of the school’s ethos and future direction
  • developing detailed plans that clearly state the board’s annual priorities and desired outcomes and how these will be monitored and evaluated
  • aligning these priorities through all school operations and procedures
  • ensuring all stakeholders are consulted and involved in the change process.

While there are some examples of good self review, the board and senior managers need to improve school-wide self-review practices. The school would benefit from a cohesive self-review plan that focuses on school priorities. There is a need to develop a process for self review that is evaluative, identifies next steps, and links to further planning.

The principal, with the support of the board, has introduced a number of worthwhile initiatives that are helping to improve outcomes for all students. These include:

  • developing the capacity of staff to address the needs and aspirations of Māori, Pacific and other groups of priority learners
  • offering courses that extend the range of learning opportunities
  • extending leadership opportunities in pastoral and curriculum areas.

The board is aware of the need to ensure it is fulfilling its role as a good employer. During the review a number of staff raised concerns about workload, change management, communication and decision making processes. Since the onsite stage of the review the board has undertaken to survey staff in order to gather data which will be used to develop an action plan in response to these concerns.

Recommendations

ERO recommends that the board:

  • commission an independent survey of staff and develop an action plan to address the issues raised in the survey
  • engage an external appraiser to assist the board in the appraisal of the principals.

Provision for international students

Burnside High School provides high quality care and education for its international students. The school continues to have a significant number of international fee paying students that contribute much to the cultural diversity of the school.

The school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students (the Code) established under section 238F of the Education Act 1989. At the time of this review there were 135 international students attending the school.

The school has attested that it complies with all aspects of the Code.

ERO’s investigations confirmed that the school’s self-review process for international students is thorough.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

  • board administration
  • curriculum
  • management of health, safety and welfare
  • personnel management
  • financial management
  • asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

  • emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
  • physical safety of students
  • teacher registration
  • processes for appointing staff
  • stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
  • attendance.

When is ERO likely to review the school again?

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Graham Randell

National Manager Review Services Southern Region

9 October 2013

About the School

Location

Burnside, Christchurch

Ministry of Education profile number

319

School type

Secondary (Years 9 to 15)

School roll

2416

Number of international students

135

Gender composition

Girls 53%

Boys 47%

Ethnic composition

NZ European/Pākehā

Māori

Pacific

Asian

Other European

Other ethnicities

56%

8%

2%

22%

7%

5%

Review team on site

August 2013

Date of this report

9 October 2013

Most recent ERO report(s)

Education Review

Education Review

Education Review

January 2010

December 2006

December 2003