NZQA Approved Course Owner
Website and its contents Copyright 2013 South Pacific Educational Courses
Contact SPEC: phone 06 877 7410 fax 06 877 1463 e-mail (course enquiries) carolyn@spec.org.nz e-mail (admin and finance) eve.vernik@spec.org.nz
Mainstream Courses
Developing and demonstrating the Key Competencies throughout the tasks is a major part of this course. Students must complete plans for each task to show how they will do this. They must also complete reviews for each task to show how they have used the Key Competencies and reflect on what has been learned.
For each task,students and teachers negotiate SMARTER targets. This is a learning objective and it identifies what it is the student wants to learn from completing the task they have chosen.
Students build up a portfolio of evidence for each component of the certificate qualification. Each portfolio on completion is submitted to one of the two SPEC verification meetings held each year.
Certificates are awarded for a successful Shooting Star portfolio, a ONE Star portfolio and one Interest module.
On successful completion of ALL three components, an NZQA approved Certificate in Mainstream Studies Level 1 is applied for through SPEC.
Click on the links on the left to see more detail.
There are THREE components to the Certificate in Mainstream Studies Level 1.
The Shooting Star Award, the ONE Star Award and One Interest Module.
This is a two year course that students would ideally start in Year 10 and finish in Year 11. However the course is flexible and schools may introduce the course to a Year 9 student if appropriate.
MAINSTREAM COURSES - CERTIFICATE IN MAINSTREAM STUDIES LEVEL 1
The TWO Star Award has more challenging tasks. Students must complete a minimum of five tasks. It is expected that it would take a student at least three terms to complete this Award.
For each task the student must produce a detailed plan and identify two or more SMARTER targets (Learning objectives).
The tasks they choose to complete will engage them in situations ‘outside of their own comfort zone’. Although students at this level may need some help with planning and carrying out the tasks, it is expected that they will be more independent as they move through the five tasks, requiring very little help towards the end of the Award.
The THREE Star Award is a workbook of very broad exciting headings providing scope for students to design their own tasks. At this level students are expected to be able to work independently, in unfamiliar situations and working with unfamiliar people.
Students must complete a minimum of three tasks over an extended time frame. It is expected that it would take a student at this level at least three terms to complete the THREE Star Award.
Click on the links on the left to see more detail.
There are TWO components to the Certificate in Mainstream Studies Level 1.
The TWO Star Award and the THREE Star Award.
This is a two year course that ideally would be started at Year 12 and carry through into Year 13. However the course if flexible and schools may introduce the course to a Year 11 student if appropriate.
MAINSTREAM COURSES - CERTIFICATE IN MAINSTREAM STUDIES LEVEL 2
TWO Star example
THREE Star example