English

Learning in English equips students with knowledge of the codes and conventions of language and texts. Students are taught to create their own texts with purpose and confidence, as they develop an appreciation of the beauty and richness of classic and contemporary literature.

Through the study of English, students master foundational literacy knowledge and practices. They engage with and independently compose increasingly complex texts in a variety of forms, learning to explore ideas that are evolving, contested, or open to interpretation.

Students’ learning in English provides them with the concepts and skills to understand global literary traditions and the bicultural and multicultural literary heritage of New Zealand. As readers, they become thoughtful and discerning textual critics and gain insights into the diversity and complexity of human experience. As authors, they learn how to craft texts that express their ideas with clarity, creativity, and control.

As students progress through English, they deepen their understanding of how language and texts provide a space for expression and experimentation. Creating and responding to texts deepens students’ understanding of themselves and others, and enables them to participate actively in local, national, and global conversations.

In Years 9–10 English, the teaching sequence is organised into two strands:

Text Studies focuses on teaching students to expand their knowledge of a broader range of literary and non-fiction text forms. It develops students’ understanding of textual features, literary techniques, and the impact of historical, cultural, and social contexts on texts.
Language Studies focuses on teaching students how to craft written, visual, and oral texts for a variety of purposes and audiences.
The year-by-year teaching sequence, organised through strands, elements, and sub-elements, sets out what is to be taught. Its enactment is shaped by teachers, who design learning in response to their learners, adjusting the order and emphasis and adding appropriate contexts and content.

In English in Years 11-13, students work towards achieving the National Certification in Educational Achievement (NCEA) in the subject, tackling a range of internally and externally assessed achievement standards tailored to their learning needs. NCEA Level 1 English (at Year 11) is a compulsory subject, but NCEA Levels 2 & 3 English are optional subjects for students wanting and / or needing to study and achieve in English at these higher academic levels.