2.  Pre-Requisites, Available Courses and Dispensation

COURSE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Year 11 students take full year and half year semester subjects across 6 lines.  It is compulsory to take an English course (2 semesters) and Mathematics full year course.   Students are advised to include a Science course in their subject choices as part of a broad-based education at this level.  Except international languages and Te Reo Māori, there are no entry requirements for students. From 2024, there will be only two courses (English and Math) using the NCEA system. The other subjects will be assessed with Newlands College assessments. 

Year 12 students take full year and half year subjects across 6 lines.  Students must have level 1 literacy and numeracy . Students who do not have these level 1 literacy or numeracy will need to take a course preparing them for the  literacy and/or numeracy common assessment activity (CAA). 
Students aiming for University Entrance should take a Level 2 English course.  

Year 13 students take five subjects.  Students who are aiming to gain NCEA Level 3 must take five Level 3 subjects. Students who also want to gain University Entrance must include at least three University Entrance subjects in their course selection.  If students do not meet the entry requirements for all five subjects they are advised to seek dispensation for the subject(s) in which they have not met the entry requirements.  In exceptional circumstances a student may be allowed to take four Level 3 subjects together with a fifth subject at another level.  No students aiming for University Entrance will be allowed to only take three Level 3 subjects. Students who are aiming for University Entrance and who have not yet met the Literacy or Numeracy requirements must take an appropriate English or Mathematics course as a sixth subject.

Apart from this there are no compulsory subjects for Year 13s. Students should make sure that the subjects chosen qualify them for any university course they may wish to pursue in the future.

AVAILABLE COURSES

Newlands College has a policy of providing as wide a range of courses and subjects as possible to meet each student’s needs.  In recent years the curriculum coverage has widened significantly.  (Please look at the curriculum overview page)

It is important that you select courses that qualify you for your ultimate goal. Some university courses and careers require that you have studied specific courses at Level 3 at school. This may mean that you need to prepare for a Level 3 course in Year 13 by selecting a subject in Year 11 that has clear pathway through  Level 2 in Year 12. and into level 3 in Year 13.

If you have a particular career in mind, please consult the detailed information on the course entry requirements at each level given on this website before making your final subject choice. Then check with your dean or the Careers Advisor. 

DISPENSATION

The entry requirements for entry to courses at NCEA level 2 and 3 are shown in the charts below.

In exceptional cases students who have not met the entry requirements may apply in writing, by completing a dispensation form, to a dispensation committee who will consider their application.  As a general guideline dispensation will be granted only to students who have shown a good level of achievement at the previous level and who have the entry requirements to progress to the next level in at least four subjects at Level 2 or at least three subjects at Level 3. The dispensation process will also be followed in cases where students want to pick up a new subject without having taken it at the previous level.