Deep learning through curiosity, expertise, and purpose.

At Albany Senior High School, our Specialist Subjects are designed to grow confident, capable learners who think deeply, act purposefully, and develop expertise that prepares them for further study and life beyond school.

At ASHS, we build strong partnerships with students and whānau to actively co‑design learning experiences that are deep, visible, inclusive, and culturally responsive. Teaching and learning are intentional, connected, and grounded in what matters most for each learner.

Specialist Subjects provide students with the opportunity to become experts within specific learning domains. Students develop the skills, knowledge, and dispositions required to think and work as a historian, physicist, statistician – and more – at a depth appropriate to a senior secondary context.

Rather than skimming across many subjects, students at ASHS study five subjects only. This deliberate approach prioritises meaningful learning and the achievement of high‑quality credits, rather than the accumulation of large numbers of credits.

Students are supported to take NCEA levels that are appropriate for them. There are no prerequisites and no streaming, and learners may multi‑level across subjects. Teachers plan responsively to meet individual learning needs, ensuring pathways remain flexible, inclusive, and student‑centred.

Deep Learning in action

Our curriculum delivery is guided by the ASHS Deep Learning Model, which supports both teaching practice and student learning. Through this model, students engage in:

• Grammar – building strong foundational knowledge

• Dialectic – expanding and challenging understanding through dialogue and inquiry

• Rhetoric – demonstrating learning with clarity, confidence, and purpose

This approach develops critical thinkers who are able to apply knowledge, communicate effectively, and demonstrate true subject expertise.

 

 

Learning designed for every learner

At ASHS, we believe that all students are capable of academic success, and that every learner is unique in how they engage, progress, and demonstrate understanding.

Students learn at different paces, are motivated in different ways, and show their learning through a variety of modes. As a result, our curriculum is designed and delivered through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) lens, placing students at the centre of all decision‑making.

The UDL framework supports the creation of positive, inclusive learning experiences that recognise individual strengths and learning differences – ensuring every student has equitable access to success.