Figure 1.--. |
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The internal orgazization of New Zealand schools, especially the secondary schools, vary substantially from school to school. Some of the feeling of an English public school, organized on the house principal. Others have more of the feeling, if you forget the uniforms, of an American highschool.
At each form level, a staff member (usually titled dean) is responsible for the progress and welfare of each student. Each from Dean works closely with the Guidance Counsellor and the individual classroom teachers.
The school is divided into FIVE form levels - Forms 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Each form level is under the control of a DEAN and within each form
level each class is under the care of a FORM TEACHER. Each form
class is distinguished by the form level number and the initials of the form teacher. For example, 3ML would signify Mr Meldrum's Form 3
class.
The form teacher and the Dean are the first points of contact by
students (and their parents) regarding their progress. Formal
PARENT-TEACHER EVENINGS are arranged during the year for
parents to come and meet with subject teachers. We encourage
parents to attend the parent-teacher evenings.
Within each form level there is an element of streaming with the top
classes being identified. The remaining classes are of mixed ability.
Promotion from year to year and retention of places in the streamed
classes depends on satisfactory performances in examinations and
classwork, and on satisfactory attitude and conduct.
In Forms 3, 4 and 5 some of the students in the mixed ability groups
are given opportunities to improve their reading and mathematical
skills by doing extension reading and/or mathematics, while others
are given the option to enter DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES.
Similarly those in the top classes in Forms 4, 5, 6 and 7 are given the
option of entering ACCELERATED PROGRAMMES that see them
studying subjects and doing examinations of the form level above
them. For example, some Form 4 students sit School Certificate in
English, Mathematics and Science.
Every effort is made to preserve flexibility in subject choice at each form level, and in the following pages the subjects available at each
form level are listed. Obviously the existence of subjects is
dependent upon there being viable class numbers and staff
availability.
