CURRICULUM OPPORTUNITIES AT ROTORUA GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL
Rotorua Girls’ High School has put in place a number of initiatives that aim to increase
student achievement and retention. One such important initiative is the compulsory Year 9
Rotation programme. In addition to studying Mathematics, English, Science, Social Science,
Physical Education and Health, each student at Year 9 now studies four subjects being
Business and Careers, Technology, Arts and Languages. In each subject they experience five
components (rotations) of the subject making a total of twenty subjects experienced in the
year.
In Business and Careers they study Business Enterprise, Careers, Thinking Skills, Information
Technology and Information management. In Technology they experience Hard Materials,
Soft Materials, Graphics, Food Technology and Harakeke. In Art they practice and perform in
Visual Art, Drama, Dance, Maori Performance, Art and Music. Each of these subjects are
experienced three times a week for 7-8 weeks.
In the Language rotation students learn five languages in three week cycles during the first
two terms. German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Te Reo are the languages offered. At the
end of the second term each student chooses one language to study for the remainder of the
year.
By experiencing this range of subjects, Year 9 students broaden their knowledge and
understand the opportunities available in Year 10 and the senior school.
This Year 9 programme is unique to Rotorua Girls’ High School and has run successfully for
the past five years.
In Year 10 students chose three options from 22 subject choices available. These option
subjects are taught four times a week. At Year 11 students study 6 option subjects and there
are 40 choices available, at Year 12 students again study six option subjects and there are 47
choices available. At Year 13 students study 5 option subjects and there are 39 choices
available.
The main aim of the compulsory Year 9 programme is to provide a broad base of experience
to every student who chooses Rotorua Girls’ High School as their school of choice for
secondary education. Students from Year 10 to Year 13 experience the depth in each subject
of their choice. In the senior school the subjects are taught five times a week. This means the
subject is taught every day. This maintains continuity and keeps the students motivated
throughout the year. We could not have done all this without our six periods a day timetable.
Overall, there are 66 different subject choices available for the students from Year 10 to Year
13 at Rotorua Girls’ High School. In other words if a student wants to study a subject of her
choice we endeavour to accommodate her choice.
The school has introduced some innovative subjects in the past four years. Hairdressing,
Driver Education, Adventure Tourism, Tourism, Sports Coaching and Management,
Sociology, Psychology and Individual Senior programme to name a few. The introduction of
these subjects has reduced the number of students applying for early exemption. Students who
once found it difficult to get motivated and remain at school, now have subjects that interest
them and provide them with genuine experiences in their future career areas. All the above
mentioned innovative subjects draw a number of applicants and the courses run successfully
every year.
“Empowering Young Women” is the motto of Rotorua Girls’ High School and the innovative
curriculum opportunities that are in place make that statement meaningful. The outcome of
offering these extended curriculum opportunities is that more students are staying longer at
school and ultimately leaving with higher qualifications.