Welcome to Ta Ara a Tawhaki - Year 9 and 10

Te Ara a Tawhaki has reshaped our Year 9-10 curriculum through dynamic and engaging semester-based courses. The new programme is an exciting step in our Deep Learning journey, enabling us to offer greater choice of learning contexts, themes, and topics to our ākonga. 

Ākonga select 12 semester (half-year) courses. Options include a Rumaki Reo (total immersion te reo Māori) class and a Reo Rua (bilingual English/te reo Māori) Humanities course. A mix of mandated and personally-selected courses will ensure coverage of the core curriculum requirements and preparation for the NCEA Literacy and Numeracy corequisites while enabling ākonga to follow their interests and talents and develop the essential transferable skills of the 7C Deep Learning competencies. 

We encourage course selection to be completed with whānau and caregivers. Please ask questions of kaiako (teachers), kaiarahi (form class teachers), kaihautū (dean) and our careers advisor, Ms Putt - all offer helpful advice. And, if you are unsure about eligibility to enter a course, talk to the curriculum leader in charge of that course. 

Important Information

Over Year 9 and 10, there are courses ākonga need to take. Please read the following:

• • Humanities: choose a minimum of three courses each year. In Year 9, there is one compulsory course: Tūrangawaewae. In Year 10, there is one compulsory course: World Government & Human Rights. Alternatively, as their compulsory course, Year 9 and 10 ākonga can choose the bilingual course: Iwi, Kiwi me te Ao. 

  • Mathematics: a full-year compulsory course each year. In both Year 9 and 10, ākonga choose Mathematics. 

  • Health & Physical Education: at least one course each year. In both Year 9 and 10, there is one compulsory course: Health. 

  • Science: a minimum of three courses over two years. In Year 9, there is one compulsory course: Building Science Skills.

ALSO

• If there are courses that we do not offer at Ōtaki College, online learning courses are possible (through Te Kura and Video Conferencing). See Mrs Gillian Gordon for enrollment information.

• Manukura GPS for boys runs as a course -but also requires ākonga to attend lessons from 7:30 am each morning. See Matua Sam Ward for enrollment information. 

ALSO

• • For students fluent in Te Reo Māori, Ōtaki College is proud to announce the establishment of a new Rumaki Reo (total immersion Māori). This exciting initiative will provide kaupapa Māori-based education to a selection of Year 9 and Year 10 ākonga, immersing them in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori from a Ngāti Raukawa perspective. See Matua Keremihana Heke for enrollment information.

Take time to read about each course and once you have decided upon what you wish to take, use the Year 9 and 10 Course Selection Form 2026 to complete your selection.  

Best wishes for this important set of decisions