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Our Curriculum

Rangi Ruru is Christchurch’s only girls’ school offering a true Year 7 to 13 experience, delivering a seamless curriculum by specialist teachers at all year levels.

Rangi Ruru is consistently in the top 3% of New Zealand schools for academic achievement. In national and international competitions and examinations, a high proportion of students feature at the top of their chosen fields of endeavour. More than 95% of Rangi girls go on to further tertiary study in New Zealand and overseas, many gaining substantial scholarships as a result of their work at school.

Knowing each girl enables us to support her learning and hence the outcomes. Helping her find her learning passion and knowing that she will do better if she loves what she does means we can design learning opportunities to support her range of passions and individual strengths.

We have high expectations – we know all girls will succeed on their own terms; we aim for the best possible outcome that we believe they can achieve. At Rangi, we believe in NCEA because it is a level playing field and a true New Zealand qualification that is well understood offshore.

NCEA provides tremendous flexibility for programme and course design.
NCEA allows key competencies to be developed. Analytical and critical thinking, communication, collaborative participation and self-management are at the forefront of the learning.
Personalisation of learning is available in both programme design and learning outcomes. We can tailor a programme for an individual and for a cohort
Students can strive for Merit and Excellence endorsements that recognise their efforts.
Mix of Internal and External modes of assessment encourage learning to be a habit, not an event.
The rewards are cumulative – it’s not all or nothing on the day.

Facilitating outcomes that suit the individual eg extending students with optional standards or reducing the number of assessments to reduce stress on students.
To these ends we don’t withdraw students from Achievement Standards once they have begun the learning that leads to that assessment outcome. We don’t withdraw students from standards that they don’t achieve. Therefore, they know that what they do and how they do is visible – this encourages them to be persistent and resilient.
Our Curriculum Handbook contains detailed information on The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), University Entrance, Scholarship Examinations and Numeracy and Literacy requirements

Gaining a Qualification Matters

Leaving school with sound academic qualifications is known to confer individual and societal benefits. Efforts to increase qualification levels tend to focus on the secondary school years but learners come to these years with a strong “assessment careers” already in place.

Leaving school with an NCEA qualification at either Level 2 or Level 3 is associated with having established a more satisfying pathway into early adulthood. NCEA opened doors to study pathways and the learning habits developed at school carried over to ensure a greater likelihood of post-school course completion. By contrast, the small number of students who left school without a qualification were more likely to be unemployed and also to have more regrets. They were less happy and optimistic and more likely to have experienced depression and mental ill health. Post-school study did not improve the opportunities for these young people: instead, they had higher rates of not completing courses they undertook. These findings indicate the importance of leaving school with a sound academic qualification on which to build, in combination with the disposition to decide on a course of action and then stick to it.

A Level 2 or 3 NCEA award – however the award is composed (internal, external assessment modes, endorsements) – does open doors to ongoing learning opportunities, and better life chances. Aspiring to increase the numbers of students who reach this academic milestone should be seen as important work in every New Zealand school.

Starting at Rangi

Starting in Year 7

Starting your daughter at Rangi Ruru in Year 7 will ensure that she is future-ready, equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to be a powerful learner.

The stability of remaining in the same school from Year 7 through to Year 13 means no extra adjustment period at Year 9. From Year 7 girls are challenged to be resilient and responsible in preparation for transition into the secondary school.

At Rangi Ruru all girls are supported with specic programmes for their age and development, complemented by our new school-wide Wellbeing Programme, which in Year 8 includes mindfulness and learning ways to deal with the pace and stress of our busy lives.

From Year 7, girls will have an intensive focus on Mathematics, English, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education and Health and Digital Technology. Modules in Art, Music, Technology, Performing Arts, and Languages will give exposure to a wide range of areas of interest and enable deep learning to occur. Girls are also involved in investigative challenges, where they will explore real world problems.

Starting in Year 9

We offer more than 36 subject options across different learning areas in Years 9 to 13. This breadth is important before they begin to specialise and pursue in their senior years those subjects they are passionate about or in which they have a particular ability. This provides them with flexible pathways that will support further study and careers. A language is compulsory at Year 9.

Girls in Years 11 to 13 complete NCEA Levels 1 to 3 and their focus is personalised to suit their level of study. This may include study at multiple levels, acceleration, a specifically tailored course or learning support.

Learning Support

The Learning Support Team delivers solutions and teaching programmes tailored to a variety of learning needs. The team of specialists teachers and teacher aides provide support to girls to overcome barriers to learning as well as providing extension and acceleration.

Specialist Support Includes:

Literacy and mathematical skills development.
Study skills and assessment techniques.
Other support and lessons linked to curriculum areas.
Special assessment conditions applications for NCEA.
Gifted and Talented Education for highly able students.
ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

Meet the Team

Juliet Collins

Assistant Principal - Curriculum

M.F.A. (Hons), Dip.Tchg.
P: 03 983 3716
E: j.collins@rangiruru.school.nz

Melanie L’Eef

Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

B.A., Dip.Tchg.
P: 03 983 3762
E: m.leef@rangiruru.school.nz

Michelle Enright

Learning Centre Literacy Teacher; Administrator ‘Special Exam Conditions’

BEd; Dip Special Teaching Needs
E: m.enright@rangiruru.school.nz

Ali McQueen

M.Sc., Dip.Tchg.

Louise Stanton

International Dean; Head of ESOL

BFA; PGDipTchg
P: 03 983 3722
E: l.stanton@rangiruru.school.nz

Rebecca Meachen

Head of Learning Centre

P: 03 983 3711
E: r.meachen@rangiruru.school.nz

Curriculum