Learning Areas

Being able to communicate your ideas and express your identity without words is an awesome skill (in the true sense of the word!). We believe everybody can learn to draw, and excellence can be in any style.

Drawing is a language that can be learned in a fun way just like learning to read and write, and the journey can be immensely rewarding when you have a growth mindset and truly accept that mistakes and failures are the artist’s best friend! Year 9 and 10 Art introduces students to advanced technical and conceptual skills of drawing and making art so that by the end of Year 10 ākonga have the skills to choose personal themes and manage individual, long duration projects in Years 11 - 13.

In Year 10 ākonga can begin to explore more specialised media and develop individual interests and creative strengths (including but not limited to illustration, documentary photography, abstraction, portraiture, environmental art…). They learn the conventions of DSLR photography and printing and explore combinations of analogue and digital printmaking, painting, and mixed media strategies.

Adobe Creative Cloud (which can be purchased affordably at School) is an advantage.

The Year 9 course encourages ākonga to challenge themselves in both written and practical activities. Ākonga develop further their knowledge of how to read music and apply it through performances.

Ākonga are encouraged to advance their performance skills in performing piano extracts alongside other instruments. They will also develop a deeper understanding of music composition and music technology applying skills in both to begin creating their own compositions with sequencing software.

Year 10 ākonga will develop a deeper understanding of musicianship skills through both group and solo performances. Ākonga learn to write their own music in both instrumental and songwriting activities and embrace music technology both as a composition tool and in recording tasks.