Learning Areas

Arts (Performing)

The Performing Arts are a broad and diverse field that encompasses drama, music, and dance. These Arts offer students a unique opportunity to express themselves creatively and to develop their skills in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Drama is the art of acting and storytelling. Students who study drama learn how to develop characters, create dialogue, and perform in front of an audience. Drama can help students to improve their public speaking skills, develop their imagination, and learn about different cultures.

Music is the art of performing and creating vocal or instrumental sound through an expression of emotion. Students who study music learn how to read music, play an instrument, sing, compose music and learn about music in context. Playing a musical  instrument can also help students to improve their memory, concentration, and creativity. It can also help students relieve stress and improve their overall well-being.

Dance is the art of movement. Students who study dance learn how to express themselves through movement, develop their coordination, and improve their physical fitness. Dance can also help students to develop their self-confidence and self-expression.

Here are some of the benefits of studying the performing arts:

Improved communication skills: The performing arts require students to communicate effectively with others, both verbally and nonverbally. This can help them to develop their public speaking skills, improve their listening skills, and learn how to work effectively with others.

Increased self-confidence: The performing arts can help students to develop a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. This is because they are often required to perform in front of an audience, which can be a daunting task. However, when students are able to successfully perform in front of others, it can boost their confidence and self-esteem.

Enhanced creativity: The performing arts are a great way to express creativity. Students who study the performing arts are often encouraged to experiment and explore different ways of expressing themselves. This can help them to develop their own unique voice and style.

Improved problem-solving skills: The performing arts can help students to develop their problem-solving skills. This is because they are often required to think on their feet and come up with solutions to problems that arise during rehearsals or performances. This can be a valuable skill in any field, but it is especially important in the performing arts, where things don't always go according to plan.

 If you are interested in exploring this field, we encourage you to do so!

Arts (Visual)

"The arts are powerful forms of personal, social, and cultural expression. They are unique“ways of knowing” that enable individuals and groups to create ideas and images that reflect, communicate, and change their views of the world. The arts stimulate imagination, thinking, and understanding. They challenge our perceptions, uplift and entertain us, and enrich our emotional and spiritual lives. As expressions of culture, the arts pass on and renew our heritage and traditions and help to shape our sense of identity.

All art works are made, used, interpreted, and valued within social and cultural contexts and may be regarded as texts or commentaries that reflect history, tradition, and innovation. In Aotearoa New Zealand, toi Màori, the arts of the Màori, are integral to our sense of a distinctive, evolving national identity. European, Pacific, Asian, American, Indian, and African arts have progressively become part of the New Zealand cultural tapestry. Our cultural heritage now includes such traditional art forms as Celtic dancing and design, colonial architecture, orchestral and choral music, tapa and tìvaevae, raku and earth-fired pottery, puppetry, dragon dances, plays, musical theatre, and landscape painting. New Zealand artists often draw on and combine such art forms, along with traditional Màori forms such as poi, whare whakairo, and mòteatea, to create distinctive, contemporary art works.

The arts enable people to participate in collaborative and individual pursuits that contribute to community and personal identity. New Zealanders are involved in many art forms and arts-related fields of employment. For example, they are painters, dancers, musicians, actors, writers, weavers, designers, composers, choreographers, architects, film-makers, educators, historians, curators, producers, therapists, and technicians.

Many people also pursue careers outside the arts using analytical, creative, co-operative, entrepreneurial, and problem-solving skills that have been enhanced through learning in the arts" (The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum)

Commerce

"Commerce is the use and exploration of accounting, economic, and business concepts and models to make sense of society and solve problems. In this subject, ākonga will build the knowledge, skills, and values they need to navigate, and participate in, the economic world. They will learn how participants in the economic world make decisions, and they will analyse how these decisions impact on sustainability.

Ākonga will learn that decision-making is necessitated by scarcity and that decisions are informed by a variety of cultural perspectives and lenses. Learning and assessment will examine Māori, Pacific, and different approaches to commerce, and business models from whānau and organisation contexts" (NCEA Education).

English

The English Faculty at Whangaparāoa College is vibrant and forward-thinking. We are staffed by experienced teachers with a range of skills who are open to new ideas.

Emphasis is placed on the literacy skills needed for success in education and the world beyond school. Reading and writing are high on the priority list of classroom and homework activities. We are well-resourced with a wide range of modern and traditional texts, both written and visual. Teachers are aware of the importance of engaging students by using modern technologies where appropriate. 

A number of philosophical beliefs underpin teaching and learning in an English classroom at Whangaparāoa College:

 A supportive learning environment: Recognition that our learners represent a wide range of backgrounds, abilities and learning styles. This is supported by choosing texts which are appropriate to the class.

Encouragement of reflective thought and action: Allowing learners to evaluate the material they use critically and to reflect on their performance in assessment tasks. 

Enhancing the relevance of new learning: Making explicit the reasons for doing each activity or the choice of certain texts. Where possible, learners are involved in the choice of texts or themes in order that they see what they are doing as relevant and for them to “buy in” to their learning.

Facilitating shared learning: Ensuring there is a range of cooperative learning activities being used on a regular basis in the classroom. Learners are encouraged to discuss their learning at home. 

Making connections to prior learning: Finding out what the learners already know about a theme, idea or text. Learners are encouraged to make connections between their learning and their own experiences, as well as making connections between texts.

Teaching as inquiry: Teachers are aware of the mixed-ability nature of English classes and strive to differentiate to cater for the needs of all learners. The use of assessment data informs teaching and helps cater for the diverse needs of the learners. 

Assessment: A range of programmes using internal and external assessment ensures most learners can enjoy success according to their individual abilities. Emphasis is placed in the senior school on achieving NCEA success, with specialised programmes for those learners who need help with literacy. Able learners are extended through the use of challenging themes and texts, with constant urging to aim for excellence.

Gateway

The Gateway Programme at Whangaparāoa College provides learners with the opportunity to experience structured workplace learning in a career area they wish to explore.

The program offers senior learners up to 10 days of (unpaid) work experience along with studying industry-related NCEA credits, laying a strong foundation for their future pathway – whether that be further study, full-time work or an apprenticeship.

Gateway class-based learning includes compulsory assessments to help learners build their skills for employment, such as:

• Career Pathway - Explore & Plan
• Interview skills
• Budgeting/Planning for financial goals

All Gateway learners also complete 2 x 1 day workshops, Customer Service and Health & Safety with the opportunity to gain 14 x Level 3 credits. 

Some learners may also complete additional courses and/or industry standards applicable to their career interests.

Gateway is an exciting opportunity to get a taste of a workplace and determine interest in pursuing a particular career path in the future. Industry choices are varied, some examples are:

• Education – early childhood, primary, secondary
• Marine
• Building & Construction
• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Sport & Recreation
• Hairdressing / Barbering
• Engineering
• Retail
• Motor Industry
• Travel & Tourism / Hotel Management
• Hospitality
• Animal Care

Languages

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. Level 1 of the curriculum is the entry level for students with no prior knowledge of the language being learned, regardless of their school year (NZC - TKI)

Maori Studies

Maori studies  provides students with an opportunity to learn about the culture, traditions, and history of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. This subject is designed to deepen students' understanding of Maori culture, as well as its role in shaping the country's history and identity. Students learn about the Maori language, customs, beliefs, and values, and how they have evolved over time. They also study the major events that have shaped the Maori people and their relationship with the broader New Zealand community.

In Maori studies, students have the opportunity to develop their cultural competency, empathy, and respect for different cultures and ways of life. The subject also provides students with a deeper understanding of New Zealand's unique cultural heritage and the contributions made by the Maori people to the country's development.

Maori studies offers students a chance to develop their critical thinking and analytical skills as they examine historical events and the ways in which they have influenced contemporary Maori society. Through a variety of learning activities, such as group discussions, debates, and written assignments, students are encouraged to think deeply about the themes and concepts covered in the course.

Overall, Maori studies in secondary school is an important subject for all students, as it provides them with a better understanding of the country's history, cultural heritage, and the contributions made by its indigenous people.

Mathematics

At Whangaparāoa College Mathematics courses focus on developing the ability to apply some of the essential skills described in The New Zealand Curriculum Framework: communication skills; numeracy skills; information skills; problem-solving skills; social and cooperative skills; and work and study skills.

To do this learners will be put in situations where they can be lead to “rediscover” concepts, develop and maintain skills, and tackle applications while learning to think mathematically. It is important that problems in real world contexts that are relevant to the learners are investigated. Connections to other learning areas will also be highlighted and explored. General objectives (GO) from Mathematics in the New Zealand Curriculum which Whangaparāoa College Mathematics teaching and learning aims to meet.

GO 1. Develop a belief in the value of mathematics and its usefulness.
GO 2. Nurture confidence in the learners’ own mathematical ability.
GO 3. Foster a sense of personal achievement and encourage a continuing and creative interest in mathematics.
GO 4. Develop skills, concepts, understandings and attitudes which will enable learners to cope confidently with the mathematics of everyday life.
GO 5. Develop a variety of approaches to solving problems in mathematics including the ability to think and reason logically.
GO 6. Help learners to achieve the mathematical and statistical literacy needed in a society which is technologically oriented and information rich.
GO 7. Provide learners with the mathematical tools, skills, understandings and attitudes that they will require in the world of work.
GO 8. Provide a foundation for those learners who may continue studies in mathematics or other learning areas where mathematical concepts are central.
GO 9. Help to foster and develop mathematical talent.
GO 10. To look for problems and solve them in flexible and creative ways reflecting critically on the methods chosen.

In Mathematics learners explore relationships between quantities, space and data. They learn how to express these relationships in ways that help them make sense of the world around them.

Learners will investigate and communicate patterns, relationships and models to solve problems in real life and hypothetical situations. These are drawn from a wide range of social, cultural, scientific, technological, health, environmental and economic contexts.

By studying Mathematics learners develop the ability to think creatively, critically, strategically, and logically. They learn to structure and to organise, to carry out procedures flexibly and accurately, to process and communicate information, and to enjoy intellectual challenge.

Mathematics also contributes to the Essential Learning Area of Technology through the use of calculators (Scientific, Graphical and CAS), computers (Particularly spreadsheets, graphing, dynamic geometry, statistics and simulation applications) and Interactive Whiteboards. Technology should be used to focus on the mathematical concepts and ideas where routine mechanical manipulation intrudes on the real point of learning situations.

PE, Health and Outdoor Education

Welcome to Physical Education, Health and Outdoor Education at Whangaparāoa College. The aim of our courses is to inspire you to lead active, healthy lives while fostering a deep appreciation for well-being and the great outdoors. We are passionate about providing you with the tools and skills needed to make informed choices, develop resilience, and cultivate a lifelong connection to personal wellness and environmental enjoyment.

Pod Courses

The Pod is a future focused learning environment that reflects current educational research. The Pod class provides flexibility for Year 11 learners at Whangaparāoa College to personalise their learning by choosing what they would like to learn about. Each learner in the Pod works with teachers, including an assigned mentor teacher, to identify possible project ideas, plan their individualised programmes, and work towards their NCEA qualification by completing NCEA standards related to their projects.

The Pod course runs for 12 hours per week.

Science

Welcome to Science at Whangaparāoa College. Learners explore the wonders of Science with a range of hands on activities and experiments supported by a wide variety of teaching techniques. Our learners enjoy the use of modern facilities and the latest in scientific technology in order to enhance their learning experience. 

Social Science

Social Science involves learning about:

• The nature of New Zealand society and the world in which we live.
• The origins and functioning of modern society.
• Local and global sustainable futures.

At Whangaparāoa College, Social Science is taught on a thematic basis in Year 9 and Year 10.
At NCEA subjects are Geography, Business Studies, Economics, History, Sociology and Classical Studies.

At all levels, thinking skills, ICT, and education outside the classroom are valued within Social Science learning programs

.

Technology

At Whangaparaoa College Learners are given opportunities to experience as many areas of Technology as possible through their schooling from year 7 to 13. The Technology curriculum encourages learners to work through the technology process to solve a problem or issue, through trial and error, to learn from their mistakes and move forward to improve their design outcome. This is done through a combination of practical skills and theory to gain knowledge and understanding to develop concepts and ideas to turn into reality.  

Technology areas we offer are: Food, Hospitality, Multi Materials, Building and Construction, Digital, DVC -design and visual communication, and Textiles Technology 

 All senior courses offer a range of Achievement Standards and in some cases Unit Standards. 

Technology Vision:

To harness the Kaupapa of creative innovation, inspire our tamariki to discover the unexpected by challenging the expected. To become future problem solvers, whose sustainable and ethical practices are the kaitiakitanga by which they will improve the world we share.