Curriculum and Qualifications
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, published in 1993, describes the structure for the New Zealand Curriculum. It defines eight essential learning areas — English, the arts, health and physical education, learning languages, mathematics and statistics, science, social sciences, and technology. It also describes five key competencies, some of which are woven into the courses that schools teach and others form an implicit part of daily life at College. The five key competencies are thinking, using language, symbols and texts, 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 Years 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.
NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Christ’s College will continue to prepare students for examinations that lead to national New Zealand qualifications. In 2019, 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 NCEA is available at www.nzqa.govt.nz/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. 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. The maximum number of credits is 20.
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Curriculum Studies Guide 2021
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