Curriculum Structure
Course Structure
Senior students (Year 11 to Year 13) must select six subject options.
Whanganui High School offers the following course structure:
| Entry Level | Pre-NCEA | NCEA Level 1 | NCEA Level 2 | NCEA Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | Year 12 | Year 13 |
Subject Names
All subjects have been named with reference to NCEA. Year 9 and 10 courses are labelled Entry and Pre-NCEA.
(Using Drama as an example)
| Entry Level | Pre-NCEA | NCEA Level 1 | NCEA Level 2 | NCEA Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRAE | DRA0 | DRA1 | DRA2 | DRA3 |
Multilevel Courses
Students in Year 10 – 13 may study any subject at any level, as long as they meet the course entry requirements, and have gained approval from the Associate Principal. The timetable has been designed so that students are able to choose their subjects from any NCEA Level. It is expected that students choose courses, which reflect their level of achievement rather than their age.
Example: A Year 11 student may take MAO2, while a Year 13 student might decide to take ACC1.
Course Pathways
Course pathways have been designed so that students can develop their interests right up to Year 13.
Example: A student who is interested in Art could plan the following course pathway:
| Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARTE | ART0 | ART1 | ARP2 + ARD2 | ARP3 + ARD3 |
Course Specialisation
In general, students are encouraged to take a broad course in Year 9, 10 and 11, but may specialise more in Year 12 and 13.
Example: A student might be very interested in Science. They might choose the following Science pathway:
| Year 9 | Year 10 | Year 11 | Year 12 | Year 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCIE | SCI0 | SCG1 | BIO2 | BIO3 |
| CHE2 | CHE3 | |||
| PHY2 | PHY3 | |||
| ELE2 | ELE3 | |||
| SCI2 |
Curriculum Levels
To cater for different student abilities, Whanganui High School offers courses of different curriculum levels, within subjects. Staff will determine the appropriate level course for each student based on past academic performance in these subject areas.
Entry Level
Entry Level courses may have up to 3 different curriculum levels. These are labelled as follows:
(Using Mathematics as an example)
Subject Subject Level Curriculum Level Subject Code Mathematics Supported Learning NZ Curriculum Level 3 MAIE Mathematics Middle Band NZ Curriculum Level 4 MATE Mathematics Extension NZ Curriculum Level 5 MAEE Pre-NCEA Courses
Pre-NCEA courses may also have up to 3 different curriculum levels. These are labelled as follows:
(Using English as an example)
Subject Subject Level Curriculum Level Subject Code English Supported Learning NZ Curriculum Level 4 ENI0 English Middle Band NZ Curriculum Level 5 ENG0 English Extension NZ Curriculum Level 6 ENE0 NCEA Level 1 Courses
NCEA Level 1 courses are assessed at Level 6 of the NZ Curriculum. Courses are either fully internally assessed or a mixture of internal and external assessment.
(Using Science as an example)
Subject Subject Level Subject Code NCEA Level 1 Science Introductory (Internal assessment) SCI1 NCEA Level 1 Science General (Mixed assessment) SCG1 NCEA Level 1 Science Extension (Mixed assessment) SCE1 NCEA Level 2 Courses
NCEA Level 2 Courses are assessed at Level 7 of the NZ Curriculum. Courses are either fully internally assessed or a mixture of internal and external assessment.
(Using English as an example)
Subject Subject Level Subject Code NCEA Level 2 English Introductory (Internal assessment) ENI2 NCEA Level 2 English General (Mixed assessment) ENG2 NCEA Level 2 English Extension (Mixed assessment) ENE2 NCEA Level 3 Courses
NCEA Level 3 Courses are offered at Level 8 of the NZ Curriculum. However, Whanganui High School offers a range of subjects in Year 13, some of which have a mix of NCEA Level 2 and 3 and/or a mix of Achievement and Unit Standard credits.
Progressive Programme
Students who have moved through school in the "Supported Learning" programme or who apply for additional learning support in Year 11 may enter the Progressive programme at Level 1 or 2.
NCEA Scholarship
Whanganui High School offers NCEA Level 3 students the opportunity to sit the NCEA Scholarships examination in subjects taught at Level 3.
Example: The NCEA Scholarship Chemistry examination is offered as part of Level 3 Chemistry.
University Entrance Approval Courses
Most Whanganui High School Level 3 courses are UE approved. The words ' Not UE approved' appear on the course description if this is not the case. For more information regarding University Entrance Standards refer to the NZQA website.
In addition, if a course offers University Entrance Literacy credits, these are identified at the top of the course description.
Vocational Pathways
Vocational Pathways provide new ways to achieve NCEA Level 2 – the foundation for success in further education and the world of work. The pathways help students see how their learning and achievement is valued in the ‘real world’ by aligning the NCEA Level 2 Assessment Standards including specific ‘sector-related’ standards with six industries:
- Primary Industries
- Services Industries
- Social & Community Services
- Manufacturing & Technology
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Creative Industries
These six pathways represent ways to structure and achieve NCEA Level 2 by providing a more coherent framework for foundational vocational education; students can develop their own individual education plans, are better informed and able to make better choices to meet their goals.
Government agencies, the industry training sector, secondary and tertiary representatives and industry and employer representatives worked together to develop the six Vocational Pathways for NCEA Level 2 as the foundation of the journey to employment.
For the Profile Builder tool refer to the Vocational Pathways website.