BACKAs a kura, we are excited about the Rangitoto College Year 11 Diploma that will be introduced in 2024.
We have made this decision after significant consultation within the school community and with other like-minded educational institutions across Auckland and New Zealand.
The most significant factor in our decision-making is what is best for the educational outcomes of our young people in our context. Having a coherent, sequenced, and rigorous curriculum has driven all of this mahi, and we are confident that the teaching and learning programmes that underpin the Rangitoto College Year 11 Diploma will set our students up for success in Year 12 and 13. We are convinced that this Year 11 Diploma will set students up equally effectively for NCEA and IB in the senior school.
The Rangitoto College Year 11 Diploma will replace the new Level 1 NCEA Qualification that the Ministry of Education is introducing in 2024. The Year 11 Diploma will be based on the principles of a knowledge-rich curriculum which we have successfully embedded into all of the teaching and learning programmes in the junior school. This alignment will allow a seamless transition for students from Year 10 into Year 11.
Our 2024 Year 11 students will be able to attain knowledge which is essential for learning and understanding, as well as building a solid foundation to better prepare students for NCEA Level 2 courses. It will support and recognise both academic and social success and provide a base on which skills can then be applied. The Diploma will be delivered through a weave of exceptional classroom teaching, our school’s values and teaching principles, while giving effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The college has chosen not to assess the new NCEA Level 1 in 2024 because at this stage there is not enough clarity as to what the new Level 2 or 3 NCEA curriculum will look like. Students would have to complete the new Level 1 and then transition back to the old Level 2, which is not educationally sound. We believe that the Rangitoto College Diploma will avoid the disruption that might come with movement between the old and new NCEA requirements. Equally, we’re confident that the careful design and balance of flexibility and rigour in the Diploma will play an important role in setting up our students to succeed in NCEA Levels 2 and 3.
Our Year 11 Diploma will build on the outstanding student outcomes that we have seen as a result of the introduction of the Junior Summit Diploma in Years 9 and 10. This has been very successful in motivating our students across a number of areas such as:
- Academic excellence
- Showing courage to get involved in the wider life of the school community
- Giving back to the school community through service and leadership
- Having excellent attendance
- Having a high level of academic engagement
The Rangitoto College Diploma will see Year 11 students continue to study six curriculum subjects. The majority of subjects will offer 15 Rangitoto Diploma credits, spread across three assessments during the year. All subjects will have an exam or portfolio component in Term 4.
Students must gain 60 Rangitoto Diploma credits and can be awarded the Diploma with a White, Red, or Blue endorsement. Endorsements are awarded based on meeting the following criteria: academic achievement, attendance, academic engagement, and extra-curricular, service, or leadership activities.
To achieve the Year 11 Rangitoto Diploma, students must have passed the numeracy and literacy co-requisite requirements which are assessed through a national common assessment activity twice a year.
To be awarded the Rangitoto Year 11 diploma at White level, students must have a grade average of 3, this equates to achievement in each assessment throughout the year. For the Red Diploma, an average of 5, this equates to a merit in each assessment, and to be awarded the Blue Diploma, an average of 7, which equates to an excellence in each assessment.
All educational research shows that excellent attendance is essential for student academic achievement, hence the requirement for students to have high attendance rates in the Diploma. These percentages will be taken from the justified attendance rates, which are shown on school reports.
Students’ school reports also indicate the level of academic engagement for each subject, across Terms 1 to 3, and these are used as shown in the table, to gain the Diploma at the various levels.
