Wellington College Certificate

The Wellington College Certificate is Wellington College’s bespoke Year 10 – 11 certificate. It recognises academic effort and co-curricular involvement which will engage our students in all aspects of school life and rigorously prepare them for NCEA Level 2 in Year 12. We believe that alongside experiencing a broad curriculum, which includes learning in and outside the classroom, that key learning habits are developed through an emphasis on effort, making the Wellington College certificate a key step in each student’s academic journey.

“No matter what your current ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.” – Carol Dweck

Every Year 11 is eligible to achieve a level of certificate determined by their attribute reports and secured by their co-curricular involvement. Each criteria is described below. At Year 10, students are eligible for a Journey Mark, which shows the level they have reached in Year 10, and is recognised on their final certificate in Year 11.

All Year 10 and 11 students can track their progress towards their certificate through their Check and Reflect documents. Parents can ask their young person to share this with them.

The Pounamu Certificate is the highest certificate and is awarded to students who demonstrate effort ‘Consistently’ across their subjects in their reports in the ‘Ready to Learn’ and ‘Engaged and Focused’ attributes.


Students must participate in 3 co-curricular activities/groups, and at least two must be from different domains to secure their Pounamu certificate.

The Gold Certificate is awarded to students who demonstrate effort between ‘Mostly’ and ‘Consistently’ across their subjects in their reports in the ‘Ready to Learn’ and ‘Engaged and Focused’ attributes.

Students must participate in 2 co-curricular activities/groups which must be from different domains to secure their Gold certificate.

The Silver Certificate is awarded to students who demonstrate effort ‘Mostly’ across their subjects in their reports in the ‘Ready to Learn’ and ‘Engaged and Focused’ attributes.

Students must participate in any 2 co-curricular activities/groups to secure their Silver certificate.

The Black and White Certificate is awarded to students who demonstrate effort ‘Sometimes’ across their subjects in the ‘Ready to Learn’ and ‘Engaged and Focused’ attributes.

We recognise academic growth in all its forms. This certificate indicates that while there is room for improvement, this student is willing to grow academically and contribute to wider school life through participation in at least 1 co-curricular activity/group

Academic Effort

The level of certificate awarded is based on two of the reported learning attributes in our student’s regular reports: demonstrating readiness to learn and being engaged and focused.

Below are some examples of what these would look like in the classroom.

Ready to Learn expectations:

  • Arriving to class early
  • Uniform is correct
  • Has the required equipment and materials
  • Entering the classroom calmly as per the teacher’s rituals and routines
  • Beginning work promptly

Engaged and Focused expectations:

  • Participating appropriately in class discussion
  • Sustaining concentration on their work
  • Putting in their best effort
  • Putting their hand up and asking the teacher questions if they need help
  • Contributing to a positive and productive learning environment

Co-Curricular

Co-Curricular Domain: Arts and Culture
(Go to Co-Curricular Arts on the school website for a comprehensive list)

  • Any music groups offered at WC
  • Any of the Drama groups or productions on offer at WC
  • Any cultural groups including Kapa Haka and Pacific Performance Group
  • Any debating and speech making groups or activities such as Ngā Manu Kōrero
  • Showing long term commitment to a club, with ongoing and regular attendance.

Co-Curricular Domain: Community and Service

(Logged into their student’s SVA – Student Volunteer Army – minimum 5 hours to receive a membership badge but we encourage students to volunteer more if they can)

  • Any volunteering such as at the soup kitchen, charity fundraising etc
  • Leadership including student council, Tū Tamatoa, Together as Brothers, or your local community group.
  • Hosting visitors to the school, tour guides at events. Welcoming manuhiri at Pōhiri and Mihi Whakatau
  • Backstage and technical support
  • Lighting, sound, IT support etc

Co-Curricular Domain: Physical Activity
(Go to Co-Curricular Sports on the school website for a comprehensive list)

  • Any sports teams offered at WC
  • Any external sports that are not offered at WC (such as Judo or Fencing)

Co-curricular engagements, by their very nature, should remain separate from mandated activities such as the Runathon or Volunteer Day. The essence of this aspect of the certificate is to encourage students’ proactive engagement in broader college and community endeavors.

What does this look like in Year 10?

In Year 10, students will begin working towards the certificate levels outlined above. However, as the final certificate is not awarded until the end of Year 11, Year 10 students will instead receive a ‘Journey Mark.’ at the end of Year 10. This is a reflection of their effort, engagement, and participation in the first year of the certificate.

A student’s Journey Mark will be noted on their final certificate in Year 11, but it will not influence the final certificate level they achieve.

Students are encouraged to strive for their best throughout Year 10 to achieve a strong Journey Mark. In the example below, the student earned a Gold Journey Mark in Year 10 and went on to achieve a Pounamu certificate level in Year 11. This illustrates the growth and commitment shown over the two-year journey.

What does this look like in Year 11?

In Year 11, students will work towards their final Wellington College Certificate. While the Journey Mark achieved in Year 10 is acknowledged and appears on the Year 11 certificate, it does not influence the final award. This means students have a fresh start, with the opportunity to continue developing the positive learning habits they developed the year before.