High School: Years 7 to 13

Manukau Christian School comprises a junior high school environment (Years 7-9) that intentionally prepares students for the demands of senior high school (Years 10-13). This aligns with the Cambridge International framework, where Years 7-9 are referred to as Lower Secondary, Years 10-11 as Upper Secondary (IGCSE) and Years 12-13 as Cambridge Advanced (AS and A-Levels).

Cambridge International is a curriculum where teaching, learning and assessment is linked to an external, international benchmark. This gives your child the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognised qualification, with high academic expectations in their education.

Junior High School (Years 7-9)

Having left the Primary school, Year 7 students now begin working with specialist teachers and learning within a culture that raises expectations for independence, maturity and responsibility. Students are assigned to mixed-age Junior High homeroom classes (Years 7-9) to enable them to form relationships across their age groups while avoiding too broad a spread in maturity levels. They enjoy their own Junior High Modules (Years 7-9) where they can explore topics additional to the core subjects. These foster integration and shared experiences, while being tailored to the developmental stage of each group. Junior high students participate in the same special school events, assemblies and morning tea and lunch locations as the senior high students.

Achievement Certificates are used in Years 7-10 as the basis of progression from one year level to the next. This provides a clear, consistent measure of readiness for the next stage in their education.

Senior High School (Years 10-13)

Students who wish to attend Senior High School must apply for entrance into Year 10, which will include an assessment and interview. The review and application process will take place across Terms 2 and 3 of a student's Year 9 year.

Senior high students will be allocated to a mixed-age homeroom and modules class (Years 10-13) to enable them to form relationships across age groups. The annual Waitewheta Tramp that is a rite of passage prior to entering senior high school, will be enjoyed by students starting in Year 10, coinciding with the start of Cambridge IGCSE assessments.

Year 11 students sit external Cambridge IGCSE assessments in June and November. Year 12 and 13 students sit the Cambridge A Level Qualification as two separate units over consecutive years - AS and A2 Levels.

Features

A curriculum where teaching, learning and assessments are linked to international and external benchmarks.
Courses include a full range of subjects: Bible, Math, English, Science, History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics and Psychology.
Additional options are provided as modules.
By subscribing to the Cambridge curriculum, we ensure your child has the opportunity to achieve an internationally recognised qualification. Our school will continue to have high academic expectations for your child.
Incorporating Year 7 and 8 students into the high school gives students exceptional preparation.
There is a focus on Bible, Math, English and Science in Years 9 to 13, preparing your child for a strong finish in their secondary education, ready to move onto tertiary education.
We have a distinctive focus on teacher-student relationships, including pastoral conversations.
An excellent teacher to student ratio means your child will be known by his/her teachers and not become a number who slips through the cracks socially and academically.
Teaching students how to think and live out a Biblical worldview will be a focus of our Bible programme. This is essential to prepare your child for adult life.
We encourage parents to partner with us in the education of their teenagers.
Our high school size enables us to provide the personal touch. Research shows that students do better academically in school where each student is known by the Principal and has a good working relationship with their teachers.

External Exams

Students sit external Cambridge IGCSE exams in the middle of Year 11 and at the end of Year 11.

A levels are usually spaced out over two years and are made up of two units: AS (Year 12) and A2 (Year 13).

Our High School extends through to Year 13, preparing students for tertiary education. Please ask us for our High School Qualifications Pathway Guide for detailed information on progression plans and pathways to university.

Pastoral Care and Mentorship

At Manukau Christian School, we intend that every student remains personally known and supported. Research shows that students do better academically in a school where each student is known and has a good working relationship with their teachers. Our class sizes have an excellent teacher to student ratio. Our intention is that your child will be known by his or her teachers, rather than becoming a number who slips through the cracks socially and academically.

Pastoral conversations provide the structure for this care, ensuring that students have regular opportunities to share how they are doing spiritually, socially and academically. Every student will have at least one formal pastoral conversation with their assigned mentor. These are to be meaningful and personal, going beyond casual check-ins to discuss wellbeing, friendships, challenges and growth in faith. Students who are new or identified as having greater needs will receive additional care.

Manukau Christian School is committed to teaching your child how to think and live out a biblical worldview from a Reformed Christian perspective. We believe this is essential to preparing your child for adult life. We invite parents to partner with us in the education of their teenagers.