Year 8 Common Testing Day
We are running a common testing session for our 2026 intake of accepted students on Monday 16 September.
Kia ora koutou,
This will take place on site at Burnside High School on Friday 12 September with a catch up session planned for Friday 17 October from 10:30 - 1 pm (for any late in zone enrolments).
Purpose:
This is one of the opportunities we use to capture learning information about our students prior to class placement and to inform their teachers next year. We also will be holding a Year 8 Parent Evening on Tuesday 4 November where parents will have the opportunity to provide information about their children if needed. We also request specific information from your child/s current teachers at their contributing schools to form a full picture about each student starting school with us here at Burnside High School. More information about the Year 8 parents evening will be coming out in the next newsletter home.
Format:
All students are given three tests. Maths, Reasoning and English. ESOL students will sit a Maths, Reading, Listening and Writing test.
The testing will be done in two sessions:
8:30am - 11am: All students who have enrolled and accepted their offer from Breens and Wairarapa Cobham Intermediate.
12pm- 2:30pm: All other students from contributing schools.
Please note: If your child requires ESOL testing this will take 45mins longer.
Please drop your child/children off outside the Aurora Centre by 8:15 for the morning session and 11:45 for the afternoon session. They need to come inside and be seated.
We will have a welcome which will take approximately 5 minutes and from there, students will be taken to classrooms throughout the school in smaller groups.
At the completion of the testing, students will be returned to the front of the Aurora Centre for you to collect. The students from Wairarapa Cobham will be walked back to school as a group by school staff. Please note: ESOL student testing takes 45 mins longer so please organise a safe way for them to return to school/home afterwards.
There is no access to drive onto school grounds, please park away from the school and allow time to walk in.
Students should bring two pens - a blue or black biro is fine. Calculators are not permitted. Rulers are not required.
Students from Wairarapa Cobham Intermediate will be collected from here by staff from Cobham and walked back to school.
ESOL students
If your child is an ESOL student please contact Lizzy Harrison on hz@burnside.school.nz to ensure we have their name and student number so they sit the correct tests on the day. Please also direct any ESOL related questions to Lizzy directly.
If your child has special assessment conditions
Please notify Anna Randall on rna@burnside.school.nz if you have a child/children requiring either a:
Reader/writer Or Reader only OR Writer only
Separate accommodation - small group or if they need their own space
Extra time
Please let Anna know the student/s name, SAC requirement and the name of the school supervisor being sent to support them on the testing day.
Due to the large cohort of students in for testing your child's current school will be required to send a teacher aid or learning assistant to support your child to sit the assessment. If you do not think your child is able to sit the entrance assessment please speak to your current schools SENCO/Learning support coordinator/team leader and they will let us know.
For students who are unable to attend the testing on Friday 12 September, there will be a catch-up testing date of Friday 17 October at 10.30 am - 1 pm. Students who do not attend the initial testing date will be reminded of this catch-up test by email.
If your student cannot attend the testing date on Friday September 12, please complete the following form so we can forward you details about the catch-up date.
https://bit.ly/BHS_Catch_Up_Testing_Rego
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact Rachaelle Stidder (Head of Faculty Student Support) on str@burnside.school.nz or (03)358 8383 extn: 488