LEVEL 1 SUBJECTS

YEAR 11

ENTRY TO ALL COURSES IS BY APPLICATION

The following factors will be taken into account when applications are processed:

• Course prerequisites.

• Applicant’s academic record.

• Class capacity.

• Applicant’s work, study and self-management record.

CLASS CAPACITY

Where there are more applications for places in a class than there are places available, students will receive preference if they meet the course prerequisites, have a strong achievement record in the subject, have a sound work and study record, and have a sound self-management record.

APPLICANT’S WORK, STUDY AND SELF-MANAGEMENT RECORD

If an applicant’s record of achievement, application, and attitude in a subject in the past has been poor and, if that applicant’s being permitted entry to a limited entry course were to mean the exclusion of a student with a more positive record, then the applicant with the poorer record is unlikely to gain entry to the subject.

Entry to all courses is confirmed at the beginning of the next school year. As part of The New Zealand Curriculum requirement, all students must enrol in English or Māori, Science and Mathematics, as well as a course of study in THREE (3) other subjects.

It is important that in planning your Year 11 course you keep in mind that, although many subjects can be taken up for the first time in Year 12, there are some subjects which lead from Year 11 to Year 12.

DISCRETIONARY ENTRY

Applications are considered by the Curriculum Manager, the Dean of Year Level, and either the Head of Department or the Teacher with Responsibility for the Subject.

Entry to all courses is confirmed at the beginning of the next school year.

QUALIFICATIONS

NATIONAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT (NCEA)

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is New Zealand’s national qualification for school leavers. NCEA uses assessments that are better suited to the skills and knowledge being assessed. It is not very sensible to assess how well students can do a speech by getting them to write about their speech. If you want to know how well students can carry out an experiment, it is a good idea to watch them do it and assess that. However, there is still a place for exams and most of the usual school subjects still have exams.

Standards are used to show what students know and can do. Standards describe the level of work students have produced and how well they have done. There are TWO (2) types of Standards Based Assessments: Achievement Standards and Unit Standards.

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) is directly responsible for assessment by Achievement Standard and, apart from some generic standards, Work Development Councils (formerly Industry Training Organisations) are responsible for assessment by Unit Standard. Credits from Achievement and Unit Standards contribute towards NCEA qualifications.

FOR ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS

Grades are reported for each skill—Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit, Excellence (N, A, M, E).

FOR UNIT STANDARDS

Students receive Not Achieved or Achieved (N or A). Teachers will be able to explain to students exactly what they have to do to achieve the standard. Students will have to lift their performance to that standard. Unit Standards are available only in industry training subjects, e,g., Rural College, Pathways, Gateway, Dual Enrolment.

Standards have also been set to challenge and reward students. If students do particularly well in an achievement standard assessment, they can gain Merit or Excellence. Standards have different credit values depending on the amount of learning involved. In Art, for example, the portfolio is about six months’ work and so has 12 credits.

CREDITS

• Credits are like points towards a qualification.

• Most full year courses will offer about 18–24 credits.

• Every standard is worth a set number of credits: giving a speech, for example, is worth three credits.

COLLECTING CREDITS FOR NCEA LEVEL 1

A student requires EIGHTY (80) credits at Level 1 or above, including TEN (10) credits in Literacy and TEN (10) credits in Numeracy, to be awarded NCEA Level 1. The reading, writing and number skills come from a range of subjects.

NOTE: Some students may be assessed for their literacy and numeracy from the new NCEA corequisite, being piloted in 2023.