Heretaunga College curriculum offers the same curriculum structure as most New Zealand secondary schools. Students study a wide range of subjects in their junior years with increasing opportunity for specialisation as they move up through the year levels.

In year 9 and 10 the New Zealand Curriculum Framework places requirements on schools to offer certain subjects. This limits the choices that schools can offer students and means there are more compulsory subjects. By offering a 10 day timetable the school can offer an extra option subject compared to many schools.

As students move into more senior levels the number of subjects thet have to do becomes less and they have more choice of what subjects they study.