Physical Education is a subject with variety. It is 100% internally assessed for all three NCEA levels. Physical Education aims to develop lifelong enjoyment of physical activity.  The content covers biophysical and socio-cultural aspects associated with practical contexts. The nature of the course enables a student studying Physical Education to be reflective and adaptable. Another crucial element is a student’s ability to apply theoretical knowledge to personal experiences in some form of practical context. In doing so, students are better able to grasp ideas from listening, reading, seeing and doing. By Year 13, students are in a position to focus on and fully explore an area of interest, looking at it from multiple perspectives through a process of critical thinking. Critical thinking is a valuable skill that transfers into many other subjects and goes hand in hand with University degrees and career pathways, particularly but not exclusively, within the health industry.

Key Topics Covered:

• Movement and impact on hauora

• Kotahitanga

• Aotearoa/NZ Contexts

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20

Where could this course take you?
Year 12 PE or Physical Leadership    |   Year 13 PE or Fitness Studies

Health is an important subject to take in senior school.  Understanding ourselves, people and the society around us is an integral part of life. Health Education involves students developing a greater understanding of relevant issues that we face in today’s society and gaining a greater understanding of why humans may behave the way they do. 

Key Topics Covered:

• Personal, interpersonal and social factors

• Decision making and strategies to support hauora

Number of Assessments: 3
Number of Credits on Offer: 15

Where could this course take you?
Year 12

Biology is about about living things and how they interact with each other and the environment. You will be exploring the diversity of life and life processes, of where and how life has evolved in order to make more informed decisions about significant biological issues. Chemistry involves the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. You will develop understandings of the composition and properties of matter, the changes it undergoes, and the energy involved. 

Key Topics Covered:

• Chemical Reactions & Properties

• Biological Issues

• Biological Ideas relating to Genetic Variation

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20

Where could this course take you?
Year 12 Biology or Chemistry  |  Year 13 Biology or Chemistry

The study of life in the Pacific; both past and present. How have the beautiful cultures of the Pacific nations developed and evolved over time.

Key Topics Covered:

• Pacific Change and Development

• Indigenous Knowledge

• Pacific Society & Culture

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 18

Where could this course take you?
Year 12

The Visual Arts is an engaging and exciting course that celebrates everyone's unique artistic expression. Students are valued, respected and supported to express themselves in their artwork. Students learn how to develop their artistic, thinking and creative skills. In the Visual Arts students will have the opportunity to explore Photography, Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking. The Visual Arts embraces Maori and Pasifika Visual Art and Artists and encourages students to do the same. Students are expected to participate and engage in creative action by engaging, thinking and connecting with others and their artwork.

Key topics covered:

• Processes and Conventions

• Māori and Cultural Contexts

• Bodies of Related Work

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20

Where could this course take you?
Year 12 Multimedia Arts or Digital Design     |     Year 13 Multimedia Arts or Digital Design

Food Design is focuses on the practical skills involved with the design, preparation and production of Food. Students will complete an Industry Standard course that will prepare them for a range of careers in the Hospitality industry. Students should have a passion for food and the culinary arts and be ready to work at a fast pace!

Key topics covered:

• Knife Care

• Prepare Sauces, Soups, Finger Foods & Baking

• Present Meat, Dairy, Fruit & Veges

• Hospitality Pathways

Number of Assessments: 8
Number of Credits on Offer: 21 

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

During this course you will gain confidence in working with a group.  You will be able to practice a variety of drama skills, record your process and personal reactions, recognise the elements of drama, and contribute to the ensemble presentation.

Key topics covered:

• Drama Techniques

• Acting Role in Scripted Production

• Devising and Performing

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20 

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

In this course you will learn the fundamentals of the Elements of Music, including writing music, as well as performing opportunities, and an introduction to mixing and production techniques.

Key topics covered:

• Composition

• Original Pieces

• Aural and Theoretical Skills

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

'A leai se gagana, ua leai se aganuu, a leai se aganuu ona po lea o le nuu.’ When you lose your language, you lose your culture and when there is no longer a living culture, darkness descends on the village. (Fanaafi, 1996).

Learning gagana and Samoan culture enables learners of Samoan heritage to affirm their sense of identity and belonging.  It gives them the opportunities to enhance their achievement and enable them to make connections to the wider community of speakers of the Samoan language.  At Tangaroa College, learning gagana Samoa starts from Year 10 to Year 13. The first level is for students to acquire the following skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. As it moves to the next level, students will get the opportunity to acquire, maintain and increase their understanding, appreciation and proficiency in the language.  

Key topics covered:

• Communication & Interaction

• Listening

• Spoken Presentation

• Writing

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

*This is a proposed new course. This course running in 2024 is dependent on approval and student numbers.

Tongan is focused on topics including family (immediate & extended), food, sports, church and culture via speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Key topics covered:

• Spoken & Written Lea Faka-Tonga

• Interactions

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20 

The study of business is about how individuals and groups of people organise, plan, and act to create and develop goods and services to satisfy customers. Business is influenced by and impacts on the cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of the day. The Business Studies Department offers content from the Accounting, Business Studies, Economics and Legal Studies subjects in its courses

Key topics covered:

• Law inc. Consumer Law

• Financial Decisions 

Number of Assessments: 5
Number of Credits on Offer: 22

Where could this course take you?
Year 12 Business Studies or Accounting     |     Year 13 Business Studies

In Digital Technologies, students get to design their own digital outcomes or products. Students are creators, inventors and innovators - not just users - of digital technologies. As tomorrow’s leaders, our students need to understand the theory and science behind the technologies. They need to be adaptable to technology and have skills for jobs available today and the future.

Key topics covered:

• Iterative Processes

• Spreadsheets

• Digital Media Outcomes

• Human-computer Interfaces

Number of Assessments: 5
Number of Credits on Offer: 20 

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

Product Design is a practical subject where students design and make products in response to a given design brief. Each year level focuses on different practical skills and materials to give students a wide range of experience. We suggest taking Design and Visual Communication (DVC) as well Product Design.

Key topics covered:

• Safe Working Practices

• BCATS

• Resistant Materials

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 21 

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

*This is a proposed new course. This course running in 2024 is dependent on approval and student numbers.

Design and Visual Communication (DVC) is where you use graphical techniques to explore the functions and aesthetic qualities of a design to generate product or spatial design ideas to respond to design influences.

Key topics covered:

• Sketching & Rendering

• Develop Design Ideas & Reference Influential Designers

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20 

Where could this course take you?
Year 12     |     Year 13

Trades Academy is an engineering focused course where you can learn about safety procedures, how to select, use and care for simple measuring devices and how to develop a simple product using engineering materials.

Key topics covered:

• Safety Procedures

• Measuring Devices

• Develop a Simple Product

Number of Assessments: 4
Number of Credits on Offer: 20

Where could this course take you?
Year 12

*This is a proposed new course. This course running in 2024 is dependent on approval and student numbers.

This course introduces students to the world of work where you will learn skills needed both in the workplace and in your everyday life at home and school. The credits gained from the units in this course count towards NCEA level 1.

Key topics covered:

• Writing a CV

• Completing Forms and Incident Reports

• Producing a Budget

Number of Assessments: 8
Number of Credits on Offer: 20 

Where could this course take you?
Year 12      |     Year 13

He aha Te Reo Māori?
Ko Te Reo Māori he tuāpapa he tāonga hoki i tākea mai a kui mā a koro mā i Hawaiki nui Hawaiki roa Hawaiki pāmamao. Ki te ako te tauira i te reo Māori ka ako i ngā āhuatanga e pāheko ki ngā tikanga me ngā kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa. Nō reira rau rangatira tihei mauri ora!

If you are interested in this subject, but are worried about your ability to complete the course, please get in touch with Mrs Tawhi as the course may be adapted!

Key topics covered:

• Tōku Whakapapa

• Tōku Haerenga

• Powhiri Protocols & Rules

Number of Assessments: 2
Number of Credits on Offer: 10*
*Some students may also qualify for 2 unit standard credits

Where could this course take you?
Year 12      |     Year 13