Baradene College
Faculties
Commerce
All students need to be able to understand and make decisions in the financial world we live in.
The Commerce faculty at Baradene College aims to deliver teaching and learning programmes that offer authentic learning experiences, which enable all students to meet their full potential. Our focus is to develop the commercial capabilities (skills and knowledge) of our students, to enable them to make informed and rational decisions, in order for them to participate effectively in the rapidly changing world they live in.
What is Commerce about?
Students explore how the economic and business world operates.
In Accounting, students become equipped with the ability to make real life financial decisions, to prepare and communicate financial information to users and to be accountable to stakeholders for their actions.
In Economics, they examine the choices people make about the use of limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants. Economics explores issues around sustainability, enterprise, citizenship and globalisation. Economists are interested in the factors that influence the well-being of people and aim to find solutions to improve people’s standard of living.
Year 10 Business Studies is an introduction of these subjects.
What is the difference between Accounting and Economics?
Even though they are both commerce-based subjects, they are completely different.
Decision making in business can be assisted using financial information. Accounting helps us to understand financial information and make important decisions such as improving profitability or investment decisions. Topics include Xero, cashflow, forecasting, financial documents, financial statements and the analysis of these.
By studying Economics, students will consider how New Zealanders are affected by the economic decision-making of individuals, communities, businesses, the government agencies in New Zealand and overseas.
They will:
- Develop an understanding of the New Zealand economy and the policies that the Government uses to manage it.
- Make sense of economic problems that they may be facing, now and in the future.
- Make connections between New Zealand’s economy and the global economy.
Why study Commerce?
Commerce provides many job opportunities in virtually every sector and therefore prepares the student well for their future employment and adult life. Studying any Commerce subject will enable students to make financial decisions for themselves and others.
Many Year 13 students that go onto tertiary study, study a Business/Commerce degree. These involve both Economics and Accounting in the first year, thus the student is well positioned to move to the tertiary level content.
For those that don’t carry onto tertiary study, the learning and knowledge about the way in which the economy/business works and how both individuals and organisations can make sound financial decisions is invaluable, as are the practical skills developed in both courses.
Are Accounting and Economics becoming redundant with the improvement of software to complete many jobs previously completed manually?
No. While software may complete many jobs more quickly and accurately than in the past, this has shifted the work of accountants and economists into consulting and advocate roles where a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts is essential. Sound commerce advice will always be needed.
English
In English, students study, use, and enjoy language and literature communicated orally, visually or in writing.
What is English about?
English is the study, use, and enjoyment of the English language and its literature, communicated orally, visually and in writing, for a range of purposes and audiences and in a variety of text forms. Learning English encompasses learning the language, learning through the language and learning about the language.
Understanding, using and creating oral, written and visual texts of increasing complexity is at the heart of English teaching and learning. By engaging with text- based activities, students become increasingly skilled and sophisticated speakers and listeners, writers and readers, presenters and viewers.
Why study English?
Literacy in English gives students access to the understanding, knowledge, and skills they need to participate fully in the social, cultural, political, and economic life of New Zealand and the wider world. To be successful participants, need effective oral, written, and visual communicators who are able to think critically.
By understanding how language works, students are equipped to make appropriate language choices and apply them in a range of contexts. Students learn to deconstruct and critically examine texts in order to understand the power of language to enrich and shape their own and others’ lives.
Students appreciate and enjoy texts in all their forms. The study of New Zealand and world literature contributes to students’ developing sense of identity, their awareness of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage and their understanding of the world.
Success in English is fundamental to success across the curriculum. All learning areas (with the possible exception of languages) require students to receive, process, and present ideas or information using the English language as a medium. English can be studied both as a heritage language and as an additional language.
English presents students with opportunities to engage with and develop the key competencies in diverse contexts.
The English Program at Baradene College is compulsory from Year 7 to Year 12.
All Year 7 to Year 11 students will be entered into the correct level English OR English as a Second Language course.
At Year 13 students have the option choice to study English, Advanced English or English as a Second Language as a subject choice.
Health and Physical Education
What is Health and Physical Education about?
In Health and Physical Education, the focus is on the well- being of the students themselves, of other people, and of society through learning in health-related and movement contexts.
Four underlying and interdependent concepts are at the heart of this learning area:
Hauora - a Māori philosophy of well-being that includes the dimensions taha wairua, taha hinengaro, taha tinana, and taha whānau, each one influencing and supporting the others.
Attitudes and values - a positive, responsible attitude on the part of students to their own well-being; respect, care, and concern for other people and the environment; and a sense of social justice.
The socio-ecological perspective - a way of viewing and understanding the inter-relationships that exist between the individual, others, and society.
Health promotion - a process that helps to develop and maintain supportive physical and emotional environments and that involves students in personal and collective action.
Why study in this learning area?
Through learning and by accepting challenges in health related and movement contexts, students reflect on the nature of well-being and how to promote it. As they develop resilience and a sense of personal and social responsibility, they are increasingly able to take responsibility for themselves and contribute to the well- being of those around them, of their communities, of their environments (including natural environments), and of the wider society.
Languages
In Learning Languages, students learn to communicate in an additional language, develop their capacity to learn further languages, and explore different world views in relation to their own.
What is Learning Languages about?
Learning a new language provides a means of communicating with people from another culture and exploring one’s own personal world.
Languages are inseparably linked to the social and cultural contexts in which they are used. Languages and cultures play a key role in developing our personal, group, national, and human identities. Every language has its own ways of expressing meanings; each has intrinsic value and special significance for its users.
This learning area provides the framework for the teaching and learning of languages that are additional to the language of instruction. Level 1 of the curriculum is the entry level for students with no prior knowledge of the language being learned, regardless of their school year.
Why study a language?
Languages link people locally and globally. They are spoken in the community, used internationally, and play a role in shaping the world. Oral, written, and visual forms of language link us to the past and give us access to new and different streams of thought and to beliefs and cultural practices.
Te reo Māori and New Zealand sign language (NZSL) are official languages of New Zealand. Because of New Zealand’s close relationships with the peoples of the Pacific, Pasifika languages also have a special place. By learning an additional language and its related culture, students come to appreciate that languages and cultures are systems that are organised and used in particular ways to achieve meaning. Learning a new language extends students’ linguistic and cultural understanding and their ability to interact appropriately with other speakers. Interaction in a new language, whether face to face or technologically facilitated, introduces them to new ways of thinking about, questioning, and interpreting the world and their place in it. Through such interaction students acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes that equip them for living in a world of diverse peoples, languages, and cultures. As they move between, and respond to, different languages and different cultural practices, they are challenged to consider their own identities and assumptions.
As they learn a language, students develop their understanding of the power of language. They discover new ways of learning, new ways of knowing, and more about their own capabilities. Learning a language provides students with the cognitive tools and strategies to learn further languages and to increase their understanding of their own language(s) and culture(s).
Year 7 to Year 10
Languages offered in Year 7 and 8 are French, Spanish, te reo Māori and Chinese. All students have a two terms taster course for each language in Year 7 and Year 8 so they can choose the language they want to study in Year 9.
All students learn a language at Year 9. They can choose between te reo Māori, French, Spanish or Chinese.
This course is preparing students to work at Levels 1 and 2 of the New Zealand Curriculum. It integrates language and culture and provides a variety of opportunities for listening, speaking, presenting and performing, viewing, reading and writing. The focus at this level is on developing communication skills.
Mathematics and Statistics
In Mathematics and Statistics, students explore relationships in quantities, space, and data and learn to express these relationships in ways that help them to make sense of the world around them.
What is Mathematics and Statistics about?
Mathematics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time. Statistics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in data. These two disciplines are related but have different ways of thinking and of solving problems. Both equip students with effective means for investigating, interpreting, explaining, and making sense of the world in which they live.
Mathematicians and Statisticians use symbols, graphs, and diagrams to help them find and communicate patterns and relationships, and they create models to represent both real- life and hypothetical situations. These situations are drawn from a wide range of social, cultural, scientific, technological, health, environmental, and economic contexts.
Why study Mathematics and Statistics?
By studying Mathematics and Statistics, students develop the ability to think creatively, critically, strategically, and logically. They learn to structure and to organise, to carry out procedures flexibly and accurately, to process and communicate information, and to enjoy intellectual challenge.
By learning Mathematics and Statistics, students develop other important thinking skills. They learn to create models and predict outcomes, to conjecture, to justify and verify, and to seek patterns and generalisations. They learn to estimate with reasonableness, calculate with precision, and understand when results are precise and when they must be interpreted with uncertainty. Mathematics and Statistics have a broad range of practical applications in everyday life, in other learning areas, and in workplaces.
The Mathematics Program at Baradene College is compulsory from Year 7 to Year 11.
Performing Arts
The Arts Whakatauki
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
The whakataukī speaks of how a creative outcome can evoke a powerful response. When experiencing artworks, the pinnacle of excellence is achieved through empowering, challenging, and enriching the self and others.
What are the Arts about?
The Arts are powerful forms of expression that recognise, value, and contribute to the unique bicultural and multicultural character of Aotearoa New Zealand, enriching the lives of all New Zealanders. The Arts have their own distinct languages that use both verbal and non-verbal conventions, mediated by selected processes and technologies. Through movement, sound, and image, the Performing Arts transform people’s creative ideas into expressive works that communicate layered meanings.
In the Arts, students explore, refine, and communicate ideas as they connect thinking, imagination, senses, and feelings to create works and respond to the works of others. Studying Performing Arts offers a myriad of benefits beyond simply honing one’s artistic abilities. Students who engage in Performing Arts nurture their creativity, self-expression, and emotional intelligence. The subjects foster personal growth, enhance communicate skills and provide a deeper understanding of oneself and the world.
In Drama, students will understand that the function of drama is to heal, educate, entertain, or transform society. They discover how theatre can either challenge the status quo or reinforce it, gaining an awareness of how impactful the medium can be. Drama provides opportunities for students to express their identities and heritages, and explore the heritages of others, creating empathy and understanding for the experiences and whakapapa of people from diverse backgrounds.
In dance education, students learn to communicate through movement and interpret meaning from movement. Learning in Dance supports students to expand the ways they express ideas, feelings, values, and beliefs, as well as how they understand those of others. Students develop literacy in dance as they learn about, and extend skills in movement, performance, and choreography.
Through music, students can develop a deeper understanding of themselves, and explore different contexts and kaupapa. Music can be a waka for students to connect with their whakapapa and engage with contexts, spirituality, emotions, and the ideas of others. They can build confidence as artists by bringing their own experiences and cultures to their music making.
Studying Media studies is about the active exploration, analysis, creation, and enjoyment of the media and its products. Students engage with the impact of the media on our society and how to contribute to this ever-advancing medium.
Why study the Arts?
Arts education explores, challenges, affirms, and celebrates unique artistic expressions of self, community, and culture.
Learning in, through, and about the arts stimulates creative action and response by engaging and connecting thinking, imagination, senses, and feelings. By participating in the arts, students’ personal well-being is enhanced. As students express and interpret ideas within creative, aesthetic, and technological frameworks, their confidence to take risks is increased. Specialist studies enable students to contribute their vision, abilities, and energies to arts initiatives and creative industries.
In the Arts, students learn to work both independently and collaboratively to construct meanings, produce works, and respond to and value others’ contributions. They learn to use imagination to engage with unexpected outcomes and to explore multiple solutions.
Arts education values young children’s experiences and builds on these with increasing sophistication and complexity as their knowledge and skills develop. Through the use of creative and intuitive thought and action, learners in the arts are able to view their world from new perspectives. Through the development of arts literacies, students, as creators, presenters, viewers, and listeners, are able to participate in, interpret, value, and enjoy the arts throughout their lives.
Studying the Arts helps us understand diverse cultural perspectives and worldviews by examining the rich cultural histories and traditions, from Aotearoa and worldwide, that are expressed through performance. It allows us to recognise the uniqueness of our place in the Pacific, the identity of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the rich cultural histories and traditions from all over the world that are expressed through performance.
Through the relationships creators and performers make with audiences, The Arts exist as a powerful medium to foster hauora – nurturing and maintaining both individual and community wellbeing in its ability to empower and inspire others. Students engage with the ways in which the Arts can uplift and sustain the mana of communities, groups, and individuals.
Religious Education
Religious Education at Baradene College is a compulsory course at all levels.
In Religious Education, the academic content is chosen to complement the religious socialisation process of the College community, which is concerned with awakening and nurturing faith and relating the faith journey to the present-day world.
As well as the academic aspect of the course, students go on a retreat and participate in a class or year-level Eucharist. Religious Education includes units of work that complement the Health Education Programme.
Science
In Science, students explore the nature of science through contexts derived from the physical world, the biological world, the material world and planet earth and beyond. In doing so they are given opportunities to develop an understanding of science, so that they can participate as critical, informed and responsible citizens, in a world where science plays a significant role.
What is Science about?
Science is a way of investigating, understanding and explaining the natural world and wider universe. It involves generating and testing ideas, gathering evidence - by making observations, carrying out investigations, modelling, and communicating and debating with others - in order to develop scientific knowledge, understanding, and explanations. Scientific progress comes from logical, systematic work and from creative insight, built on a foundation of respect for evidence. Different cultures and periods of history have contributed to the development of science.
Why study Science?
Science is able to inform problem-solving and decision-making in many areas of life. Many of the major challenges and opportunities that confront our world need to be approached from a scientific perspective, taking into account social and ethical considerations.
By studying Science, students:
- develop an understanding of the world, built on current scientific theories;
- learn that science involves particular processes and ways of developing and organising knowledge and that these continue to evolve;
- use their current scientific knowledge and skills for problem-solving and developing further knowledge;
- use scientific knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about the communication, application, and implications of science as these relate to their own lives and cultures and to the sustainability of the environment;
- use language, symbols, mathematics and graphical representation.
Social Sciences
In the Social Sciences, students explore how societies work and how they themselves can participate and take action as critical, informed, and responsible citizens.
Unuhia te rito o te harakeke kei whea te kōmako e kō?
Whakatairangitia – rere ki uta, rere ki tai;
Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao,
Māku e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata!
Remove the heart of the flax bush and where will the kōmako sing?
Proclaim it to the land, proclaim it to the sea;
Ask me, “What is the greatest thing in the world?”
I will reply, “It is people, people, people!”
Nā, Meri Ngāroto, Te Aupōuri (1830s)
What are the Social Sciences about?
The Social Sciences learning area is about how societies work and how people can participate as critical, active, informed, and responsible citizens. Contexts are drawn from the past, present, and future and from places within and beyond New Zealand.
Why study the Social Sciences?
Through the Social Sciences, students develop the knowledge and skills to enable them to: better understand, participate in, and contribute to the local, national, and global communities in which they live and work; engage critically with societal issues; and evaluate the sustainability of alternative social, economic, political, and environmental practices.
Students explore the unique bicultural nature of New Zealand society that derives from the Treaty of Waitangi. They learn about people, places, cultures, histories, and the economic world, within and beyond New Zealand. They develop understandings about how societies are organised and function and how the ways in which people and communities respond and are shaped by different perspectives, values, and viewpoints. As they explore how others see themselves, students clarify their own identities in relation to their particular heritages and contexts.
Technology
In Technology, students learn to be innovative developers of products and systems and discerning consumers who will make a difference in the world.
What is Technology about?
Technology is intervention by design; the use of practical and intellectual resources to develop products and systems (technological outcomes) that expand human possibilities by addressing needs and realising opportunities. Adaptation and innovation are at the heart of technological practice. Quality outcomes result from thinking and practices that are informed, critical, and creative.
Technology makes enterprising use of its own particular knowledge and skills, together with those of other disciplines. Graphic design and other forms of visual representation offer important tools for exploration and communication.
Technology is never static. It is influenced by and, in turn, impacts on the cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and economic conditions of the day.
Why study Technology?
The aim is for students to develop a broad technological literacy that will equip them to participate in society as informed citizens and give them access to technology- related careers. They learn practical skills as they develop models, products, and systems. They also learn about technology as a field of human activity, experiencing and/or exploring historical and contemporary examples of technology from a variety of contexts.
Technology is associated with the transformation of energy, information, and materials. Technological areas could include structural, control, food, materials, ICT, biotechnology and design and visual communication. Relevant contexts can be as varied as computer design, food products, toys, garments, signage, garden art and more.
Visual Arts
In the Arts, students explore, refine, and communicate ideas as they connect thinking, imagination, senses, and feelings to create works and respond to the works of others.
What are the Arts about?
The Arts are powerful forms of expression that recognise, value, and contribute to the unique bicultural and multicultural character of Aotearoa New Zealand, enriching the lives of all New Zealanders. The arts have their own distinct languages that use both verbal and non-verbal conventions, mediated by selected processes and technologies. Through movement, sound, and image, the performing arts transform people’s creative ideas into expressive works that communicate layered meanings.
Why study the Arts?
Arts education explores, challenges, affirms, and celebrates unique artistic expressions of self, community, and culture. It embraces te reo Māori, valuing the forms and practices of customary and contemporary Māori performing, musical, and visual arts.
Learning in, through, and about the arts stimulates creative action and response by engaging and connecting thinking, imagination, senses, and feelings. By participating in the arts, students’ personal well-being is enhanced. As students express and interpret ideas within creative, aesthetic, and technological frameworks, their confidence to take risks is increased. Specialist studies enable students to contribute their vision, abilities, and energies to arts initiatives and creative industries.
In the arts, students learn to work both independently and collaboratively to construct meanings, produce works, and respond to and value others’ contributions. They learn to use imagination to engage with unexpected outcomes and to explore multiple solutions.
Arts education values young children’s experiences and builds on these with increasing sophistication and complexity as their knowledge and skills develop. Through the use of creative and intuitive thought and action, learners in the arts are able to view their world from new perspectives. Through the development of arts literacies, students, as creators, presenters, viewers, and listeners, are able to participate in, interpret, value, and enjoy the arts throughout their lives.
