This course handbook outlines, for students and parents, the courses of study available to students in Year 7 to Year 13. The selection of an appropriate course of study is critical in preparing students for their lives beyond the College and I encourage an open dialogue between students, parents and teachers.

The Junior School provides a foundation for students to gain capability across a wide range of learning opportunities. The Senior School is a time for exploring emerging interests and abilities. It is important to maintain ‘multiple options’ for as long as possible. Selection of options requires careful consideration and planning so that students do not restrict their opportunities in their later years of secondary study and early years of tertiary enrolment. 

At Huanui College academic standards are high and we take intellectual life seriously. At the College students operate in a ‘high challenge, high support’ environment. Sometimes students start with a specific career in mind and try to choose their subjects accordingly. You should, however, take the time to research your course fully and to think about the time required to spend working on it at Huanui College. 

Most of our students go to further study and research, using the material that they have covered in their courses directly in subsequent degree and career. Do remember, however, that employers are interested in your capacity for study at degree level, which includes general skills such as ability to learn quickly, analyse problems, communicate effectively and meet high expectations under pressure, to name just a few. Students should be aware that tertiary courses of study are adapting to a rapidly changing career world and that they need to be aware of changing course entrance requirements and available courses of study. It is the responsibility of students to keep current with tertiary course entry requirements.

With so much choice available to students in the Senior School, and the very real possibility that they may not have determined their future career direction, it is understandable if they have difficulty selecting their courses; however, it is necessary to begin the process of selecting options and potential career pathways as early as possible. To cater for a wide range of student interests Huanui College provides a dual curriculum and qualification pathway – Cambridge International and Te Huarahi o Huanui.

All courses offered in this booklet are subject to a minimum number of students selecting a particular course. Every endeavour has been made to ensure that the information in this booklet is accurate at the time of printing. Students and parents are alerted to the practice of courses under ongoing review, which may result in some changes.

Students’ choice of options will determine next year’s College timetable and enable the College to plan for staffing and department resources. The College timetable is constructed on the initial student selection of options. Therefore, the first choice of subjects selected by the student is very important and students should consider their selections very carefully and be realistic in their planning for 2021.  

The College will endeavour to meet all student option choices, although this cannot be guaranteed and students should maintain some flexibility in their course planning with reserve options. This also applies to students wishing to change their original selections. Once the timetable is constructed, the scope for changing a subject is limited. 

I wish our students every success in their 2021academic studies.

Philip Coombe
Principal