Ko te reo te tuakiri. Ko te reo tōku hurei. Ko te reo te ora.
Language is my identity; language is my uniqueness; language is life.
In the English Learning Area, ākonga study, use, and enjoy language and literature, communicated orally, visually, and in writing, for a range of purposes and audiences, and in a variety of text forms. Learning about language and literature from Aotearoa and around the world enables ākonga to build literacy, walk in different worlds, access the thoughts and perspectives of others, and make linguistic and cultural connections.
The English Learning Area opens up pathways that enable all ākonga to make the most of their life opportunities and to enhance their employability, by becoming effective oral, written, and visual communicators with the capacity to think critically and in depth.
Understanding, using, and creating oral, written, and visual texts of increasing complexity is at the heart of English teaching and learning. By engaging with text-based activities, students become increasingly skilled and sophisticated speakers and listeners, writers and readers, presenters and viewers.
– Ministry of Education, Te Mātaiaho, The New Zealand Curriculum
Subjects Offered in 2025
The Learning Area of English offers the subject below in 2025:
- English in Years 9 & 10
- English, English through Exercise or English: Myths, Magic & Monsters in Year 11
- English or English through Hip Hop in Year 12
- English or Te Awakairangi in Years 12 & 13
Studying English
English is available at all year levels and is compulsory up to Year 11. Targeted support programmes are also available from Year 9 through to Year 12.
Students in Year 11 can select one of three courses – English, English through Exercise, or English: Myths, Magic, and Monsters. All three Year 11 courses meet the compulsory English course requirement. In Year 12, students can select English or English through Hip Hop.
Te Awakairangi is a course designed to make global issues local. Using the knowledge of our local place, Hutt Valley and the Wellington region, students look back in history and into the future to understand where they find themselves now. It is designed to appeal to socially conscious students who want to better recognise their place in this world, develop a sense of social responsibility, understand biodiversity and our ecological footprint, and grasp differing perspectives on local and global issues.
For more information, contact Derek Wood (Head of the English Learning Area) at derek.wood@hvhs.school.nz