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Curriculum

Contents

Two Qualification Pathways for Westlake Boys

NCEA Pathway

University Entrance

Achievement Standards

Unit Standards

NCEA Results

NQF Results Notice

Reviews and Reconsiderations

Westlake Boys High School Rules of Internal Assessments

External Examinations

Rules for External Examintions

Scholarship

 

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Two Qualification Pathways for Westlake Boys

Westlake Boys High School offers two academic pathways for students:

 

1. NCEA: The National Certificate in Educational Achievement is the New Zealand qualification and, as outlined below, can be achieved by the aggregation of both Unit and Achievement Standards.

 

2. CIE: Since 2004, the full suite of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) has been available to students who meet the required academic prerequisites. The Cambridge exams are certainly more demanding, therefore higher academic performance in both Form 3 and Form 4 is required to earn a place in the Cambridge pathway.

It is important to note that both pathways lead to further academic study in all universities and tertiary institutions in New Zealand.

NCEA Pathway

- Level 1

- Level 2

- Level 3

- Endorsement of Certificates

University Entrance

- University Entrance

- approved Subjects

Achievement Standards and Unit Standards

- NCEA Results

- Reviews and Reconsiderations

NCEA Pathway

What is NCEA?

NCEA is the National Certificate of Educational Achievement.

 

NCEA has replaced 5th Form School Certificate, 6th Form Certificate and 7th Form University Bursary exams that existed prior to 2002. The NCEA award was phased in from 2002, with a small degree of freedom as to timing of its introduction in individual schools.

 

- In Year 11/5th Form, students are able to achieve credits at Level 1 through both Unit Standards and Achievement Standards.

- Year 12/Form 6 students are able to achieve credits at Level 2 through both Unit Standards and Achievement Standards.

- Year 13/Form 7 students are able to achieve credits at Level 3 through both Unit Standards and Achievement Standards.

 

Credits gained at one level can be used for (or count towards) more than one Certificate. They may also be used towards other qualifications; for example unit standards in the domain 'generic computing' might be used towards your Level 2 NCEA as well as towards your National Certificate in Computing (Level 2); or 20 credits you gained at Level 1 can also count towards your Level 2 NCEA.

NCEA Level 1

A total of 80 credits have been achieved for students to be eligible to receive the NCEA Level 1 Certificate.

 

Students who have gained credits in Unit Standards at Level 1 will be able to count them towards NCEA.

To be illegible for University Entrance, students must pass level 1 Maths with 14 credits

 

You will have achieved an NCEA when you meet the following requirements:

 

80 credits required at any level (Level 1, 2 or 3), including 8 in literacy (reading & writing) and 8 in numeracy (maths).

 

Note that the credits can be gained over more than one year.

NCEA Level 2

In order to achieve an NCEA certificate at Level 2 60 at level 2 or above and 20 credits from any level

Students who have gained credits in Unit Standards at Level 1 or 2 in previous years will be able to count them towards NCEA Level 2.

 

To be illegible forUniversity Entrance, students must gain 8 level 2 English credits in Reading and Writing.

 

Note that the credits can be gained over more than one year.

NCEA Level 3

In order to achieve an NCEA certificate at Level 3 a student must have a total of 60 at level 3 or above as well as 20 credits from level 2 or above.

 

Students who have gained credits in Unit Standards at Level 1, 2 or 3 in previous years will be able to count them towards NCEA Level 3.

 

Note that the credits can be gained over more than one year

Endorsement of NCEA Awards

Your NCEA can be 'endorsed' if your results are good enough. In other words you will have "NCEA Level 1 with Merit".

 

If you gain 50 credits at Excellence, your NCEA will be endorsed with Excellence. Likewise, if you gain 50 credits at Merit (or Merit and Excellence) your NCEA will be endorsed with Merit.

 

You can earn credits counting towards endorsement over more than one year and more than one level. However, they must be gained at the level of the certificate or above. For example, Level 2 credits will count towards endorsement of a Level 1 NCEA, but Level 1 credits will not count towards endorsement of a Level 2 NCEA.

University Entrance

Students are qualified for entrance to a university in New Zealand when they have obtained:

 

- a minimum of 42 credits at level 3 or higher on the National Qualifications Framework, including a minimum of 14 credits at level 3 or higher in each of two subjects from an approved subject list, with a further 14 credits at level 3 or higher taken from no more than two additional domains on the National Qualifications Framework or approved subjects

- a minimum of 14 credits at level 1 or higher in Mathematics or Pangarau on the National Qualifications Framework

- a minimum of 8 credits at level 2 or higher in English or Te Reo Māori; 4 credits must be in Reading and 4 credits must be in Writing. The literacy credits will be selected from a schedule of approved achievement standards and unit standards.

 

This standard is established by NZQA, as required by legislation, after consultation with universities and the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC).

Summary

It is important to note that restricted courses will require a candidate's Grade Point Averages to be aggregated and only the top students will be accepted.

Approved Subjects

Accounting, Agriculture & Horticulture, Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, Classical Studies, Computing, Cook Islands, Māori, 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 Māori

Achievement Standards

Achievement Standards - each subject is divided into several categories called Achievement Standards. Each Achievement Standard is assessed separately, so a student will gain several different grades for the one subject - one grade per Achievement Standard.

 

Achievement Standards identify the learning outcomes students must achieve, plus the expected national standards of work.

 

Some are assessed internally by subject teachers during the year and some are assessed by external examination at the end of the year.

 

There are four possible grades students can be awarded: Not Achieved, Achieved, Achieved with Merit or Achieved with Excellence. Each Achievement Standard is typically worth about 2 - 4 credits and there are approximately 24 credits per subject that can be awarded.

Unit Standards

Unit Standards are offered in some courses. These courses have a focus on industry standards or offer an alternative to achievement standards which follow a more traditional course description. The two possible grades students can be awarded are either Not Achieved or Achieved. Like Achievement Standards, Unit Standards also have a credit value that counts towards the NCEA. Unit Standards are all internally assessed.

 

Some courses at Westlake Boys High School offer a mixture of both Achievement Standards and Unit Standards. Unit Standards are used in traditional subjects to ensure that students meet the requirements for entrance into University or Poly-technical Courses, or to bridge the gap between 4^th Form to 5^th Form, 5^th Form to 6^th Form, and 6^th Form to 7^th Form work where boys find the increase in work level too great. In non traditional areas, the focus is on skill development for specific career pathways (for example, Boatbuilding, Automotive Engineering, Food Technology, Sport Leadership Programme).

NCEA Results

In January 2008, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority will issue students with an NCEA Report for each subject.

 

On it will be recorded:

- the Achievement Standards and/or Unit Standards the student entered

- the credit value of each

- whether they are internally or externally assessed

- the grade achieved

- the number of credits gained in each standard

- the student's Grade Average for Achievement Standards entered in a subject, which is expressed as a mark out of 100

NQF Result notice

Results are also made available to students online at approximately the same time as the results are posted. These results are provisional until all reviews and reconsiderations have been processed

Reviews and Reconsiderations

Students may want to apply for a review or reconsideration of their results. These can be applied for in the period immediately following the release of the results.

 

For externally assessed achievement standards, answer booklets are returned to students (for Graphics, the folio is returned to the school.)

To help students understand how their results were arrived at, the judgement statements used by markers are made available on this website. After students have looked closely at their answer booklets they may want to apply for a review or reconsideration of their results.

Review

If you consider a processing error (such as one or more sections unmarked, or the incorrect transfer of grades) has been made, you can request a review of external assessment material. This involves checking that all of the script has been assessed and the results have been correctly recorded and transferred. In does NOT involve re-marking the script.

 

Fill in the application form included with your result notice and send it with the relevant answer booklet/s.

Reconsideration

If you think your answer booklet has not been assessed (or 'marked') correctly, you can apply for a reconsideration. This involves reassessing all answers in the answer booklet using the original assessment schedule - in other words re-marking it - and also checking mechanical processes like transferring results.

 

Note: If you apply for a review, you can't ask for a reconsideration of the same achievement standard. There is a different reconsideration process for Visual Arts. Contact your school for assistance.

It costs $20.00 for each booklet to be reconsidered. Fill in the application form included with your result notice and send it off with a cheque and relevant answer booklet/s. This fee is refunded should the mark change.

Westlake Boys High School Rules of Internal Assessments

Lateness/Extensions

All work must be handed in on time. Extensions will only be granted by the NCEA Co-ordinator (Mr Jackson) through formal application. Forms are available from Mrs Sutherland (Secretary for the Deputy Headmasters) or from Mr Jackson.

Unexpected Absence

If the absence is unexpected, as in an illness, application must be made within 5 school days after the assessment date. Approval for extensions will be given for illness (with a doctor's certificate) or family bereavement.

School sanctioned sports and cultural trips

School sanctioned sports and cultural trips, as well as trips with provincial and national teams, need to be applied for at least 5 days before the event. If the student is involved in a National or Provincial Sports trip part of the process of gaining an extension will be completing the correct leave application forms.

 

Late work will not be accepted by the teacher unless the above procedure has been completed.

Further Assessment Opportunities

Students assessed using internal Achievement Standards or Unit Standards have one further assessment opportunity in selected standards, where they have “not achieved”. This will only happen if it is practical and possible to do so.

 

The Achievement/Unit Standards that are available for reassessment will be indicated at the start of the year on the assessment schedule issued by each Department.

 

Students who do not sit the first assessment and do not have an acceptable excuse for their absence will not be permitted further assessment opportunities.

When are examinations held?

Examinations are held in November to December. Mid-year and End of Year 'practice' examinations will form part of the Westlake Boys High School assessment system. These exams form a significant part of any compassionate consideration needed if a student is unwell for the final NCEA external exams.

Will your Qualifications be accepted?

Entrance to university by NCEA has been approved by the NZ Vice Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC).

External Examinations

A number of standards are assessed 'externally' - in other words, not by your teachers. A few of these (Technology, Visual Arts and Graphics) require you to submit a folio or collection of work. Most, however, have an exam to be sat at the end of the school year. These exams are written and marked by teachers contracted to NZQA for that purpose.

 

All candidates for a standard will sit the same exam at the same time wherever they are. All their scripts will be marked to the same standard.

Papers are personalised

When you arrive at your exam-room you will find a pack with the exam-papers for the standards you are sitting waiting for you. While you and the person beside you may both be sitting the Level 1 English exam, you may not have exactly the same papers. This is because you may be entered for a slightly different group of standards from your neighbour.

 

However, you will each have a pack of papers, each of which have your name and number on them and a bar-code. These allow your answer-script to be tracked and your marks accurately recorded against your name. While you may have a number of papers to work through in the exam, there will only be one paper for each standard.

Rules for External Examintions

By entering for NZQA exams you have agreed to obey all the exam rules and procedures and comply with the decisions of NZQA.

 

You must not be dishonest or break the rules in any way.

You must listen to and follow the instructions of the supervisor.

 

DO NOT:

- take any blank or refill paper, correcting fluid, books, written notes or electronic notes into the exam room.

- take English dictionaries or foreign dictionaries or Te Reo dictionaries or translators into any exams.

- talk to, communicate with, or do anything to disturb other candidates during the exam.

- copy from another candidate's work.

- write to the marker or write in the part of the answer booklet 'For assessor's use only'.

- take cellphones or pagers into the exams.

- take any electronic devices except approved calculators into the exam room.

- try to leave the exam room within the first 45 or the last 15 minutes of the exam.

 

Only Information Management candidates are allowed to use an English dictionary.

 

If you break any rules the Qualifications Authority may cancel your results.

Exam Days

Arrive early - at least 20 minutes before the exam starts. Find out which is your exam room. If you are more than 30 minutes late you will NOT be able to enter the exam room.

 

In the exam room:

- Sit at the desk where you are told to sit.

- Check all the answer booklets have your NSN and Exam Code on them and are listed on your Admission Slip.

- When you are told , check that all the pages in each exam paper are printed correctly.

- If you have any problems put up your hand.

- You cannot leave the exam room in the first 45 minutes or the last 15 minutes of the exam.

- If you leave the exam early you are not allowed to return.

- You must not take your answer booklets out of the exam room.

Writing Your Answers

Follow all the instructions on the front cover of the exams.

 

- Use only black or blue pen.

- Do not use red or green pens because these are used by the markers.

- Do not write in pencil unless instructed to do so. Work in pencil will not be looked at if you apply for a review or reconsideration.

- Write neatly so the marker can read your answers.

- All work that is not to be marked must be clearly crossed out.

- Do not use correcting fluid (Twink) in your answer booklets because they will not be looked at if you apply for a review or reconsideration.

- Extra paper will only beprovided if the answer booklet is filled up.

Exam Materials

You have to take your own equipment such as pens, pencils, calculator and eraser to the exams. Do not bring any blank or refill paper. You may not borrow equipment from someone else during the exam.

 

For some subjects you will need special materials; for details of special materials check the assessment specifications on the NZQA website: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/assessment/specifications/index.html.

 

You are responsible for taking the correct equipment to the exam and making sure that it is working.

 

All work for these standards must have your NSN printed on the top right-hand corner of each page. Any pages sent for marking without a printed NSN will not be marked.

 

Staple all work for each separate standard carefully in the top left-hand corner. Place the work for each standard in the plastic bag provided and fold closed.

Calculators

You may take an approved calculator into the examination room for subjects where you have used a calculator during the year. Calculators must be silent, hand held, non-printing and work from their own power.

 

You cannot keep notes or routines in the memory of calculators. Teachers will clear calculator memories before you enter the exam room.

At the End of the Exam

- Stop writing and add nothing more when the supervisor tells you the exam has ended.

- Follow the instructions of the supervisor.

- Label any extra pages used and put them with the answer booklet for the standard into the plastic bag provided and fold closed.

- You can keep resource booklets and separate question booklets. Hand in combined question and answer booklets.

- Hand in everything else to the supervisor.

- Take from the exam room the equipment you brought in.

 

You must make sure that all material that you want marked is handed to the supervisor before you leave.

Compassionate Consideration

A compassionate consideration will be considered if for any legitimate reason you cannot attend an examination.

 

The compassionate consideration form has three sections:

- Section A is for you to complete. It outlines the details as to why you are applying for the compassionate consideration.

- If your application is for medical reasons, ask your doctor to complete Section B. Then take the form to your Principal's Nominee. You must have been to a doctor within a day of each examination for which you have applied for compassionate consideration. It is very important that your doctor examines you and describes the nature of your illness or impairment and provides details concerning the date(s) of your impairment. A medical certificate is not enough.

- Your school will complete Section C and may then complete the application online.

 

If necessary, your school's Principal's Nominee, Mr M Jackson, can discuss your application with you and your parents so that all appropriate information is obtained. It is important that you do this quickly. If you are unable to fill in your own form, a parent or guardian can act on your behalf.

 

Your Principal's Nominee, Mr M Jackson, will discuss your application with your teacher(s) and supply information to NZQA so that a grade can be determined for you. When you receive your results you should discuss any queries with your school's Principal's Nominee.

Counsellors and Students

Many influences in life can contribute to students feeling pressured in their work at school. Talking with someone not directly involved can help to work through those feelings and to find ways that help achieve the goals that students have in their life.

 

Professional counsellors, Mr Kirstein are available for confidential counselling. Students can make an appointment at any time with Mrs Cannell at Heron House in reference to careers information.

Scholarship

Students in a secondary school have the opportunity to gain a Scholarship.

 

Scholarship is a monetary award to recognise top students. It does not attract credits nor contribute towards a qualification but the fact that a student has gained a Scholarship appears on the Record of Achievement.

 

The Scholarship exams enable students to be assessed against challenging standards, and are demanding for the most able students in each subject. Scholarship students are expected to demonstrate high-level critical thinking, abstraction and generalization, and to integrate, synthesise and apply knowledge, skills, understanding and ideas to complex situations.

 

It replaces the previous Scholarship qualification and awards.

Scholarship Eligibility and Awards

Scholarship Awards recognise excellence for secondary school students.

 

Eligibility

Scholarship candidates need to be enrolled full-time at a New Zealand secondary school or wharekura in the year of examination, undertaking a course in the applicable areas of learning.

Full details of the eligibility requirements and the costs of entry are in the Assessment and Certification Rules and Procedures.

 

Awards

There are 5 classes or levels of monetary awards. These range in value from $500 per subject to $10,000 each year for three years.

 

There are conditions which govern these awards:

1. Where a candidate meets the criteria for more than one award, he or she will receive only the award of the highest monetary value in most circumstances. However, if a candidate receives a Top Subject Scholar Award, and also gets Scholarship in other subjects he or she will also receive one $500 Single Subject Award.

2. Eligible candidates can defer taking up the monetary awards for one year.

3. Scholarship awards cannot be aggregated over a period of time. A candidate needs to attain Scholarship awards in the same year to be eligible for the top three monetary awards (Scholarship Award, Outstanding Scholar Award and Premier Award). To be eligible for a monetary award a candidate must

- be either a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident

- be enrolled in tertiary study in New Zealand in the years they receive monetary award

- maintain a 'B' grade average during their tertiary study in order for them to receive one of the monetary awards over a three year period.

5. International fee paying candidates are not eligible for the Scholarship monetary awards. However, they will have their Scholarship success recorded on their Record of Achievement.

6. All Scholarship awards will be recorded on the candidate's Record of Achievement.

 

Single Subject Awards	- For candidates who get Scholarship in up to two subjects - A 'one-off' award of $500 per subject
Top Subject Scholar Award	- For candidates who are top in one of the 27 Scholarship subjects - $2,000 each year for three years as long as candidates maintain a 'B' grade average in tertiary study
Scholarship Award	- For candidates who get three or more Scholarship subjects - $2,000 each year for three years as long as candidates maintain a 'B' grade average in tertiary study
Outstanding Scholar Award	- For the top 40-60 candidates who get three Scholarship subjects with at least two at "Outstanding" level or more than three Scholarships with at least one at "Outstanding" - $5,000 each year for three years as long as candidates maintain a 'B' grade average in tertiary studies
Premier Award	- For the very top 5 to 10 candidates who get at least three Scholarships at "Outstanding" level - $10,000 each year for three years as long as candidates maintain at least a 'B' grade average in tertiary studies