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Empowered and ready for tomorrow
Senior School
Year 11 - 13
(15 - 19 year olds)
Setting the standard in academic excellence is a hallmark of Kristin Senior School. We have some of New Zealand’s finest teachers to guide students through their senior studies, and the success of our students speaks volumes.
While academic success can open doors, there is a whole lot more that builds strong and successful students. Our Senior School offers students a wide range of opportunities so they can grow their knowledge and confidence while also developing the whole person, their leadership skills, emotional intelligence and social skills.
This is the essence of what it means to be Future Ready — ensuring our students graduate with the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experiences to confidently embrace their next steps beyond our school.
Outstanding student results
In the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, our students have consistently achieved results that place them in the top 6th percentile in the world. Kristin students regularly achieve scores of 40 or more points (45 is the highest possible score) and, year after year, they attain better than world averages.
In NCEA, students have consistently achieved pass rates of higher than 90% in both Level 2 and Level 3 over the past four years.
Each year, Kristin students are admitted to prestigious universities across the world including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, UCLA, Duke, NYU and Brown.
Our foundations for learning in Senior School
Smaller class sizes (average 15), which give more individual support to learning.
Providing students with a choice of curriculum, which best suits their individualised learning style.
A personal approach where each student works alongside their Dean to plan their senior learning and tertiary goals.
Focus on a positive peer culture, where success and individuality are celebrated.
A culture of self-confidence, high personal standards and personal accountability.
Specialist, accredited Careers and University Advisor provides tailored support for students’ next steps beyond school.
The opportunity to practice leadership, serving others as they lead.
Year 11
Year 11 students follow a bespoke academic programme, rather than NCEA Level 1, designed to set the foundations for success at Year 12 and 13.
The compulsory subjects are English, Mathematics, Science and Physical Education / Health / Learning for Life. Students are also offered a large variety of optional subjects.
The focus is on developing not only knowledge in the subjects, but also important skills such as critical thinking and independent learning.
Throughout the year, student progress is carefully monitored through internal assessments to ensure each student is ready for the rigours of Year 12 and 13.
Dual academic pathways
On entering Year 12, students will choose to study towards NCEA Level 2 and 3, or begin the two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme - both challenging and rigorous qualifications. The dual pathways provide the opportunity for students to take greater control of their learning, allow them to choose an academic format to suit their learning style, select appropriate courses of study and customise their qualification towards their tertiary goals.
Guidance is provided by the Senior School team, along with their teachers, to help students choose the most appropriate academic pathway for them.
On average, around half of the students opt for NCEA and half for the IB Diploma Programme each year. This dual pathway is reflected in the Senior School's academic awards with an NCEA and IB Dux award being awarded to the top students in each qualification.
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Physical Education/Health/Learning for Life
Option Subjects
Visual and Performing Arts
- Dance
- Drama
- Music
- Visual Art
Technology and Design
- Design
- Digital Technology
- Engineering Design
- Food and Nutrition
Humanities and Commerce
- Business Studies
- Economics
- Geography
- History
Languages*
- Chinese
- French
- Spanish
- English Language Acquisition
Health and Physical Wellbeing
- Sports Studies
English
- Media Studies
NCEA is an internationally recognised, rigorous academic programme that prepares students well for tertiary study or other post-school pathways. It provides students with the flexibility to select subjects based on their strengths and passions.
Students must achieve the Numeracy and Literacy co-requisites to achieve NCEA at any level. These are initially sat in Years 10 and 11, however there are further opportunities every six months for students to gain these co-requisites.
At Level 2 students take six subjects made up of English and five optional subjects. Students also undertake Core Physical Education and Health, but these subjects are not assessed.
Students must gain 60 credits at Level 2 or above, which can come from internal or external assessment. Students intending to continue into Year 13 must ensure that their choice of subjects at Year 12 will lead to a valid course of study at that level.
At Level 3, students take five subjects and there are no compulsory courses. Students must again gain 60 credits at Level 3, or above, from internal or external assessments to achieve Level 4.
To gain University Entrance (UE), a student must achieve Level 3 NCEA as well as gain 14 credits in each of three subjects from the approved UE list.
Compulsory subjects (Year 12 only)
- English
- Physical Education/Health
Option subjects
Visual and Performing Arts
- Art
- Dance
- Drama
- Music
- Photography
Humanities and Commerce
- Business Studies
- Classical Studies
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Psychology
Technology and Design
- Design
- Digital Technology
- Engineering
- Food and Nutrition
- Spatial Design
Languages
- Chinese
- French
- Spanish
- English Language Acquisition
Sciences
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Physics
Mathematics
- Mathematics
- Mathematics (Applied)
Health and Physical Wellbeing
- Health
Outdoor Education
- Physical Education
English
- Media Studies
The IB Diploma Programme is an internationally recognised and highly-regarded, rigorous qualification that aims to equip students with the skills to:
- Think critically and reflectively across a broad range of subjects
- Undertake effective research
- Be independent learners who have an intercultural understanding.
Strong IB candidates are those who are highly motivated and are able to develop the skills to organise and manage their time effectively.
Subject requirements
For the two-year IB Diploma Programme, students take six subjects. Subjects are categorised into six groups covering the major fields of knowledge with students choosing one subject from each of Groups 1 to 5. The sixth subject may come from Group 6 (The Arts) or be another chosen from Groups 1 to 4. Where a student’s planned tertiary course requires a particular combination of subjects outside of the requirements, dispensation may be granted by IB for the student to complete a non-regular Diploma course.
Three subjects are studied at Standard Level (SL) and three in more breadth or depth at Higher Level (HL). Most subjects are available at Kristin at both levels although it is important to refer to the course information which follows to ensure a viable course is selected. Students consider their choices for Higher and Standard Level subjects on entering Year 12 and confirm these in Term 4 of Year 12.
Core Requirements
In addition to their chosen subjects, IB Diploma students complete three core requirements that are integral to the programme’s philosophy and develop important study and personal skills:
- The Theory of Knowledge - a course that teaches students to analyse how knowledge is created and to reflect on the process of learning.
- The Extended Essay - a 4,000-word research paper on a topic of the student’s choosing, produced under the guidance of a supervisor.
- CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) - students undertake a range of service, creative and active pursuits outside of the classroom aimed at enhancing their learning through experience.
Assessment
At least 50% of the assessment in each subject is external, including examinations in November of Year 13. There are no examinations in Year 12.
Studies in Language and Literature (Group 1)
- Chinese A Language and Literature
- English A Language and Literature
- English A Literature
- Korean A Literature
Language Acquisition (Group 2)
- English B
- French B
- French ab initio (SL)
- Mandarin B
- Spanish B
- Spanish ab initio (SL)
Individuals and Societies (Group 3)
- Business Management
- Economics
- Environmental Systems and Societies
- Geography
- History
- Psychology
Experimental Sciences (Group 4)
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Environmental Systems and Societies
- Sports and Exercise Health Science
- Physics
Mathematics (Group 5)
- Maths – Analysis and Approaches
- Maths – Application and Interpretation (SL)
The Arts (Group 6)
- Dance
- Music
- Theatre Arts
- Visual Arts
Becoming Future Ready
Our innovative Kristin Futures model supports students as they prepare for their future. Every Senior School student takes part in a number of one-on-one mentoring sessions with their Dean to develop a personalised academic plan tailored to their level of learning, skills and aspirations.
Our team works alongside our accredited Careers and University Advisor to empower students to take the lead in deciding what they will do after finishing school. As well as our mentoring programme, exceptional support is provided through enrichment opportunities, co-curricular experiences, workshops, futures evening, futures camp as well as other university visits.
All Kristin Futures Resources can be found on our CareerWise website.
