Our Curriculum

Kristin has established an enviable reputation for academic performance in both the International Baccalaureate and NCEA pathways. In addition to our academic programmes, experiential learning and service and leadership are an integral focus for all Kristin students.

A world class education

Kristin is a leading independent, Early Learning to Year 13 co-educational school with a roll of over 1800 students situated on Auckland’s North Shore.

The first authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) School in New Zealand, Kristin has offered its Senior students the choice of the IB Diploma Programme or the NZ National Qualification (now NCEA) since 1989. Recognised internationally as a university entrance qualification, the IB Diploma has enabled Kristin graduates to gain entry to some of the world’s most prestigious universities including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Stanford.

With an established reputation of academic excellence and results that compare favourably to any in the world, Kristin introduced the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) in the Junior School in 2001 and, the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Year 7-10 students in 2002.

As part of a network of almost 5000 schools in over 140 countries, Kristin shares a commitment to quality international education and plays an active and supporting role in the worldwide community of IB schools.

The IB places strong emphasis on ongoing curriculum and assessment development and the professional development of teachers. Kristin teachers therefore have access to extensive support and professional development opportunities, enabling them to interact with teachers from around the world. It is testimony to their dedication and experience that a number of our teaching staff also hold positions as IB examiners, moderators and workshop leaders.

IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

IB Curriculum/Academic Pathways

Three challenging programmes

What started in the late 1960s as a single programme providing a university entrance qualification for internationally mobile students has today grown to be four dynamic programmes spanning the years from Kindergarten to pre-university.

All IB programmes:

Have a strong international dimension
Require study across a broad range of subjects
Include both individual subjects and transdisciplinary areas
Give special emphasis to learning languages
Focus on developing the skills of learning
Provide opportunities for individual and collaborative planning and research
Encourage students to become responsible members of their community

Building on the Christian values upon which Kristin was founded, the IB programmes aim to develop internationally-minded young people who, recognising their common humanity, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

All IB students learn a second language together with the skills to live and work with others both locally and internationally. This international perspective, however, is not gained at the expense of their own language or culture. Indeed, we believe that the best way to appreciate another language or culture is firstly to be confident with your own.

IB Learner Profile

The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

As IB learners we strive to be:

Inquirers
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

Thinkers
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Open-minded
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

Balanced
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve
well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

The IB learner profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities.

Dual Academic Pathway in Senior School

Our dual academic pathway enables Senior School students to take control of their education, allowing them to choose an academic format to suit their learning styles and to customise their qualification towards their tertiary aspirations.

Senior students can choose from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and NCEA Level 2 and 3 pathways. Both challenging qualification pathways offer a broad range of subject choices to suit our students’ interests and future tertiary goals. They are supported by talented, experienced and passionate teachers, and regardless of their elected pathway, all students enjoy the advantages of studying within an IB World School.

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