Students Entering Year 11

As you have enrolled out of our traditional enrolment period we need you to bypass our usual selection process and email your choices directly to us.  To make this as smooth as possible, please read ALL of the information below carefully before you get in touch with us.

Email your choices to: Lead Timetable Coordinator Vicki Young

All Year 11 students take six subjects.

An English and a Mathematics course are compulsory.  Level 1 English (L1ENGL) and Level 1 Mathematics (L1MATH) will be added to your subjects automatically (read on for more about this...).   Students then choose four other subjects from a list of ‘option subjects’.

But what kind of English or Maths?  

There are three English courses and two Mathematics courses available in Year 11:  Level 1 English General (default), Level 1 English Literature, or Level 1 English Skills; and Level 1 Mathematics (default), or Level 1 Numeracy. Teachers will determine which classes are most suitable for each student based on their progress and achievement in Year 10.  

Although Level 1 English General and Level 1 Mathematics are automatically added to your timetable by default, students can apply for entry into Level 1 English Literature, Level 1 English Skills, or Level 1 Numeracy.  The chosen subject will replace the default (L1ENGL and/or L1MATH) subjects if the application is granted.   

To apply for entry for Level 1 English Literature (L1ENLT), or Level 1 English Skills (L1ENSK):

1. Click "Recommended Courses" from the menu listed on the screen's far left. This will take you to a webpage titled "Courses for Me".

On the right of the screen, you will see "2025 Courses," and below, you will see English (Compulsory) and Mathematics (Compulsory).

2.  Click on "English" and choose from the remaining two options that appear - 

Level 1 English Literature or Level 1 English Skills - by clicking on your subject choice.  (Level 1 English General is the default subject). 

Now click "Apply to Join" to obtain permission to enter this course.

To apply for entry for Level 1 Numeracy (L1NUMR):

3.  Click on "Mathematics" from the list on the right and choose Level 1 Numeracy by clicking on this subject choice.  (Level 1 Mathematics is the default subject). 

Now click "Apply to Join" to obtain permission to enter this course.

4.  You can now proceed with selecting the rest of your subjects, please click on the page 'Finding and Selecting Courses' for further instructions.

Getting started with NCEA 

Welcome to the years of study that build NCEA qualifications.  There is a lot to take in, but we are here to guide you through the process.  

We have a number of resources on our school website:

>> Curriculum page of website with NZQA links

If you need guidance we have a Careers Advisory service, run by Mrs Williamson:

>> Transition Pathways, Gateway and Careers page of website

Different types of standards, all collecting credits

Credits may be gained by passing either Achievement Standards or Unit Standards. Subjects may offer either Achievement or Unit Standards. Some subjects offer both types. 

Every Achievement Standard and Unit Standard is worth an identified number of credits.  Credits are like points collected from all subjects that are applied to your qualification.   You collect credits when you achieve the standard set. 

All subjects at Year 11 will allow you to gain credits towards National Certificates, including NCEA Level 1.

• Achievement Standards

Achievement Standards can be gained through Internal Assessment and External Assessment. The end-of-year exams are all External Assessments.

Achievement Standards are awarded as Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit or Excellence. 

• Unit Standards

Unit Standards are all Internal Assessments. All credits from Unit Standards and Achievement Standards can be credited towards the National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 1. 

Unit Standards are generally awarded as an Achieved or Not Achieved.

NCEA Level 1 

When you have a minimum total of 60 Level 1 credits, and you have achieved the 20 Literacy and Numeracy credits requirements, you will be awarded the National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 1. 

Literacy and Numeracy credits are most commonly gained through the Co-Requisite Tests (5 Reading, 5 Writing and 10 Numeracy). This may have been achieved in Year 10 but will be offered at three different points during the year for Year 11 students who have not passed or sat these.

How to achieve the Literacy and Numeracy requirements

In 2025, you can achieve Literacy or Numeracy in two ways. You can achieve Literacy and Numeracy by

• Achieving 10 credits from specified Achievement Standards across subjects. Your subject teachers will advise you on which standards can be counted towards Literacy and Numeracy. If you achieve Literacy and Numeracy in this way, your certificate will show “Literacy achieved through Achievement Standards” and/or “Numeracy achieved through Achievement Standards”.
• The second pathway involves achieving 10 credits of Literacy and/or 10 credits of Numeracy through the co-requisite exams. If you achieve Literacy and/or Numeracy in this way your certificate will show, “Literacy achieved through Unit Standards” and/or “Numeracy achieved through Unit Standards”.

You cannot mix the two methods of attaining either Literacy or Numeracy, but you could achieve one through Unit Standards (e.g. Literacy) and the other (e.g. Numeracy) through Achievement Standards.

When you have these in your 80 credits, you will receive your National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 1.

NCEA – Endorsement of Certificates 

Endorsement of Certificates is a way of reflecting the Merit and Excellence credits shown on the Record of Achievement. 

Merit and Excellence can only be gained by Achievement Standards. Students will require 50 credits at Excellence to receive a certificate endorsed with Excellence and 50 credits of either Excellence and/or Merit to receive a certificate endorsed with Merit. 

>> Can credits gained in one year be used to gain NCEA endorsement of certificates in another year? 

Yes. As has always been the case, credits gained in different years, and at different levels, can count towards NCEA. For endorsement, the credits gained must be gained at the level of the certificate being awarded, or above.

NCEA – Endorsement of Courses 

Students can gain a course endorsement with Merit or Excellence.  

Students will receive an Excellence endorsement for a course if they gain 14 credits at the Excellence level. This must include at least three credits at Excellence from internally assessed standards and at least three credits at Excellence from externally assessed standards.  Not all courses can be endorsed.  If they are, you will be able to see it on our course selection platform

Students can gain a Merit endorsement for a course if they gain 14 credits at Merit level or above. This must include at least three credits at Merit level or above from internally assessed standards and at least three credits at Merit level or above from externally assessed standards. 

>> Can credits gained in one year be used to gain course endorsement in another year? 

No. Credits must be obtained from one calendar year and cannot be the result of an accumulation over more than one year. 

NZQA Fees – what will it cost to enter? 

In 2025 there will be no charge for domestic students for NZQA examinations. However, there are fees for reconsideration of grades and reprints of certificates or a student’s record of learning. See the NZQA website for further information.