Cultivating the Researchers of Tomorrow
It is unconventional for a high school to have a dedicated ‘Research’ page. However, BIA is an unconventional school. We believe that the skills of academic inquiry—hypothesis generation, rigorous methodology, and peer review—should be taught long before a student enters university.
The Capstone Project
Every Year 13 student at BIA is required to undertake a Capstone Project. This is a semester-long independent study that goes beyond the standard NCEA requirements. Students are paired with a mentor from our faculty, and where possible, external industry advisors from the Wellington region.
- Recent Project Example (CS): “Optimising traffic light sequences in Te Aro using Python-based simulation.”
- Recent Project Example (Biology): “The effect of urban run-off on Wellington Harbour marine biodiversity.”
- Recent Project Example (Humanities): “A comparative analysis of Maori oral history and colonial written records regarding land usage.”
The Te Aro Review (Student Journal)
We publish an annual internal academic journal, The Te Aro Review. This publication features the best abstracts and papers produced by our student body. Being published in the Review is considered a high honour at BIA. The editorial board is student-led, supervised by the Head of English, teaching students the rigorous process of editing, formatting, and academic integrity.
Research Partnerships
While we are a secondary institution, we actively foster intellectual connections with the wider academic world. We regularly invite guest lecturers from nearby universities and research institutes to speak at our “Friday Forums.” These sessions expose our students to high-level discourse on topics ranging from Antarctic climate research to contemporary New Zealand literature, ensuring their intellectual diet is varied and complex.