Science: Pūtaiao

Questions drive everything in Science at WHS. Students develop the knowledge and skills to understand, explain, and explore the physical and biological world, learning to observe systematically, ask testable questions, design investigations, analyse data, and communicate findings.
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Science is a human endeavour built on collaboration, creativity, and discovery. Students learn that scientific knowledge has been shaped by people from many times, places, and cultures, and that diverse perspectives, including te ao Māori, can enrich scientific thinking and practice.

Years 9 and 10

Years 11 to 13
Students apply their scientific knowledge and skills to increasingly complex and interconnected ideas across two strands.

Physical Science develops students' understanding of matter, energy, forces, motion, and Earth and space systems. Students represent chemical reactions using equations, calculate energy efficiency, and analyse motion using Newton's laws.

Biological Science focuses on how living systems function and change. Students interpret genetic and environmental influences on traits, model immune responses, and evaluate human impacts on ecosystems using scientific and environmental data.
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Students engage in independent scientific inquiry, using evidence to critique claims, evaluate data quality, and construct scientific arguments. They learn that science is a collaborative and iterative process where innovation is valued when it is grounded in evidence.
In Y11, the Physical and Biological Science strands diverge into Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth and Space Science, and Agricultural and Horticultural Science. Students will build on and develop their learning across all five strands. In Y12 and 13, students may further deepen their knowledge by specialising in one or more of these five strands. 

They carry out practical investigations, collect and analyse data, and use scientific models and theories to explain what they observe. Students explore how science can be applied to real-world issues, including sustainability and environmental change.

These skills and experiences support pathways into tertiary study and a wide range of careers across the sciences and beyond.
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Curiosity, empirical inquiry, and critical thinking are what we cultivate in every scientist at WHS. The challenges facing our communities and our environment are real, and science gives students the tools to respond to them.

2027 Course Information

Curriculum and Course Option Updates for 2027
Please note that due to changes in the New Zealand curriculum and senior qualifications system, the course information currently on our website is no longer applicable for Year 9 and 10 students enrolling in 2027. We are in the process of updating our course options to reflect these changes.

Updated information about new course options and future pathways will be published on our website later this term. 

For students going into Year 11-13 in 2027, please view our Learning Area overview and Course Options below.