ACADEMIC

Ministry of Education data indicates that significant numbers of Year 9 entrants continue with their education at Villa Maria College until they achieve University Entrance in Year 13. This percentage has been consistently higher than other schools of our type and decile in recent years. Similarly the percentage of students leaving school without qualifications (fewer than 14 credits) is generally lower than 1%, compared with 18% nationally and 12% for similar decile schools.

Good study skills and appropriate examination preparation are taught early on and the broad curriculum base allows students to:

• Become independent learners, exploring ideas and problem solving

• Experience the challenges of outdoor education

• Gain an appreciation of drama, music and art

• Have the opportunity to achieve academic qualifications

• Become aware of opportunities in tertiary institutions

• Make informed career choices

This broad curriculum allows the students to gain self-confidence, become independent learners, and participate in and gain an appreciation for music, art, and drama, together with the outdoors. Religious Education is regarded as another essential learning area and is delivered at all levels.

High academic standards are emphasised. Students are guided, supported and encouraged to set goals to achieve their potential. Subjects are offered that will best prepare the students to make a valuable contribution to society in any vocational area they may choose.  The College has a specialist Learning and Support Centre which operates to support both the Gifted and Talented and those with specific learning needs to thrive during their educational years at Villa.

Years 7 and 8
Students cover all the essential learning areas and explore a range of subject areas within these, including Languages, the Arts, and Technology.

Years 9 and 10
Students continue to develop skills in all the essential learning areas. Year 9 students follow a programme that enables them to achieve success in all learning areas. Year 10 students follow a core programme and are able to select options in the Arts and Languages and study these in more detail as they prepare for National Qualifications in Year 11.

Years 11 to 13
Students in Year 11, 12, and 13 are preparing for the National Certificate in Educational Achievement, Level 1, 2, or 3. All subjects are assessed with either Achievement Standards or Unit Standards and all have a credit rating.

Some students also work toward other National Certificates, in Computing, Tourism, and Hospitality.

Striving for Academic Excellence

The College motto ‘that you may learn to prize what is of value' continues to be central to all our undertakings in every aspect of College life.  The new Mission Statement enables us to see through the lens of this motto: Empowering each young woman to determine her potential, live Gospel values, confidently embrace life-long learning and as Mercy women be inspired to make a difference.  As a College community we have applied these values to our Curriculum Goal to raise achievement for all.

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement was first implemented in 2002 when Level 1 NCEA replaced School Certificate.  In the early years of this new qualification issues were identified nationally in terms of the motivation of students to achieve to the best of their ability.  A student who achieved all standards at excellence level received the same NCEA award as a student who achieved the minimum number of standards.

Subsequent national changes to the qualifications since then have been designed to address these issues, and new initiatives at Villa Maria College have been implemented to encourage our students to aim for excellence.  A whole-school professional development programme has been central to working towards these goals in recent years.  A key component in raising student engagement in learning has been to reflect on how we think and to develop a set of thinking skills, using approaches such as Bloom's Taxonomy and Habits of Mind.  This has helped students understand the type of thinking required in order to reach a merit or excellence level in achievement standards.

New Zealand Scholarship was introduced in 2004.  This qualification enables a student to demonstrate higher level critical thinking, abstraction and the ability to integrate synthesis and apply knowledge, skills, understandings and ideas.

In the first year of this examination there were issues with some subjects having significantly more scholarship winners than others.  Changes were made in 2005 to ensure that between 3% and 5% of the national cohort of students would be recognised with a scholarship in that subject.

Our approach at Villa Maria is to identify those students who in previous years have indicated the ability to achieve at this level, and in addition to encourage any other student to attempt the award. This group of students is then supported by teachers who may offer additional tutorial sessions either before school, at lunchtime, or after school.  The monetary awards offered by NZQA have been an added incentive to encourage the students at Villa Maria College to strive for excellence.

The next significant change to NCEA was the introduction of the Endorsed Certificates in 2007.  This enables a student who achieves at least 50 credits with excellence to be recognised with NCEA Endorsed with Excellence.  Students who achieve 50 credits at Merit or above are recognised with NCEA Endorsed with Merit. This has been a very positive change and clearly helps motivate our students to achieve to higher levels.

Goal Setting 

We have a focussed goal-setting process at the start of the year when each student sets her goals for the year.  These are revisited during the year to ensure that the initial goals are realistic and challenging.  The goal setting applies not only to academic pursuits, but in all other aspects of College life as reflected in the Mission Statement.

Reporting 

Through frequent and regular reporting to parents and caregivers, we are able to acknowledge the positive effort and attitude of students in their approach to learning in each subject and in this way keep the focus on striving for excellence and raising achievement for all. 

Villa Awards 

We have introduced other ways of celebrating high achievement.  In addition to the annual College Prize Giving in December, we have the High Achievers' Assembly in February following the release of results in NCEA external examinations and Scholarship results.  This is an opportunity to recognise these highest achievers in front of their peers and parents, and to encourage all students to strive for excellence.

A new College badge has been developed.  This is a Villa Maria crest with a bar attached. Students who achieve the NCEA Endorsed with Excellence (50 credits at excellence) receive a silver Academic bar.  Because we want our students striving for higher levels than the national award, we have the gold Academic bar for those who achieve 80 credits at excellence in Level 1, and 66 credits with excellence at Level 2.

All of these strategies and initiatives have had an influence in raising and maintaining high standards.  An important indicator of how successful we have been will be the number of students who confidently embrace life-long learning and in this respect will have learnt to prize what is of value.