Francis Douglas Memorial College

FRANCIS DOUGLAS MEMORIAL COLLEGE

Year 11 – 13 Option Booklet

2016

Table of Contents

Page 1Introduction
Page 2Course Selection Process 2015
Page 3Choosing a Programme of Study
Page 4Careers Information
Page 5Vocational Pathways
Page 6Vocational Pathways (Sectors)
Page 7National Qualifications
Page 7NCEA Requirements
Page 8NCEA Endorsements
Page 8University Entrance – UE Approved Subjects
Page 9Young Enterprise Certificate / UE Literacy Requirements
Page 9New Zealand Scholarship
Page 10Year 11 Subject Selection Information
Page 11Year 12 Subject Selection Information
Page 13Year 13 Subject Selection Information

Arts
English
Health & Physical Education Languages
Mathematics
Sciences
Social Sciences
Technology
Vocational Pathways

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Francis Douglas Memorial College 2015 Option Booklet. The Option Booklet is designed to assist parents and students make the best choices. It provides information about the courses of study available in the senior school. It also provides an overview of the National Certificate of Education (NCEA) and Vocational Pathways.

When they leave school, our students are entering a world where competition is fierce and the norm now is to have at least 4-5 careers over the course of one’s working life. Because of this subject choices made at secondary school cannot be made lightly. The ideal is for students to leave school with a range of career options available to them. This only happens as a result of strategic goal setting, careful planning, focus and hard work.

Parents and caregivers, please take an active part in your teenager’s career planning: ask questions, use the internet, talk to people who are knowledgeable, especially Ms Carol Land, MsChristelChapman and Ms Lauren O’Reilly in the Guidance and Careers Pathways Department at college.

It is important for our students to plan their subject choices effectively so as to maximise their opportunities when moving into tertiary study and the work place. Much information is now available online about vocational pathways.

Students are advised that, in terms of having viable career opportunities beyond secondary school, NCEA Level 2 is considered a minimum qualification.

Five essential guidelines should be kept in mind when planning a programme of study in the senior school:

.1.Choose a range of subjects, which will provide options in both tertiary study and career choice.

.2.Choose a programme, which has relevance to areas of future study for the career pathway chosen.

.3.Choose a realistic programme/career path

.4.Select subjects that are of interest to you.

.5.The programme of study for any year must be based on a long term plan.

COURSE SELECTION PROCESS AT FDMC

WHAT / WHEN
1 / Students receive a copy of the Year 11-13 Options Book.
2 / Students and parents attend Subject Selection Evening. / Term 3 Week6
3 / Students are given a Course Selection Form to consider as a starting point for 2016. / Term 3 Week6
4 / Subject Choices are finalised (in consultation with the relevant dean, teacher or Deputy Principal Curriculum) / Term 3 Week9
5 / Construction of the 2016 timetable begins. / Term 4

PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP

Deciding your course deserves careful thought and consultation. Make use of the resource people around the school including the contact people in this document e.g. your Deans and Teachers, Pathways staff, Heads of Departments.

Accounting

Agricultural & Horticultural Science

Business Management Young Enterprise

Careers (Gateway / Star / CPP)

Digital Technology

Economics

English

Geography

Graphics

History

Languages

Maori

Mathematics

Media Studies

Music

NZQA Liaison

Physical Education

Science

Technology

Tourism

Visual Art

Choosing a Programme of Study

Every effort is made to ensure as many students as possible are able to study a programme of their choice. It is a priority of the school to offer a continuity of courses and to structure the school timetable to meet student need. However, subjects which do not attract sufficient student numbers may not be able to run, or may have to be offered with reduced teacher contact hours. Study through the Correspondence School may also be an option.

Subject choice is based around three factors

1. Skills & ability
2. Interest
3. Career pathways

It is not expected that students will know exactly what they wish to do when they finish secondary school but some serious thought should have been given to possible options.

Some points to remember when choosing subjects

Students need to:

1. Be clear about what subjects they enjoy the most.
2. Be clear about their ability in each subject. Check with their teachers if necessary.
3. Identify their Vocational Pathway using
4. Identify the work possibilities in their vocational pathway
5. Find out what subjects relate to their vocational pathway jobs using
6. Keep options open in Years 9,10 and 11
7. Consult the Careers Counsellorabout any of the above as required.

Careers Information
Students must have a career plan and check that they have selected the right subjects for their career choice(s). Some subjects are required study for specific career pathways.

Remember the following:

• All careers require Mathematics to some level and to an advanced level in a number of fields such as the Sciences.
• English is also required to some level in all careers and to an advanced level in information based careers such as Law.
• Science and Engineering careers usually require Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics as well as Biology in some cases.

It is important that all students understand the subject level required for entry into careers of interest.

When planning for a career you can find careers information from the following information sources:

• The Careers Counsellor, and other Careers Department Staff;
• Appropriate tertiary training provider booklets;
• Youth Guarantee Website for Vocational Pathways information;
• CareersNZ Website for all careers information;
• Career Quest to assist in career selection;
• Careers Information Leaflets;
• Jobs Galore Manual

All career matters can be discussed with Careers Department staff at the FDMC

Vocational Pathways

The Vocational Pathways are a new tool that provides a clear framework for vocational options, support better programme design and careers advice, and improve the links between education and employment.

They are the product of a partnership between government agencies, the industry training sector, secondary and tertiary education representatives, and industry and employer representatives.

There are sixpathways which represent new ways to structure and achieve NCEA level 2 and provide a more coherent framework for foundation vocational education and training. The pathways will help students to develop their own individual education plan (IEP), so they are better informed and able to make better choices to meet their goals.

Each Vocational Pathway has been colour coded for ease of recognition to help students and teachers planning study programmes.

• Construction & infrastructure (orange)
• Manufacturing & technology (red)

• The primary industries (green)
• The service industries (blue)
• Social & community services (purple)
• Creative Arts (yellow)
  

Throughout the Curriculum Booklet the various standards that contribute to one or more Vocational Pathway have been colour coded to assist students when considering future pathways.

For more information go to

Vocational Pathways

Primary Industries sector:

Any industry that provides or uses raw materials or plant and animal products for conversion into commodities and products for consumers. It includes agriculture, horticulture, dairy manufacture, forestry, mining, the seafood industry, landscaping, equine industries and animal care.

Service Industries sector:

Hair and beauty, entertainment, fashion, funeral services, hospitality, finance, media and news, museums and galleries, retail, sport and fitness, theatre and film, travel and tourism.

Social and Community Services sector:

Public sector, education, healthcare and medicine, community and social services, defence, emergency services, protection and security, WhānauOra.

Manufacturing and Technology sector:

From jewelry design to steel making, meat processing to managing people and production lines, manufacturing uses tools, machines, processes and people to transform materials and substances into new, finished products for sale in New Zealand and overseas. Technology applies scientific, mathematical and creative knowledge to our use of tools, machines, crafts and systems, to help find better ways of doing things and solve problems. Technology can be as simple as using hand-held tools, or as virtual simulation.

Construction and Infrastructure sector:

Building anything from the ground up: from garages to high rise towers. Planning, designing, building, repairing and laying utilities for the community • essential services below the ground, invisible to the naked eye, from drainage to dams, sewerage to broadband • services above the ground: roads, bridges, pavements, tunnels, drainage systems, ports, airport runways, dams and electricity generation and supply.

Creative Industries sector:

This is based around creative arts and designers. These could be actors, graphic and web designers and industrial designers. This is a new sector and information linking to standards are not yet available.

National Qualifications

Senior students at Francis Douglas Memorial College are working to gain credits from Achievement or Unit Standards toward the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Levels 1, 2 or 3. The NCEA is a standards-based qualification comprised of a mixture of both internally and externally assessed Achievement or Unit standards giving students credits on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

Copies of all the Achievement Standards and Unit Standards are available on the NZQA website The details of the requirements for each Achievement / Unit Standard are issued to students in Course Outlines by their subject teachers in February each year.

Internally assessed standards are assessed throughout the year. Most external assessments are examined at the end of the year from mid November to early December. Some subjects have portfolio or practical work to submit. Students can gain Achieved, Achieved with Merit or Achieved with Excellence.

NCEA Requirements

NCEA LEVEL / REQUIREMENTS
Level 1 / 80 credits at Level 1 or above, including 10 literacy credits and 10 numeracy credits
Level 2 / 60 credits at Level 2 or above
+ 20 credits from Level 1
Level 3 / 60 credits at Level 3 or above
+ 20 credits from Level 2

Employers throughout New Zealand recognise NCEA results. To gain University Entrance and selection into many tertiary courses, students must gain a minimum number of credits, some in specified areas. Students who are aiming at a particular course or degree are strongly advised to clarify any entry requirements with the careers advisor.

NCEA Endorsements

Certificate endorsement

If a student gains 50 credits at Excellence, their NCEA will be endorsed with Excellence. Likewise, if a student gains 50 credits at Merit (or Merit and Excellence), their NCEA will be endorsed with Merit.

Course endorsement

Course endorsement provides recognition for a student who has performed exceptionally well in an individual course.
Students will gain an endorsement for a course if, in a single school year, they achieve:

• 14 or more credits at Merit or Excellence, and
• at least 3 of these credits from externally assessed standards and 3 credits from internally assessed standards. Note, this does not apply to Physical Education, Religious Studies and Level 3 Visual Arts .
• A course endorsement is not a qualification.

A course endorsement can be awarded even if a qualification for that level is not achieved. For example, a student may achieve a Merit endorsement for their Level 2 Mathematics course regardless of whether they achieve NCEA Level 2. works/endorsements/

University Entrance

University Entrance (UE) is the minimum requirement to go to a New Zealand university. In practice, many courses require higher credit levels for course entry. University Entrance requires:

• NCEA Level 3;
• Three subjects with 14 credits each from the approved subjects;
• 10 Literacy credits (Level 2 or above – 5 credits in reading / 5 in writing) and;
• 10 Numeracy credits (Level 1 or above, either achievement standards OR unit standards – 26623, 26626, 26627- all three required).
  Credits can be accumulated over more than one year.

UE Approved Subjects – Nationally

Students wishing to focus on degree courses at University must ensure their course meets University Entrance requirements and course entry requirements and not get side tracked completing other National Certificates or Unit Standards you may not get maximum recognition for.

Young Enterprise Certificate

The Young Enterprise Certificate has been granted credit inclusion for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement at Level 3 (24 credit equivalents) until 31 March 2016. This credit inclusion is limited to NCEA, may only be used once, and may not be used for any other NZQF qualifications.

Candidates will need to apply to NZQA for credit inclusion – this does not happen automatically.

examination-rules-for-schools-2013/8/3/1/young-enterprise-certificate/

Standards Fulfilling the University Entrance Literacy Requirements

In brief:
5 credits at Level 2 or higher are required in Reading; and 5 credits in Writing at Level 2 or higher from the standards listed below.

For standards that meet both reading and writing requirements it is possible to split the standard to fulfil the literacy requirement. For example, Art History 3.1 (91482) can contribute 2 credits to the reading requirement and 2 credits to the writing requirement.

New Zealand Scholarship

The Award of New Zealand Scholarship is at Level 4 of the Qualifications Framework. The content is at Level 8 of curriculum (or similar). Scholarship is designed to be a substantial academic challenge, targeting the top 3% (approximately) in each subject nationally.

Students will still be expected to demonstrate high level:

• analysis and critical thinking
• integration, synthesis, and application of highly developed knowledge, skills, and understanding to complex situations
• logical development, precision, and clarity of ideas.

Scholarship can be sat as a single subject Scholarship Standard or in several subjects. Scholarship is examined by an external examination or an external submission of student work.

It is awarded as follows:

Scholarship not attained;
Scholarship;
Scholarship with outstanding performance.

YEAR 11 SUBJECT SELECTION

Some Year 11 subjects can be chosen only when that subject has been studied in Year 9 or Year 10. Once you have checked these entry requirements on the table in this booklet make sure your course:

• is a broad one allowing future flexibility

• suits your possible career needs

• will interest you, and therefore help you to succeed.

NUMBER OF SUBJECTS

When selecting your course for NCEA Level One consider the following points:

• Seven subjects must be selected. They will be assessed by way of achievement standards (AS), unit standards (US) or a combination of both. Achievement standards may involve both internal and external assessment (which will normally be an end of year examination). Unit standards are internally assessed.

• In most cases, the subjects you choose will be at Level 1. Study at any other level must be discussed with the Head of Department, Teacher in Charge and/or your Dean. Carefully check the flow charts for each subject to ensure it offers the path you need. Also read the subject information carefully for pre-requisites.

• All students are required to take an English subject.

• All students are required to take a Mathematics subject. There are two options available:Mathematics – assessed by achievement standards, or Applied Mathematics (Combination) – assessed by a combination of achievement standards and unit standards.

• All students are required to take a Science subject. There are two options available: Science – assessed by achievement standards, or Applied Science – assessed by a combination of achievement standards and unit standards.

• All students are required to take Religious Education.

• In addition to an English, Mathematics, Science and Religious Education, three other subjects are to be selected.

• Choose subjects that are appropriate to you. Also think ahead to Year 13 and be careful not to limit your options in years to come.

• We do our best to give students every opportunity to study the subjects they prefer. If there is any reason why the subjects you have chosen are unsuitable or unavailable, you will be notified as soon as possible.

• Make sure that you are clear about the subjects you want. There is only a brief window of

opportunity to change your subjects in the first three weeks of Term One.

YEAR 12 SUBJECT SELECTION

When deciding on your course for Year 12, consider the following points:

• You are to choose five subjects. All students will also be involved in the Religious Education module programme. Subject content will be assessed by achievement standards (AS), unit standards (US) or a combination of both. Achievement standards may involve both internal and external assessment (which will normally be an end of year examination). Unit standards are internally assessed.

• All students in Year 12 are required to take English (English I or II at either Level 1 or 2) or Te Reo Maori.

• All students are required to take Religious Education.

• If you have not gained sufficient literacy and numeracy credits by the end of Year 11 to gain NCEA Level 1, you should be planning a Year 12 programme that will give you the opportunity to catch up. Please see Careers staff or your Dean if you need assistance.

• Year 12 is often a foundation for Level 3 study in Year 13. If you wish to enter degree level tertiary study, you will need to study at least 2 subjects from the approved list. See the information on entrance to university under NCEA.