Divisional Support
Belonging in every division
With over two thousand six hundred students, Burnside High School is one of the largest schools in New Zealand, yet each student is known and supported as an individual. Our unique divisional structure and our extensive pastoral network, ensure that Burnside High School provides a caring and nurturing environment for our students.
On arrival students are placed into one of three unique divisions. Students remain in these divisions for their first four years at Burnside High School.
About our divisions
Each division provides personal support and guidance to its students. It enables a very personal approach to guide students through their secondary education and to find their path in life.
Within each division you will find a dedicated principal, year based deans, guidance counsellor and of course form teachers. Every staff member will become familiar with their divisional students and guide their chosen path in life.
At Year 13, all students join the senior division. Here, they quickly form a strong identity of their own, providing strong, school-wide leadership as they make their transition into adulthood. Our heads of school and their deputies are chosen from our senior school.
The origins of our divisions
The divisions or puna for Year 9-12 students were named according to their placement on the school site as it was in 1972. The home area for North was in B block, while South was in D block and West in E block. The respective deans are still based there today.
Blue, red, and yellow are the identifying colours, each representing key nutrients—water, land, and sun—that are essential for the growth and sustainability of both the tī kōuka and our students.
- Te Puna Raki North – the North Spring, represents the blue of the water flowing from the Southern Alps across the Canterbury Plains into local streams and rivers.
- Te Puna Tonga South – the South Spring, represents the red of the land that is the volcanic rock and fertile soil from Banks Peninsula.
- Te Puna Uru West – the West Spring, represents the yellow of the energy, heat and light of the sun that sets in the west.
Te Huinga Wai Senior Division
Students are guided to the Te Huinga Wai Senior Division – represented by the green of the tī kōuka trees. Like the tī kōuka, Te Huinga Wai was a meeting place where Māori commonly gathered to rest on their journeys. Birds and fish gathered here for the same reasons before continuing their migrations. Likewise, Year 13 students gather here, as one, under the shelter of tī kōuka for sustenance and final preparations prior to their individual journeys in the world beyond.
Big opportunities, small community
The benefits of this divisional structure are well documented. The scale of our school allows us to offer an exceptionally wide range of subjects and extra-curricular opportunities. This provides flexibility for students to follow a path suited to their ability, interests and skills. Students reap all of the advantages and opportunities of a large school, while enjoying the sense of identity and security within their own smaller division.
