The Aquinas College Curriculum is structured around the learning areas contained within the New Zealand Curriculum. The focus within each of these learning areas and the expression of the special character of the school within them is noted below:

Religious Education is at the core of the Aquinas College curriculum. Within Religious Education, Aquinas College students learn about Jesus Christ through the lens of Catholic teaching and tradition. The special character of the College is experienced in the contexts of school masses, liturgies and service opportunities.

“Mathematics is the language in which God wrote the universe.” – Galileo Galilei
In Mathematics and Statistics students at Aquinas College explore the relationships within number, algebra and geometry and within data. They discover the language of Mathematics and use it to make sense of the world around them, and in particular the way in which the patterns and processes of Mathematics make sense of God’s creation.

In Social Sciences students engage in programmes that are academically rigorous, career oriented and that emphasise the bi-cultural and multi- cultural aspects of New Zealand society.
The values of prayer, truth, family, scholarship, service and joy define the Special Character of the school and were derived from the charisms of the patron St Thomas Aquinas. The Social Science subject areas afford frequent opportunities to incorporate these into our teaching programmes.

The Aquinas College Arts curriculum aims to provide high quality arts education with equal access to all, where students feel validated and their results valued. The Arts develop the aesthetic and artistic dimensions of human experience. They contribute to our intellectual ability and to our social, cultural, historical and spiritual understandings. They are an essential and meaningful element of daily living and cultivate particular ways of thinking and lifelong learning.

Science is an investigation of the world around us. This involves looking at aspects of the physical, material and living world. Understanding the laws that govern Science may help us to more effectively fulfill our stewardship  responsibility  for  care  of creation.

English is the study, use and enjoyment of the English language and its literature. At Aquinas College students learn to understand and create written, visual and spoken texts and to communicate effectively and confidently  in  a  variety  of  situations. Exploring oneself and society through literature expands students’ cultural empathy and interpersonal understanding. As well as providing students with essential skills and knowledge, English also encourages participation, fun, creativity and critical thinking. At Aquinas College, learning languages encourages students to embrace the unity and diversity of local and international communities. In particular, we want students to develop awareness, appreciation and acceptance of cultural diversity through language.

Te Reo Maori is an important part of language learning at Aquinas College, because it is the ancestral language and an official language of our country. It is a taonga protected under the Treaty of Waitangi.

French is recognized globally as being the second language of the United Nations and some of our closest neighbours are French- speaking countries, hence its importance.

The Health and Physical Education programme at Aquinas College aims to develop and challenge each student through participation in a variety of activities including fundamental movement activities, a comprehensive health programme, development of tactics and strategies through invasion games, aerobic conditioning and team games.  The end result is to produce lifelong physically educated students who have the knowledge to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

At Aquinas College, Technology students learn to be innovative, develop products and systems, and become discerning consumers who will make a difference in our world. We focus on high quality outcomes developed through problem solving. By enabling and encouraging informed choices, we prepare students for a rapidly changing future. In response to learner needs we offer a wide variety of learning opportunities building from Year 7 to 13. Technology is invaluable as it instills a sound foundation of life skills, critical thought and an inquisitive approach towards life long learning.