Is Diocesan introducing the new NCEA Level 1 in 2025?
Like many other schools, we are not implementing the new NCEA Level One in 2025.
Why is Diocesan not introducing the new NCEA Level 1 in 2025?
The 2024 rollout of the new NCEA Level 1 experienced delays, with final updates only announced by the Ministry of Education in April 2024. Given the uncertainty, and with the new NCEA Level 2 and 3 standards postponed to 2028 and 2029, many schools, including ours, have chosen to step back from offering the new NCEA Level 1 until there is more clarity.
What will the Dio Year 11 Academic Programme look like in 2025?
In 2025, teachers will draw upon content from the existing Level 1 NCEA programme and the New Zealand Curriculum to develop a robust Year 11 academic programme. This approach will better prepare students for success in 2026 and 2027, specifically equipping them for both NCEA Levels 2 and 3 or the IB Diploma.
How will assessments be managed for Year 11 students?
Assessments will be completed with a mixture of in-class assessments, topic tests, and assignments completed at school and at home. Year 11 students will sit school examinations in 2025 but will not be entered for external examinations (except for Literacy and Numeracy related exams). Teachers will use NCEA style assessments and grading to ensure they are consistent across subjects and they prepare students for Year 12 and 13.
What will happen at the end of the academic year?
Year 11 students in 2025 will not require NCEA study leave, so will have additional weeks in the school year to be fully utilised in productive learning inside and outside of the classroom.
What is changing at NCEA Level 2 and NCEA Level 3?
In 2025 there will be no change to either NCEA Level 2 or Level 3, and students leading into these are well-served by the existing programmes. A new Level 2 will begin in 2028 and Level 3 in 2029.
Will the 2025 Year 11 academic programme prepare students for external exams in 2026?
We will continue to have school examinations that fully test our students’ abilities against curriculum requirements. This continues to provide student with measurements around their learning and provides valuable data to ensure we are meeting student needs.
Where can I find more information?
Please feel free to contact us at Dio. Key contacts could include the Principal Heather McRae and the Head of Senior School Margaret van Meeuwen. Our office can be contacted via [email protected] and telephone +64 9 550 2892.
