Vocational Programmes
At Trident High School, we are dedicated to providing a supportive and enriched learning environment for our students. We believe in offering a wide range of opportunities that empower our students to achieve their full potential.
A focus at Trident is to equip our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to explore diverse career pathways, ensuring they are prepared for success in their future endeavours.
APEX
APEX (Academic Programme for Excellence) is for students who enjoy a challenge. APEX offers extension and acceleration in subjects, with extra support from teachers to grow skills like problem-solving and critical thinking. From Year 9, students begin working towards future success, including scholarships.
Whakapiki
Whakapiki ki te Ao Māori supports students to achieve in a learning environment that strongly promotes Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori. It helps students to succeed in both Māori and Pākehā worlds by engaging Māori knowledge and learning styles. Students don’t need to be fluent in Te Reo but should have an interest in Māori culture and values such as manaakitanga (care), whanaungatanga (relationships), and
kotahitanga (unity).
High Performance Sports
This programme develops sport-specific fitness, focusing on power, coordination, agility, reaction, balance, speed, cardiovascular endurance, and sports psychology. We offer elite coaching and pathways to potential sporting professions. Using our fitness centre, students will learn strength and conditioning, skill-related and health-related fitness, nutrition and sports psychology.
Service Academy
Our Service Academy offers a unique opportunity for students who enjoy structure, teamwork, and leadership. Open to selected Year 12 students, the Academy is supported by the New Zealand Defence Force and includes several outdoor camps.
Students develop confidence, motivation, and discipline while working towards NCEA Level 2 standards in English, Mathematics, Physical Education, and Life Skills. It’s an excellent stepping stone into Defence, Police, or other service-related careers.
Allied Trades Training
In this project-based course, students help renovate a house while learning skills across a range of trades, including building, plumbing, flooring, painting, and kitchen installation. This course helps students explore trade pathways and prepare for apprenticeships or entry-level work.
Café Catering
Café Catering gives students practical skills for the hospitality industry, including cabinet food preparation, food safety, knife handling, barista training, and tea and coffee service. Students put their skills into practice through pop-up cafés.
Sports, Coaching and Exercise
This course introduces students to sport, exercise, and coaching. Students learn practical and theoretical skills in fitness, exercise science, and coaching methods.
Landskills
Landskills is a practical, land-based course for students aged 15 and over. Students learn farming and agriculture skills, alongside life skills, while working towards Level 1 and 2 unit standards.
Wānanga Course
This course explores Te Ao Māori and the traditional practices of Ngāti Awa, while students work towards Level 2 and 3 credits. Learning includes karakia, kai service, hāngī, pōhiri protocols, and cultural roles.
Futures Academy
Trident is the lead provider of the Futures Academy which gives students the opportunity to combine school with learning a trade.
Students can study one to five days a week training with various providers (including Trident Trades Training), while still working towards NCEA. Students build skills, earn credits, and get real-world experience that can lead them straight into work or further training.