Curriculum

Our Curriculum

Heretaunga College is committed to ensuring that all ākonga have access to an innovative, student-centred and diverse learning environment and curriculum.  The NZ Curriculum Refresh, Te Mātaiaho guides planning and pedagogy throughout our year 9 - 13 programmes.  Mātai means to study deliberately, to examine, and to observe.  ‘Aho’ describes the many strands and threads of learning.  Te Mātaiaho is designed to be a curriculum that gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is inclusive, clear, and easy to use (MOE; 2023).

Heretaunga College is also committed to ensuring our students have access to contextualised and interest-based learning opportunities.  Student choice and agency are realised when students select their learning programmes from our wide range of courses targeted at providing learning for pathways of all kinds.  Our mentoring programme supports the academic learning and progress of our students; and ensures that the overall hauora of our young people is maximised to ensure success in all its forms.

Junior School

Year 9 and 10 students can learn from a wide variety of course options; some courses are semester-based and others are year-long courses.  Contextualised learning opportunities are provided to ensure student interest and engagement.  This curriculum ensures equity of access to all learning areas across the curriculum, as a means to ensure all student interests, talents and abilities are supported through their course options.

Senior School

All senior school courses are full year courses.  A wide variety of contextualised and interest-based learning opportunities are provided for students to select from. At year 11, students are encouraged to keep breadth in their course selections to ensure open future pathways. At year 12, students will begin to become more specialised as they become more aware of their pathway preferences.  At year 13, students will ensure their course selections are more closely aligned with their potential future pathways. 

All pathways at Heretaunga College are academic pathways.  NCEA provides significant flexibility and breadth in assessment opportunities that support a wide variety of future pathways for all ākonga.  All senior courses provide NCEA credits towards relevant qualifications.

At year 11, compulsory courses come from the English and Mathematics curriculum areas.  It is also recommended that students at year 11 choose a Science-based course. 

At year 12, the compulsory course must come from the English curriculum area.  

At year 13, there are no compulsory course requirements.

Literacy and Numeracy

From 2024, Literacy and Numeracy are now both corequisites for the awarding for the awarding of an NCEA Qualification at any level. Students need to achieve a 20 credit (10 Literacy & 10 Numeracy) co-requisite. In 2024 and 2025, students can achieve the co-requisite by completing either the co-requisite unit standards or current literacy and numeracy-approved standards. These standards are achieved by sitting three external (CAA) Common Assessment Activities. (From 2026, the co-requisite will be obtained through an online exam only) 

The CAA's are digital-first online assessments that students sit using their BYOD device. Currently there are two assessment windows for the CAA's each year, schools are able to decide on the precise timings in each window. Students have a minimum of 60 minutes to complete each assessment. 

To help prepare please look at the information about the CAA's. 

Students should check their device is ready for the assessment by reading the resource.

Important Dates:

Monday 1st September 2025 - CAA Literacy Reading

Tuesday 2nd September 2025 - CAA Literacy Reading

Wednesday 3rd September 2025 - CAA Numeracy