Wakatipu High School
Course Option Booklet 2012
This course booklet will assist Wakatipu High School students in making course choices for next year, 2012.
You can use this site to look at the courses on offer during 2012. Each course outline, and this introductory page, can be printed in the traditional booklet format.
After the options evening on Wednesday 23rd August the forms needed to lodge option choices will be made available.Once you have made your choices, you will need to print out and fill in an option form with your choices for 2012. This form will need to be handed in to the school office. The final date for handing in forms is Thursday 15th September.
Option form Download - this will open in a new window. To save a copy Right Click on the link, then select 'Save as...'
Can't view this file? Download Foxit pdf reader here.
- Introduction
- Choosing your course
- Senior curriculum course pathways
- Gaining credit at NCEA
- Careers advice
Search courses by learning area:
| English | Languages | Science | Maths | Arts | Technology |
| Social Sciences | Health & Physical Education | Careers |
Or search courses alphabetically
Courses in which Scholarship is offered are shaded
Further information regarding each Standard offered can be found by visiting the NZQA website here. at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/index.html
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| English | English | English |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Languages | French | |||
| ESOL - Intermediate | ESOL - Upper Intermediate |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Maths | Mathematics | Level 1 Maths | 7MAT | Maths with Calculus |
| 7MIX | Statistics and Modelling |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Science | Science | Science | Biology | Biology |
| Chemistry | Chemistry | |||
| Physics | Physics |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Arts | Drama | Drama | Drama | |
| Music | Music | Music | ||
| Visual Art | Visual Art - Design | Visual Art - Design | ||
| Visual Art - Painting | Visual Art - Painting | |||
| Photography | Photography |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Technology | Design & Visual Communication | Design & Visual Communication | Design & Visual Communication | |
| Digital Media | Digital Technology | Digital Technology | ||
| Digital Infrastructure and Electronics | Electronics | |||
| Food Technology | Food Technology | |||
| Design Technology | Design Technology |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | |
| Social Sciences | Accounting | Accounting | Accounting | ||
| Economics | Economics | Economics | |||
| History | History | History | |||
| Geography | Geography | Geography | |||
| Business Studies | |||||
| Tourism | Tourism |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Health & Physical Education | Physical Education | Physical Education | Physical Education | |
| Practical PE | ||||
| Outdoor Recreation | Outdoor Recreation |
| Learning Area | Subject | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
| Work & Study Skills | Employment Skills | Employment Skills | ||
| Gateway | ||||
| Automotive | ||||
| Trade Skills | ||||
Introduction to choosing courses at Wakatipu High School
This book has been designed to assist students to make an informed choice of course for next year. Entering the senior school marks the transition from the broad based core curriculum of Years 9 -10, to the specialisation of tertiary study or employment. Choosing subjects that combine student ability, interest and employment directions is extremely important. Students and parents are strongly encouraged to read the book carefully and to use the schools support structures for help with choosing subjects.
Every effort will be made to accommodate student course choices. However if the number of students selecting a particular subject is low there may not be sufficient teacher time allocated by the Government. In this unlikely event the options offered will be to:
- offer multi level classes
- ascertain if Distance Learning opportunities are available
- ask students to select an alternative subject
Choosing your course
Successful students study courses that combine
ABILITY + INTEREST + EMPLOYMENT DIRECTION → SUBJECT CHOICE
Questions you need to answer before choosing the subjects in your
course are:
| How good are you at a subject? | What do you enjoy? | What are you planning to do when you leave school? |
↓ |
↓ |
↓ |
| Which subjects do you achieve well in? | Do you like the work or the teacher? | What subjects do you need to take? |
| How does your teacher rate your ability? | What do you find interesting and of value? | How do you keep your options open? |
If you need help to answer these questions ask your
- Subject teacher
- Tutor Group teacher
- House Deans
- Heads of Learning Area
- Careers Adviser - Mrs B Gardiner
Senior curriculum course pathways
When deciding your course for NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3 it is important to plan the pathways to which each subject will lead you, whether it is to
- to make new subject choices
- to extend themselves in areas of excellence
- to reinforce learning where they have experienced difficulties
- to develop the range of competencies necessary in a competitive employment market
- to shape a course suited to their individual needs
Gaining credit at NCEA
National Certificate of Educational Achivement (NCEA)
Students will work towards the NCEA
qualification. The NCEA is the main qualification for senior
secondary students.
To complete an NCEA students must earn credits. They gain credits by
meeting standards in their chosen subject areas. Some standards will
be assessed by internal assessment. Some will be assessed externally
by an exam at the end of the year.
Achievement standards have been designed to recognise student achievement by awarding
Achieved, Merit or Excellence grades.
Requirements for NCEA Certificates
|
|
80 credits at Level 3 OR | 60 credits at Level 3 or above | Level 1 - 80 credits at any level in literacy (English or te reo Maori) and 8 in numeracy (Mathematics). | ||||
| 60 credits at Level 2 or above | |||||||
| Level 2 - 80 credits - a minimum of 60 credits at level 2 or above and 20 credits at any level. | |||||||
| Level 3 - 80 credits - a minimum of 60 credits at level 3 or above and 20 credits at level 2 or above. | |||||||
| Level 1 80 credits | 80 credits at Level 2 OR | plus 20 credits at any level | plus 20 credits at Level 2 or above | ||||
NCEA Level Endorsements
NCEA Certificate Endorsed with Merit - Students have gained Merit for 50 of their 80 credits.
NCEA Certificate Endorsed with Excellence - Students have gained Excellence for 50 of their 80 credits.
Endorsements are retrospective and can be achieved in more than one level in any one year.
Course Endorsement for Excellence and Merit
Secondary school students will be able to gain further recognition of their achievements in 2012 with Merit and Excellence endorsement in their course areas.
With course endorsement students will receive an Excellence endorsement if they gain 14 or more credits at Excellence level, while students gaining 14 or more credits at Merit (or Merit and Excellence) will gain Merit endorsement.
For Course Endorsement, at least 3 of the 14 credits must be from internally assessed standards, and 3 from external assessment (national examinations), to demonstrate students are competent in both forms of assessment.
Year 11
All Year 11 students study
- English
- Science
- Mathematics
- three other subjects.
Year 12
It is highly recommended that all students study English at Level 2 to ensure they meet the entry requirement for tertiary education.
Students must be aware of which
subjects are University Entrance approved at Level 3. It is
essential that all intending Year 12 students consider the
possibility of University Entrance in Year 13.
National Certificate - Unit Standards
A number of subjects in the senior school offer additional or
alternative qualifications for National Certificates.
Studying for the two qualifications does not mean extra work for
you. The same course of study can be the basis of both assessment
systems.
Some subjects also offer their own National Certificate, for
example:
* Computer Studies offers The National Certificate in Computing at
Levels 2 and 3
* Outdoor Recreation at Levels 2 and 3
All unit standards credits gained count towards the NCEA certificate
at the appropriate level.
Year 13
University Entrance:
A person shall be qualified for entrance to a university in New Zealand if he / she has obtained:
| 14 credits at Level 3 or higher in an approved subject | + | 14 credits at Level 3 or higher in an approved subject | + | 14 credits at Level 3 or higher in no more than 2 domains or approved subjects |
| For example: | ||||
| Te Reo Maori | + | Biology | + | Physics |
| English | + | History | + | Graphics (7) + Technology (7) |
| Physical Education | + | Drama | + | Accounting (10) + Economics (4) |
In addition there are Numeracy and Literacy requirements of:
- 14 credits in Mathematics at Level 1 or higher
- 4 credits at Level 2 or above in Reading
- 4 credits at Level 2 or above in Writing
Please note that these are the minimum requirments for University Entrance.Universities have raised the entry criteria for many courses. It is important to check the requirement for each University (further information available from the Careers Adviser, Mrs B. Gardiner).
Wakatipu High advises students who intend to take a degree course at a university, college of education or polytechnic to take FIVE subjects from the U.E. approved subject list.
University Entrance Approved Subject List:
(Note: not all the listed subjects are offered at WHS)| Accounting
Agriculture & Horticulture Biology Chemistry Chinese Classical Studies Computing Cook Islands Maori Dance Design (Practical Art) Drama Economics English French
|
Geography German Graphics Health Education History History of Art Indonesian Japanese Korean Latin Mathematics with Calculus Statistics and Modelling Media Studies |
Music Studies Painting (Practical Art) Photography (Practical Art) Physical Education Physics Printmaking (Practical Art) Samoan Science Sculpture (Practical Art) Spanish Social Studies Technology Te Reo Rangatira or Te Reo Maori |
New Zealand Scholarship Year 13
The information below, and the links to which it refers, can be found at
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/awards/scholarship/
Scholarship provides recognition and monetary reward to top students n their last year of schooling. Scholarship exams enable candidates to be assessed against challenging standards, and are demanding for the most able candidates in each subject.
Scholarship candidates are expected to demonstrate high-level critical thinking, abstraction and generalisation, and to integrate, synthesise and apply knowledge, skills, understanding and ideas to complex situations.
Entry to Scholarship
Students can enter for Scholarship through an accredited New Zealand secondary school. For full details of the entry requirements, see NCEA Rules and Procedures - Secondary Schools.
There are separate fee structures for domestic and international students, see fees for NCEA.
Eligibility to recieve a monetary reward
To be eligible to recieve a scholarship award, the student must be enrolled in tertiary study in New Zealand for the years in which they recieve monetary awards. Fro awards with second or subsequent year payments recipients must maintain a 'B' grade average during their tertiary study in New Zealand.
For full details of the eligibility requirements, see NCEA Rules and Procedures - Secondary Schools.
Careers Assistance
In this world of constant change, it can be difficult for both parents and students to stay informed about the changes relating to tertiary courses or training programmes that do require earlier study of specific subjects at school. Subject selection can be difficult when you are not fully informed.
Here are several helping agencies that can be accessed from home to assist students in choosing subjects that best suit their interests and possible employment directions.
Career Point: Telephone 0800 222 733
Career Point has a team of experienced, friendly information and advice advisors who will answer your calls. Hours are Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 9.00 pm Saturday 10.00 am to 2.00 pm
Career Services: Telephone 0800 109 901
E-mail careers@careers.govt.nz
This site offers an extensive range of career information such as: Job Descriptions Training options (including Defence Force training) Directory of useful addresses Information on courses available at polytechnics, universities, and private training establishments throughout New Zealand Funding details Industry overviews
At school we survey all Year 10, 11 and 12 students with a Careers questionnaire and endeavour to ensure information is passed on. Our careers office also has a full range of course and career information available just ask!
Helpful Hints for Choosing Options/Subjects
It is important to keep options open so that a range of career pathways will be available when making the transition beyond school. However, many tertiary study courses make recommendations for background study. Students are advised to heed this advice. As students move into the senior school many have established career and/or tertiary study goals. Below I have outlined some of the requirements for the more common degree areas studied beyond school. This list is not exhaustive please contact me if you have other specific queries.
| Health Sciences | | first year study is necessary for moving on into Medical, Physiotherapy, Dentistry, Pharmacy careers. Strongly recommended that Year 13 English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths with Stats be taken. |
| Psychology | | Year 13 Biology, Maths with Stats, English |
| Marketing | | Year 13 Maths with Stats and English |
| PE | | Year 13 Biology, Maths with Stats, PE recommended. Chemistry and Physics helpful. This is a competitive and limited entry course - selections are based on Year 12 results minimum 80 credits at Level 2 from the UE approved list (p10 Senior Course Booklet). Students should aim for the best possible results ie Merit and Excellence grades. |
| Arts | | English extremely useful and Arts subjects such as History, Geography, Economics useful. Maths with Stats useful for advanced study in Political Science, Psychology, Sociology. |
| Commerce | | Maths with Calc and Maths with Stats recommended for all commerce subjects, particularly Finance and Computer Science. Accounting and Economics useful for most Commerce subjects. |
| Engineering | | Civil or Mechanical) Maths with Calc, Physics and Chemistry essential for any Engineering major. English is also very useful. Direct Entry to stage 2 is possible with excellent Year 13 results. |
| Social Work | | Year 13 English, Classics, History, Geography and Economics useful Maths with Stats useful for advanced study. |
| Teaching | | Early Childhood and Primary entrance is competitive therefore good academic and people skills are essential. English to Year 13 and Maths, Sciences, Maori extremely useful. |
| Architecture | | Year 13 Maths with Calc, Physics, English and one subject in creative areas such as Art, Design or Graphics recommended. 16 Level 3 credits in Math with Calc or Physics required or will have be included in first year programme. |
| Law | | Essay-based subjects such as English, History, Economics and Geography are a good preparation. |
| Nursing | | For Otago Poly 14 Level 3 credits in an English rich subject, Biology and or Chemistry (advised to have both plus a current First Aid Certificate. CPIT and SIT similar but not specifically English but an English rich subject |
| Vet Science | | Year 13 Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths with Calc, Maths with Stats all recommended. However, Maths with Stats preferred if choice has to be made. |
| Journalism | | English rich subjects ie English, History, Classics, Drama useful plus work experience in the industry helpful. |
Apprenticeships: There are specific requirements regarding subjects studied and achievement for the various types of apprenticeships check with the Careers Advisor. It is important for all students considering this pathway to achieve the best possible results in English and Mathematics at Level 1.
Advice is available its better to plan well in advance to avoid disappointment later. It is also important to have a Plan B should your first choice not come to fruition. This requires very careful course planning. Please do not hesitate to ask.
Mrs B Gardiner, Careers Advisor