Learning in the Junior School

Homeroom and Core Subjects

It is important that all Year 9 students are well supported when they move from primary school to secondary education. Our point of difference from many other secondary schools is our Year 9 homeroom structure in which Year 9 students have the same teacher for Maths, English and Social Studies, with a strong focus on reading, writing and mathematics. Having a homeroom teacher creates a sense of routine, as they build relationships with peers, other teachers, and become more confident in a secondary school environment that is very different from primary school. The total learning time in a homeroom is nine hours, alongside three hours of Science, and three hours of Physical Education per week. The total learning time across core subjects is 15 hours per week.

Te Whare Moemoeā

Te Whare Moemoeā is a unique type of homeroom that we offer for Year 9 students. This is run under the same model as the other Year 9 homerooms, but the key difference is that the teaching of English, Social Studies and Science is contextualised through a te ao Māori worldview. Students in this programme are taught and assessed at the same curriculum levels as those in the other Year 9 homerooms, and are able to continue on with this programme into Year 10 if they wish.

Year 9 Options 

Coming to college can be an exciting and overwhelming experience at the same time. We believe at Year 9 students should be able to experience a range of different option subjects so they have a range of learning experiences before making any decisions on which subjects they would like to take further as they move through college. In 2022, all Year 9 students work through 12 ‘learning modules’ that run for five weeks each in Terms 1 and 2. Then in Terms 3 and 4, they are able to select another six options, that are 10 weeks in length. The total learning time across options is 9 hours per week.

The options available in Semester 2 (2022) are: Art, Music, Wood, Financial Studies, Māori, Music, Japanese, Ngā Toi, Spanish, Food Technology, STEAM, Digital Technology, Dance, Drama, Hauora.

Year 10 Core Subjects: Mathematics, Science, English, Physical Education & Health, Social Studies. Each of these are full year courses that run for three hours per week, with a total learning time of 15 hours.

Year 10 Options 

In Year 10, students are able to build on their learning from Year 9 and select a range of option subjects that enables deeper learning. At this point, the programme shifts and allows students to choose three options in Semester 1, and a further three in Semester 2. Each semester runs for two school terms. The expectation is that students select options they enjoy, and that also link to possible pathways they may wish to follow in the senior school. All course selections can shape possible future pathways into subjects on offer in the senior school in Year 11, and for this reason students are supported by their Academic Coach and Year Level Dean who will help to guide their thinking and decision making in this area. The total learning time across options subjects is nine hours per week.

The options available in Semesters 1 and 2 (2023) are: Visual Art, Music, Wood, Financial Studies, Māori, Music, Japanese, Ngā Toi, Spanish, Food Technology, Digital Technology, Dance, Drama, Engineering, Adventure Education