The arts are powerful forms of expression that recognise, value, and contribute to the unique bicultural and multicultural character of Aotearoa New Zealand, enriching the lives of all New Zealanders. The arts have their own distinct languages that use both verbal and non-verbal conventions, mediated by selected processes and technologies. Through movement, sound, and image, the arts transform people's creative ideas into expressive works that communicate layered meanings.
The evolving patterns of work and education make it essential that every high school student has access to career education and guidance that is future-focused and personalised. Our team can help with exploring interests and strengths, and then helping a student match these to possible career options. This can be for short-term goals, such as choosing an option, or it can be for long-term goals, such as meeting prerequisites for a potential career pathway.
The Commerce Department at Papanui High School aims to deliver teaching and learning programmes that offer authentic learning experiences, that enable all students to meet their full potential. Our focus is to develop the commercial capabilities (skills and knowledge) of our students, to enable them to make informed and rational decisions, in order for them to participate effectively in the rapidly changing world they live in.
Technology is intervention by design. It uses intellectual and practical resources to create technological outcomes, which expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realising opportunities.
Design is characterised by innovation and adaptation and is at the heart of technological practice. It is informed by critical and creative thinking and specific design processes. Effective and ethical design respects the unique relationship that New Zealanders have with their physical environment and embraces the significance of Māori culture and world views in its practice and innovation.
Technology makes enterprising use of knowledge, skills and practices for exploration and communication, some specific to areas within technology and some from other disciplines. These include digitally-aided design, programming, software development, various forms of technological modelling, and visual literacy – the ability to make sense of images and the ability to make images that make sense.
English is the study, use, and enjoyment of the English language and its literature, communicated orally, visually, and in writing, for a range of purposes and audiences and in a variety of text forms. Learning English encompasses learning the language, learning through the language, and learning about ourselves.
Understanding and creating oral, written, and visual texts of increasing complexity, is at the heart of English teaching and learning.
Students will engage with text-based activities to become increasingly sophisticated speakers and listeners, writers and readers, presenters and viewers.
In Food Studies, our focus is on the well-being of students themselves, other people and society through learning in health-related contexts. There is an emphasis on promoting good health, understanding attitudes and values related to others and also the changes that are needed to ensure social justice. Students also learn about how issues are interrelated by learning to see nutritional issues using the socio-ecological perspective. They are given opportunities to engage in their own practice to find solutions confidently when making food products in the kitchen. Senior students are given the option of taking Hospitality and working in the commercial kitchen to produce high-quality food and beverage items that can be presented for sale or for various functions within the school.
Textile Technology is a creative and purposeful subject where students develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to create individual solutions to identified needs and opportunities. Students solve practical problems within society when encouraged to engage in risk-taking, creativity and lateral and divergent thinking. They also work through focused, practical tasks to develop and practise particular skills and knowledge that allow them to take ownership of their own learning. Key to Textiles here at Papanui High School is the successful expression of self-belief through the designing and making of Textile Art, pattern drafting and garment construction.
In this learning area, the focus is on the well-being of the students themselves, of other people, and of society through learning in movement and health-related contexts.
Four underlying and interdependent concepts are at the heart of this learning area:
Hauora a Māori philosophy of well-being that includes the dimensions taha wairua, taha hinengaro, taha tinana, and taha whānau, each one influencing and supporting the others.
Attitudes and values a positive, responsible attitude on the part of students toward their own well-being; respect, care, and concern for other people and the environment; and a sense of social justice.
The socio-ecological perspective a way of viewing and understanding the interrelationships that exist between the individual, others, and society.
Health promotion a process that helps to develop and maintain supportive physical and emotional environments and that involves students in personal and collective action.
Learning a new language provides a means of communicating with people from another culture and exploring one's own personal world. Languages are inseparably linked to the social and cultural contexts in which they are used. Languages and cultures play a key role in developing our personal, group, national, and human identities.
Every language has its own ways of expressing meanings; each has intrinsic value and special significance for its users. This learning area provides the framework for the teaching and learning of languages that are additional to the language of instruction.
Kei hopu tōu ringa ki te aka tāepa, engari kia mau ki te aka matua.
Mathematics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time. Statistics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in data. These two disciplines are related but have different ways of thinking and solving problems. Both equip students with effective means for investigating, interpreting, explaining, and making sense of the world in which they live.
Mathematicians and statisticians use symbols, graphs, and diagrams to help them find and communicate patterns and relationships, and they create models to represent both real-life and hypothetical situations. These situations are drawn from a wide range of social, cultural, scientific, technological, health, environmental, and economic contexts.
Science is a way of investigating, understanding, and explaining our natural, physical world and the wider universe. It involves generating and testing ideas, gathering evidence, including by making observations, carrying out investigations and modelling, and communicating and debating with others, in order to develop scientific knowledge, understanding, and explanations.
Scientific progress comes from logical, systematic work and from creative insight, built on a foundation of respect for evidence.
Different cultures and periods of history have contributed to the development of science.
Classical Studies ✻ Geography ✻ History ✻ Social Studies ✻ Tourism
The Social Science learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate as critical, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand.
“To provide the best possible education for all our students in a safe, balanced, caring environment”.
Below is a an overview of the year nine course structure. This is what your child will be taking when they start at Papanui High School next year. Core subjects are subjects that all students take, options is where you and your child have some choice over what to take.
Year 9 Option Subjects
Year 9 students choose to study either one full year option subject ortwo half year option subjects for 3 periods per week. Students who are placed in one of our accelerated learning classes will be strongly advised to take a full year language option subject, instead of two half year option subjects. Please follow the links below to find out more about subjects you can choose.
All Year 9 students will choose to study two of the five technology subjects for four periods per week for two terms. However, if a student is placed in a Supported Learning Class they will study technology in their core class and be exposed to three different technology areas.
All Year 9 students will study five core subjects for four periods per week for the full year. You do not need to select these subjects. Every student is automatically enrolled in these. Please click the links below to find out more about these core subjects.
At Papanui High School our junior curriculum (Years 9 & 10) is arranged into a two-year programme that we refer to as the “Foundation Years”. During the foundation years, students will experience a combination of courses that are compulsory and those that are student-selected. The foundation years model has been designed to ensure students gain the foundation knowledge and skills needed to ensure success as they progress through their secondary education. This is balanced with student-selected courses where students choose a course that reflects their interests and aspirations.
The school year has been arranged into two semesters, each of two terms in duration. During Year 10, students will have 4 compulsory 2-semester courses and 1 compulsory 1-semester course, see below.
Year 10 Compulsory Courses
➢ English (two semesters) ➢ Health & Physical Education (one semester) ➢ Mathematics & Statistics (two semesters) ➢ Science (two semesters) ➢ Social Science (two semesters)
Year 10 Student Selected Courses In addition to the compulsory courses, Year 10 students select up to five student-selected courses to complete their course selection. This can be made up of courses either two or four terms in duration. Students can select courses in a curriculum area they are already studying, and the content will not be repeated. (Please note: if a course is two semesters (4 terms), it will count as two courses).
Please note: We endeavour to give all students their first choice in courses, however, in some circumstances, students may be asked to review their choices and select an alternative course.
Should you have any questions regarding course selection, please contact: Lynette Archer Deputy Principal [email protected]
Year 10 going to Year 11
NCEA Level 1: National Certificate of Educational Achievement
All Year 11 students enrol in five subjects plus Recreation and Well-being. (6 only by invitation - to be advised).
Consult with your teachers, Academic Counsellor and Careers Staff for suggestions on your choice and level of subjects.
Students will be placed in English, Mathematics and Science classes based on their ability.
Several subjects offer alternative courses. Consult your subject teachers as to which courses are suitable for you.
✔ 60 credits at any Level 1 or above
Plus
✔ 10 Literacy or Te Reo Matatini credits, &
✔ 10 Numeracy or Te Pāngarau credits
External and internal assessments will apply.
Year 11 going to Year 12
NCEA Level 2: National Certificate of Educational Achievement
All Year 12 students do a total of five subjects plus Study. (6 only by invitation - to be advised).
Pre-requisites may apply for entry to Level 2 courses.
Consult subject teachers, your Academic Counsellor and Careers staff when deciding on your course.
Courses may be full-year, semester or pathways courses.
Level 2 courses are often pre-requisites for Level 3 courses so it is important you also check the pre-requisites for Year 13 courses you may want to take in the following year.
✔ 60 credits at Level 2 or above
Plus
✔ 10 Literacy or Te Reo Matatini credits, &
✔ 10 Numeracy or Te Pāngarau credits
Year 12 going to Year 13
NCEA Level 3: National Certificate of Educational Achievement
All Year 13 students take five subjects plus Study.
Courses may be full-year, semester or pathways courses.
NCEA Level 3
The requirements for gaining entry to University are:
✔ 60 credits at Level 3 or above
Plus
✔ 10 Literacy or Te Reo Matatini credits, &
✔ 10 Numeracy or Te Pāngarau credits
NB University Entrance and NCEA Level 3 are NOT the same qualification .
Papanui High School
