Year 11 Curriculum

The work-place is changing rapidly and to be prepared for their futures students need to develop the ‘key 21^st century skills’: creativity, collaboration, communication, problem solving, character and citizenship. Our focus is to ensure students are provided with a future focussed education and our Year 11 curriculum is specifically designed to best prepare young adults to succeed in their final years of school and beyond.

The Year 11 course is focussed on developing a depth and breadth of learning that isn’t possible through a course based solely on obtaining achievement standards. Concentration is on learning and the development of these key soft skills, embedded through students’ subjects and the collaborative project.

The Year 11 Course:

• Shifts the focus of Year 11 from assessment to teaching to learning
• Subjects and Courses have New Zealand Curriculum achievement objectives as well as those of the International Baccalaureate as the basis of their design
• Students study five full-year subjects and two semester (half year) courses. More details on each can be found below. All subjects and courses provide the foundation for students’ further learning in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) or the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP)
• Includes a collaborative project and leadership development for all students
• Provides a future pathways programme (careers) that better prepares students for the rapidly changing world and workplace.

Five full year subjects

Students choose five full-year subjects:

• English, mathematics and science are compulsory
• Students also choose two full year options such as languages, technology, business studies and arts
• These subjects give students the core skills they need for NCEA Level 2 or IBDP
• Each subject includes one internal assessment and one external assessment to provide a balance between assessment and learning

Two half-year options

Students’ full year subjects are complimented by two semester (half year) courses that are more specialised and are designed to stimulate learning in a range of areas. These courses are designed to offer students a depth of learning specifically focussed on developing these key transferrable skills. Examples of semester courses include: Film – Selling it on Screen, Humanities in Arts and Culture, Sports and Exercise Science, Integrated Design Challenge, and Biomedical Science.

A collaborative project

Students spend three periods a fortnight working on a collaborative group project, for the first two terms of the year.

Students research a problem and plan a solution, building in a number of 21st century skills such as collaboration, creativity and design thinking.

The project is structured with staff supervision, a handbook, regular tracking of tasks, checkpoints and events. The project is launched at the start of the year and culminates in an exhibition at the end of Term 2.

Students are asked to reflect on their project, demonstrating what they have learned or how they would have done some things differently – this reflection is the main focus for the project’s assessment, along with the final exhibition.

The Year 11 collaborative project builds on work students do in the Year 6 PYP Exhibition and the Year 10 MYP Community Project. It encourages students to choose a topic they are passionate about. Project-based learning is useful for teaching skills such as collaboration and critical thinking and provides opportunities for community engagement or outreach.