Find Your Direction

At Longburn Adventist College, we offer a broad range of subjects across the arts, sciences, humanities, and practical disciplines – giving every student the freedom to follow their strengths and discover new ones. Whether you're heading toward university, a trade, or something still taking shape, our curriculum is designed to open doors.

Religious Studies

Religious Studies explores the rich tapestry of historical and contemporary religious and spiritual worldviews, examining the diverse communities, practices, beliefs, and narratives that shape our global society. In this course, students will develop a deep understanding of multiple worldviews, with a primary focus on Christianity and the distinct Seventh-day Adventist faith tradition. Guided by the New Zealand Curriculum, students will investigate how historical, cultural, and social contexts have shaped religious and spiritual communities within Aotearoa New Zealand and the wider Pacific region. By exploring how these narratives and practices have evolved over time to navigate profound questions about the origins, purpose, and meaning of life, students learn to view religion and spirituality through multiple historical and cultural lenses.

Engaging in Religious Studies enhances the critical thinking and cultural capabilities of students, enabling them to make sense of societal development and the complex interactions between culture, community, and diverse belief systems. Beyond understanding external perspectives, the course invites students to reflect inwardly, helping them understand how their own personal beliefs, values, and identities are formed. Ultimately, Religious Studies fosters crucial key competencies like critical literacy, empathy, and social inquiry. The analytical skills and cultural intelligence gained in this course prepare students for a wide range of future tertiary and career pathways, including community services, law, public policy, government, international relations, and academic research.

Mathematics

Mathematics is taught as a dynamic tool for understanding the world, focusing on developing logical reasoning and analytical thinking. In the junior years, students build a strong foundation by using logic to identify patterns, solve problems, and connect mathematical concepts. They learn to communicate their findings clearly using formal algebraic notation, explore integers and irrational numbers, and use data visualisations to evaluate real-world claims. As they progress into senior school, the focus expands to deeper conceptual connections and proportional reasoning. Students learn to mathematically transform shapes and measurements, analyse the relationships between tables, equations, and graphs, and extend their spatial understanding to complex 2D and 3D geometry. Students aren't just memorising formulas; they are using data, probability, and algebraic thinking to investigate trends, interpret variations, and confidently tackle complex challenges.

• Statistics: This course provides a solid foundation in Statistics and Modelling, designed for students interested in the quantitative aspects of biological and social sciences, medicine, commerce, and administration. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, it prepares students for any field where collecting, analysing, and interpreting data is essential. Students develop statistical literacy and critical thinking by working with real-world datasets, learning to recognise patterns, justify conclusions, and evaluate critiques. Through hands-on modelling, they investigate variation and probability, building the analytical tools needed to make evidence-based decisions and navigate our data-driven society.
• Calculus: Calculus is designed for students interested in continuing their study of mathematics, engineering, physical sciences, or any field where mathematical analysis is a vital tool. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, students develop advanced logical reasoning and problem-solving skills, learning to model rates of change and interpret complex algebraic patterns. The course is structured around two internal and two external Achievement Standards, providing a balanced pathway for building structural understanding. Students are supported by compulsory workbooks, using targeted classwork and homework to reinforce their analytical techniques and prepare for future tertiary study.
• Financial Literacy: Financial Literacy develops students' awareness of their personal financial needs, aligning with the New Zealand Curriculum to build essential life skills. This practical course empowers students with the vital knowledge and strategies required to manage their money effectively both now and beyond school. By learning to navigate real-world financial decisions, students develop long-term financial capability, independence, and critical problem-solving skills for their future.

Science

The Science learning area explores how our world works, equipping students to investigate, understand, and explain both the natural physical world and the wider universe. Science provides a broad overview of fundamental concepts across the physical and biological sciences, building a strong conceptual framework that prepares students for specialised senior pathways in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, learning is anchored in the Nature of Science—ensuring students master the processes and capabilities of scientific inquiry as deeply as the subject content itself. Students will actively engage in scientific practices: designing fair tests, conducting hands-on experiments, and gathering and interpreting data. By learning to critique evidence and communicate their findings through structured scientific reporting, students don't just learn facts; they develop the critical thinking tools needed to make sense of socio-scientific issues and participate as informed, responsible citizens.

• Biology: In Biology, students build on previous knowledge to develop a deeper, more advanced understanding of the living world. Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum, Biology focuses on interspecific and intraspecific relationships across plant and animal kingdoms, exploring how organisms interact with their environments. Students carry out a practical investigation into the hierarchical behaviour of primates and research a contemporary socio-scientific issue, collating diverse perspectives to formulate personal conclusions and educational actions. They also explore the complex homeostatic mechanisms that allow the human body to maintain a steady internal state, building the rigorous scientific inquiry and critical thinking skills needed for future tertiary study.
• Chemistry: In Chemistry, students learn foundational concepts to gain an in-depth, quantitative understanding of the molecular world. Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum's Science learning area,Chemistry focuses on applying knowledge to solve complex problems and explain chemical behaviours. Through internal assessments, students investigate spectroscopic data using techniques like NMR, infrared, and mass spectrometry to determine molecular structures, delve into oxidation-reduction processes and electrochemistry, conduct a research project on real-world chemical processes, and refine practical skills via quantitative titrations. The external assessment deepens their expertise in organic chemistry, exploring the structures, reactions, and synthesis of carbon-based molecules to foster rigorous critical thinking and analytical capability.
• Physics: Physics explores the fundamental forces and physical phenomena that govern the universe, with a strong emphasis on understanding how these principles apply to our everyday lives. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, this course anchors learning in the Nature of Science, blending theory with a significant focus on practical demonstrations and hands-on investigations that illuminate the material. Students utilize the tools of logic, reasoning, and mathematics to investigate, determine, and predict complex actions and reactions. To support all learners, essential mathematical skills are fully integrated into the course and taught side-by-side with the scientific content. Fostering agency and independent inquiry, the curriculum features flexible assessments where students choose their own topics to research and investigate. By connecting abstract physical concepts to real-world applications, students develop the critical thinking, problem-solving, and literacy skills necessary to navigate and contribute to a technologically advanced world.

English

English is fundamentally about connecting with others, sharing ideas, and articulating our own unique perspective. In this course, students will learn to navigate and communicate through accurate, correctly structured language, building essential skills across both the receptive strands of listening, reading, and viewing, and the productive strands of speaking, writing, and presenting. By engaging with a diverse range of literature, films, and multi-modal texts, students are challenged to think critically about the wider world and reflect deeply on their own place within it. This course intentionally honors our bicultural heritage by exploring texts that reflect the diverse voices of Aotearoa New Zealand alongside global perspectives, encouraging students to consider context, purpose, and audience. Ultimately, students will hear the voices of others, challenge assumptions, and confidently develop their own authentic voice, equipping them with the critical literacy skills needed to engage meaningfully as active, empathetic citizens.

Woodwork (Building Construction)

This practical, workshop-based course provides a progressive pathway for students wanting to integrate into wide-ranging trade occupations, though it welcomes anyone keen to build hands-on skills. Aligned with the vocational strands of the New Zealand Curriculum, learning focuses on technical fluency, safety, and project design.

Design & Visual Communication (DVC)

Design and Visual Communication (DVC) focuses on studying and applying design principles that prepare students for rewarding careers in architecture, engineering, landscape, and product design industries. Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum, this course empowers students to think both creatively and critically when approaching complex design challenges. Students develop a comprehensive range of technical drawing skills, using both traditional hand-sketching and advanced Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools to extend their innovation and imagination. By learning to interpret and communicate visual information effectively, students make purposeful design decisions that balance aesthetic appeal with functional requirements, strengthening problem-solving abilities that support learning across the school curriculum.

Digital Technology

Digital Technologies builds vital capability to apply technological ideas within a dynamic digital environment. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, this broad subject covers programming, electronic environments, embedded systems, digital information systems, and digital media. Learning centers on computational thinking, empowering students to design, develop, test, and evaluate high-quality digital outcomes. Students explore how computers represent and process data, gaining deep insight into the fundamental concepts underpinning existing and emerging technologies. By mastering these digital design processes, students cultivate critical problem-solving skills, preparing them to innovate and thrive in an increasingly connected, technologically advanced world.

History

History develops analytical skills, encouraging students to question accepted interpretations of the past and critically evaluate contesting historical theories. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, this contemporary approach to historical scholarship challenges students to explore diverse viewpoints, examining major global and local historical events. Through independent research and source critique, students build vital critical literacy, learn to justify arguments, and understand the complexities of human experience. These highly transferable inquiry skills directly enhance employability and provide excellent preparation for the demands of tertiary study.

Hospitality

Hospitality follows the practical Unit Standard framework, providing a hands-on pathway aligned with the vocational strands of the New Zealand Curriculum. This course enables students to explore the hospitality industry in depth, developing complex cookery skills, mastering food preparation methods, and learning about nutrition and commercial coffee production. To foster student agency and engagement, the specific units offered are flexible and adapt to the unique interests and career aspirations of the cohort. By working in collaborative kitchen environments, students build vital life skills, critical safety awareness, and professional capabilities, successfully preparing them for tertiary training or direct entry into the workforce.

Media Studies

Media Studies is the active exploration, analysis, creation, and enjoyment of the media landscapes that shape our daily lives. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, this course examines the dynamic and evolving role of the media in society, unpacking how media platforms construct powerful messages about individuals, communities, and cultures, and how these products are produced, controlled, and distributed. By critically evaluating mass media, students develop vital critical literacy and citizenship skills, learning to decode the world around them rather than just passively consume it. Moving from analysis to action, students gain the practical, creative, and technical skills to conceive, plan, design, and make their own original media products. Through this hands-on creative process, they learn to navigate modern technology, collaborate effectively, and produce meaningful content that intentionally engages and impacts diverse audiences.

Music

Through Music, students develop a deeper understanding of themselves while exploring diverse contexts and kaupapa. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, this course encourages students to become active creators rather than passive consumers, learning to express ideas within creative, technological, and cultural frameworks. Students master music as a craft, exploring its unique structures, elements, tikanga, and symbols. By composing original music and performing to audiences, they build confidence and support their personal well-being through emotional expression. Ultimately, this vibrant subject prepares students for future study and career pathways spanning the arts, media, business, education, and technology.

Physical Education

In Physical Education, students explore the conceptual and practical connections between movement, sport, and holistic well-being. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, this course encourages students to critically reflect on their personal sporting experiences while actively designing and completing targeted training programmes to improve their physical skills and performance. Moving beyond the field, students engage in social inquiry by researching contemporary sporting issues, such as the ethics of performance-enhancing drugs, to understand the wider cultural impacts on sport. Additionally, the course builds essential life skills and risk-management capabilities through outdoor education experiences, where students learn to evaluate safety and confidently manage challenges in the natural environment.

• Empower: Empower explores training principles, exercise methods, and fitness testing. Students actively design, plan, and lead workouts, promoting personal well-being while helping others achieve their fitness goals. A unique component of this course is the professional leadership development, where students are trained as entry-level fitness and training mentors to support the school fitness department and wider community. By cultivating these practical mentoring skills, students build confidence, responsibility, and strong pathways into the sport and recreation industry.
• Health: In Health, students examine the multi-dimensional facets of well-being (hauora) and the diverse factors that influence it. Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum, this research-based course empowers students to critically analyse health conditions, evaluate New Zealand health promotions, and debate complex ethical health dilemmas. By focusing on critical thinking and societal well-being, students learn to develop effective health strategies for their communities. This rigorous analytical framework prepares students for tertiary study and opens diverse vocational pathways, leading to rewarding future careers in health services like nursing and medicine, social services, public health policy, and emergency services.

Te Reo Māori

Te Reo Māori focuses on strengthening students' communication skills across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with a profound emphasis on cultural understanding and language revitalisation. In alignment with the Learning Languages and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa strands of the New Zealand Curriculum, this course empowers students to confidently express information, ideas, and opinions across diverse everyday contexts. By exploring traditional and contemporary perspectives, students gain a deep appreciation for the language and tikanga. This comprehensive course provides a sturdy linguistic foundation, fostering identity and belonging while successfully preparing students for advanced tertiary study and active, respectful participation within te ao Māori.

Visual Art

In Visual Art, students produce and develop a creative body of work that uniquely blends traditional and contemporary Māori artistic practices with a chosen theme of their own. Grounded in the Visual Arts strand of the New Zealand Curriculum, this course provides an authentic space for students to explore identity, heritage, and cultural narratives. Students experiment with a diverse range of creative media, including painting, printmaking, digital design, and photography. By researching established practices and the cultural contexts of Aotearoa, students learn to generate and refine their ideas systematically, building a meaningful, self-directed portfolio that communicates powerful concepts and respects artistic traditions.

• Photography: In Photography, students work independently to develop a cohesive body of work that offers a deep critical analysis of photographic techniques and processes. Aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum, this course emphasises personal agency and time management as students conduct in-depth research to inform their chosen themes. Students analyse established visual art theories and photographic contexts, systematically applying these conventions to extend and refine their skills with diverse materials and technologies. By documenting their creative thinking and image development, students learn to critically evaluate artworks, including their own. This year-long inquiry culminates in the opportunity to produce a creative, three-panel external portfolio.
• Design: In Design, students engage in a year-long investigation, choosing a singular theme to carry across both internal and external assessments. This integrated approach allows coursework from internal tasks to directly build towards their final external portfolio boards. Utilising professional digital programs, students extend their technical and creative skills. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum’s Visual Arts strand, students research established design practices, analyzing how context, meaning, and technological constraints shape visual communication. This research informs their systematic generation and refinement of ideas within a cohesive body of work. By critically reflecting on their progress, students develop a resilient, self-directed creative process.
• Painting/Printmaking: In Painting, students engage in a sustained, year-long investigation by selecting a singular theme that flows seamlessly across both internal and external assessments. This integrated approach allows the practical work and experimentation developed throughout the year to directly build toward their final external portfolio boards. Working primarily in acrylic or oil paint, students extend their technical skills while researching established and contemporary art practices to understand how context and meaning shape visual culture. In alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum, students use this research to inform their own creative intentions, systematically generating, refining, and regenerating ideas within a continuous body of work. By critically reflecting on their own progress and the works of other artists, students develop a resilient, self-directed creative process that enables them to communicate complex concepts through powerful visual narratives.

NCEA Information

To download information on all subjects offered at Longburn Adventist Collegeor the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA), visit our Documents & Handbooks page.