Curriculum

At St Cuthbert's College we have a commitment to preparing our students for national and international examinations and awards. In offering both the NCEA qualification and the International Baccalaureate the College is providing students with the opportunity to choose the pathway that is right for them as individuals. NCEA will suit some students, including very able girls and IB will suit some students, including very able ones.

Students are able to attain credits towards level 1 NCEA in seven courses in Year 11. Students in Year 12 take six courses and work towards attaining credits towards Level 2 NCEA. Students in Year 13 take five courses and work towards attaining credits towards Level 3 NCEA.

The IB Diploma Programme is a rigorous two year course for students in Years 12-13. Like NCEA the IB DP qualification is recognised in both New Zealand and overseas to gain entry to university. Diploma students take six subjects. Three subjects are studied in depth at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Students must also write a 4, 000 word Extended Essay, complete a course in Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and participate in a number of Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) projects. A key feature of the IB programme is that it encourages international mindedness in students.

Students may enter one or more scholarship standard as well as their Level 3 standards or IB Diploma Programme . This assessment extends the best secondary students and enables the top scholars throughout the country to be indentified and acknowledged.  Students are expected to synthesise and intergrate concepts, and to apply higher level  thinking based on in-school and independant learning.