Last updated October 2026
Burnside High School is a state, co-educational secondary school for Years 9 to 13 at 151 Greers Road, Burnside, Christchurch. It opened in 1960 and had 2,736 students on its roll at 1 September 2026.
Its home zone includes all of Burnside, Bryndwr and Merivale, and parts of Fendalton, Avonhead, Bishopdale, Ilam, Strowan, Christchurch Central, St Albans, Harewood, Riccarton, Yaldhurst and Papanui; the zone map below shows the full boundary. Its site lists NCEA and Cambridge examinations, the Specialist Music Programme for musically talented students, run with Westburn Primary School and the University of Canterbury, a dance academy, choirs, drama, sport, education outside the classroom and clubs. The school also takes international students, with homestays and an international music programme.
At a glance
- Principal
- Scott Haines
- Address
- 151 Greers Road, Burnside, Christchurch
- Phone
- 03 358 8383
Home zone
Suburbs in the zone: all of Bryndwr Christchurch, Burnside and Merivale.
Parts of Fendalton Christchurch, Avonhead, Bishopdale, Ilam, Strowan, Christchurch Central, St Albans Christchurch, Harewood, Riccarton, Yaldhurst Christchurch and Papanui: check your street.
Zone boundaries are set by the school’s enrolment scheme and can change. Confirm your address with the school before you rely on it.
NCEA results
School leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with all New Zealand school leavers.
This school New Zealand
School leavers are students who left school that year, whatever year level they left from.
Who goes here
Share of the 2,736 students who identify with each group. Students can name more than one, so these add up to more than 100%.
168 international students
MELAA: Middle Eastern, Latin American and African.
Stand-downs and suspensions
Cases per 1,000 students in 2025, adjusted for the ages of the school’s students, compared with all New Zealand schools.
Suspensions: fewer than 5 cases in 2025, so no rate is shown.
These measure how a school responds to behaviour, and schools set their own thresholds, so they are not a measure of how students behave.
What ERO found
The Education Review Office’s latest report on the school is a School Evaluation Report from June 2026. ERO found that most students do well academically and say their wellbeing is good. At the end of Year 10, most are at the expected level or above in reading and numeracy, as are a large majority in writing.
Most gain NCEA Level 2 and Level 3, and a large majority gain University Entrance. ERO described leadership focused on both excellence and equity, well-planned and engaging teaching, respectful classrooms and a board that keeps student wellbeing and achievement in view.
ERO also found that results for Māori and Pacific students are improving but are not yet consistently equal to those of other students, and that a large majority of students attend regularly, which is short of the Government’s target. Its priorities for the school are to lift literacy and numeracy for those Māori and Pacific students in Years 9 and 10 who need extra help, keep culturally responsive teaching consistent across the school, and improve attendance further.
Read the ERO reports for Burnside High School
Enrolling
Burnside High School has an enrolment scheme, so students who live in the home zone have the right to enrol, and the school accepts in-zone enrolments through the year. Out-of-zone places are offered under the scheme, by ballot when there are more applicants than places.
The school publishes its enrolment forms, closing dates and a link to its zone map on its enrolment page each year. International students apply through its international pages.
Schools nearby
In Burnside
Burnside High School is in Burnside. Our suburb guide covers what it is like to live there, with parks, places and local businesses.
Read our Burnside guide →Questions parents ask
Is Burnside High School zoned?
It has a home zone covering all of Bryndwr Christchurch, Burnside and Merivale and parts of Fendalton Christchurch, Avonhead, Bishopdale, Ilam, Strowan, Christchurch Central, St Albans Christchurch, Harewood, Riccarton, Yaldhurst Christchurch and Papanui.
What years does it teach?
Years 9 to 13.
How many students go there?
2,736 at 1 Sep 2026.
Does it ask for donations?
It may. It is not in the donation scheme, so it can ask families for donations.
What is its Equity Index?
416. The Ministry of Education’s Equity Index estimates the socio-economic barriers a school’s students face, from 344 (fewest) to 569 (most). It is used to share out funding, not as a measure of quality.
How did its school leavers do in NCEA?
In 2025, 88.6% of its school leavers had NCEA Level 2 or above, compared with 77.8% of all New Zealand school leavers.
Updated automatically when the Ministry publishes new data.
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Sources and data notes 1
- School facts: School details and roll: Ministry of Education school directory, 23 Oct 2026 (CC BY 4.0). Home zone: Ministry of Education enrolment zones (CC BY 4.0). NCEA results, roll history and stand-downs: Education Counts, school leavers 2023 to 2025, stand-downs 2025, rolls 2021 to 2025 (CC BY 4.0).