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Burnside State High School

Three reasons to choose us

  1. ​Our motto 'smaller, smarter and safer' offers students a quality education in a small school setting, with greater access to support services and ability to monitor student progress.
  2. Our values of 'care, consideration and cooperation' is reflective of our dedicated staff who are here to support your educational journey and schooling experience at Burnside State High School.
  3. Our innovative structure, quality curriculum programs and emphasis on values meets the needs of a diverse range of students.

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Principal's welcome

Burnside High School strives to look to the future on meeting the changing needs of a changing society, while striving to meet individual needs of preparing young adults for their future place in society. Our school offers all students the following advantages:

  • Small school setting
  • Productive partnerships with the community
  • Zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
  • A safe school environment
  • Quality, caring teachers
  • Well maintained grounds and facilities
  • Vocational education and training (VET)
  • High standards and expectations
  • Firm, fair and consistent student management
  • School-wide approach to teaching
  • Small classes
  • Breadth of subject choices for a small school

Burnside State High School has a proud record of academic excellence evidenced by 100% of students being awarded a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) or Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA), overall position or VET qualification for the past 10 years.

As a Regional Education Queensland International school, we will ensure your time in Australia is a rewarding and memorable experience. You will have many opportunities to be involved in the life of the school and many wonderful curriculum opportunities.

Burnside State High School is ready for the challenge of providing you with the experience of a lifetime within the school context and with our wonderful homestay families. We pride ourselves in ensuring high quality homestay opportunities.​

School overview

Number of students

Year school established

School website

At Burnside State High School, we are a multi award-winning school located at the base of the Blackall Ranges in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.

We are 20 minutes from beautiful beaches and located near major tourist attractions so you can enjoy both the beautiful hinterland environment and some of the best surfing beaches in Australia.

Choose from our diverse and exciting curriculum including technology, the arts, science, sports and recreation.

We nurture a culture of respect, friendliness and passion for life with a strong focus on family and community. Our school warmly welcomes international students.

EQI programs offered

HS
High School
HSA
High School Study Abroad

Special programs

  • Volleyball Excellence program (Years 7–10)
  • Senior recreational studies—surfing, rock climbing and other outdoor activities (Years 11–12)
  • Trade training centre—hospitality (Years 9–12)
  • Instrumental music and music industry programs (Years 7–12)
  • Dance company (Years 7–12)
  • Headstart and Tertiary Preparation programs with the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) (Years 11–12)
  • International Students Orientation program
  • International Students Buddy program
  • International Cultural Immersion program
  • Beacon Leadership program (Year 10)
  • 1:1 laptop program for senior students
  • Inter-school sport (Years 7–12)​
  • Certificate III in Aviation Remote Pilot​​

Extracurricular activities

  • Student Representative Council
  • Junior and senior marine studies—snorkelling, boating, Great Barrier Reef excursion
  • Surfing
  • Choir
  • Musical
  • Dance
  • School gym
  • Excursions to K'gari (Fraser Island), Moreton Island, Brisbane and local areas
  • Biology camp
  • Rugby league games
  • Arts expo

School facilities

  • Music recording studio
  • Indoor sports facility
  • Gymnasium including weights
  • Rugby and soccer fields
  • Covered tennis and basketball courts
  • Languages Other Than English (LOTE)/international building
  • State-of-the-art performing arts centre completed 2025

Tertiary pathways

  • University links with University of the Sunshine Coast and TAFE Queensland
  • Links to external registered training organisations for Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications

Languages

  • Japanese and Indonesian
  • Other languages offered by distance education
  • Japanese, Indonesian, French and German speaking staff
  • English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) trained staff​​

Homestay and accommodation

By living with an Australian host family international students become part of the local community and have a fantastic opportunity to practise their English in a safe and caring home environment.

Students have their own bedroom with study facilities, three meals a day, and access to transport to and from school, and to school activities.

Read more about homestay and accommodation options.

Holiday adventure programs

Holiday adventure programs are an exciting and safe way for students to travel and sightsee during school holidays.

All holiday adventures are fully guided and escorted by qualified teachers and staff to ensure student safety.

Find out more about our holiday adventure programs.

Contact details

Disclaimer

The information and data in this webpage is subject to change without notice. Before submitting your application, if you are interested in:

  • a particular subject, sport, program or extracurricular activity offered by an EQI school; or
  • particular school facilities;

please contact EQI or the school directly to confirm it will be offered and/or available in the year you intend to study.
Last updated 16 September 2025