Pakuranga College
Pakuranga College welcomes International Students to Auckland, New Zealand.
Our College is situated in one of Auckland’s prettiest suburbs, close to beautiful beaches and parks, only 30 minutes from Auckland City and International airport. We run an extensive and high quality programme, including excellent learning and homestay opportunities. Pakuranga College produces well-rounded, articulate young people who go confidentially into the world.
Studying at Pakuranga College is not just an education it’s a lifestyle
In all national examinations our students have consistently been in the top group in the country, with an impressive number of scholarships won every year. We have a history of producing independent, well motivated and responsible students who are well prepared for successful university study. Students are drawn from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds.
Pakuranga College operates six houses to provide a wide range of pastoral support, and co-curricular opportunities for students - especially student leadership. When students arrive at the college, they are assigned to a tutor class, each with its own tutor teacher. Students will stay in the same tutor class for their entire time at Pakuranga College. Tutor classes meet daily for twenty minutes between period 2 and the start of interval. This is the first stop of pastoral support of students, and for day-to-day administration such as dealing with absences, receiving the daily notices, etc.
Co-Curricular
Pakuranga College has a strong focus on co-curricular activities, with a strong ethos of participation and excellence. We offer a wide range of co-curricular activities, including sports, performing arts, cultural groups and leadership. Students are encouraged to involve themselves in the wide aspects of school life.
The Arts is an area where Pakuranga College has a very strong tradition. We have a dedicated Arts Faculty at the college comprising of the four Arts disciplines of Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Art. Students have the opportunity to take each discipline as a subject from Year 9-Year 13.
Program
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ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
For those students who require additional support in their learning, the Optimal Learning Centre (OLC) runs core classes in Years 9 and 10. These have been modified in pace and content to ensure that students learn at the rate which enables them to succeed. Students are in these classes to gain confidence, fill in their learning gaps, and receive extra support to prepare them for NCEA.
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JUNIOR CURRICULUM
In Years 9 and 10 the curriculum is designed for students to build a solid foundation across core (compulsory) subject areas as English, Maths, Science, Social Studies and Physical Education/Health. However, students are also able to choose from a wide variety of subjects within the faculties of The Arts, Technology and Languages. Each subject selected within these areas is studied for a minimum of half a year. This process allows students to experience a variety of options, enabling them to make more informed choices for NCEA. Both core and option subjects are taught by specialist subject teachers.
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SENIOR CURRICULUM
In Years 11-13, students complete their NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Acheivement). This qualification provides rigorous and relevant information about student achievement and enables students to access universities around the world. NCEA is based on the principle of ‘standards-based assessment’. This means that a student’s achievement is assessed against agreed standards, rather than another’s performance. Most progressive countries are now moving towards this approach, because it provides much more explicit information about individual achievement, rather than simply an overall percentage score. There are three levels of NCEA. At each level students must achieve a certain number of credits, and these can be gained over more than one year. Students in the Senior school meet with their subject teachers every day for one hour. This significant amount of daily tuition helps to provide depth and academic rigor in all courses of study. All students are encouraged to achieve Excellence, which is now recognised through endorsement certificates awarded at each level and in each course.
