Curriculum Studies Guide 2018

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The New Zealand Curriculum Framework,
published in 1993, describes the structure for
the New Zealand Curriculum. It defines eight
essential learning areas —Health and Physical
Education, The Arts, Social Sciences, Technology,
Science, Mathematics, Language, and Languages.
It also describes five key competencies, some of
which are woven into the courses that schools
teach. Others form an implicit part of daily life at
College. The five key competencies are Thinking;
Using language, Symbols and Text; Managing
Self; Relating to Others; and Participating and
Contributing. These elements are now considered
to be fundamental to teaching and learning in
New Zealand schools.
Accompanying the framework are curriculum
statements for each of the essential learning
areas.
The New Zealand Curriculum impacts in
the classroom in the form of teaching and
assessment strategies aimed at developing and
assessing a wider range of skills than in the past.
This also has implications for the structure of
reports to parents and students.
Assessment towards qualifications in the senior
school takes the form of the National Certificate
in Educational Achievement (NCEA). The
qualification is based mainly around achievement
standards that are worth a number of credits.
Students will need to achieve at least 80 credits
overall to receive the certificate at each level.
NCEA is awarded at three levels based on the
subjects in Year 11-13. A normal course in a
subject at a particular year level may be worth up
to 24 credits if all standards are gained. Credits
gained through unit standards will also contribute
to NCEA.
Scholarship is an award, not a qualification, and
is gained by external examinations. It aims to
identify and recognise academic excellence.
Curriculum and Qualifications
NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Christ’s College will continue to prepare students
for examinations that lead to national New
Zealand qualifications. In 2018, the Year 11, 12
and 13 qualifications will be NCEA Levels 1, 2
and 3 respectively. More specific details relating
to each subject are included in the subject
descriptions. Further information about the NCEA
is available on the internet at
ncea.
INTERNAL EXAMINATIONS
Experience in examination techniques is vital for
anyone contemplating tertiary study. All students
sit papers internally, partly as practice and
partly as a formative component of their course.
Most year groups will sit at least one formal
examination each year.
EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS
Year 10
A limited number of students may be invited to sit
NCEA Level 1 Mathematics in Year 10, to extend
them.
Year 11
In Year 11, all students choose to study six
subjects for NCEA. College requires all students
to enter in English and Mathematics. Students
intending to continue with a Modern Language in
Year 12 must have taken the subject in Year 11.
Most other subjects may be started at Year 12. For
some subjects, a Year 11 course is recommended
preparation.
The external examination papers are sat in
November and most will last three hours. After
marking and processing, results are published
in January. These are expressed in terms of the
grades and number of credits achieved in each
subject. For NCEA the grades are Not Achieved,
Achieved, Merit and Excellence. In some subjects,
the maximum number of credits possible is about
24. Many courses will offer fewer credits.
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