The programme will be called Hooked on Learning and will replace NCEA level one.
Mrs Ryan said feedback from students had been very positive.
"The benefits have been that they’ve been exposed to new learning in areas they would never have gone anywhere near and did that learning in a safe environment where they didn’t feel any pressure ... they really enjoyed it."
Under the NCEA level one previously used at the school, students studied and earned credits for six subjects which included compulsory religious education.
However, the alternative programme allowed students to explore 10 subject areas in addition to religious education.
"We are giving away assessment in order to focus on learning," she said.
The year was divided into two semesters and each course was a semester long. Students could choose from 36 courses which covered nine subject areas.
"You get a wider taste for what’s out there."
The curriculum has also been expanded to include Te Ao Haka and Performing Arts.
Courses had been carefully designed to include all the essentials for next year when the students would study for NCEA level two.
"Even though it appears to be bite-sized because it’s only half the year, it actually is enough to set you up for level two."
The programme aligned to the school’s philosophy of putting student well-being first.
"We care about each ākonga and this decision was based on our Roman Catholic social teaching which dovetails beautifully with honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through valuing each person’s hauora which is based on Ta Mason Durie’s Te Whare Tapa Whā," Mrs Ryan said.
Year 11 student Eilish Greene, 16, said the new programme had allowed her to evolve as a student, learner, and person.
"I strongly believe this new way has planted the seeds of passion for learning in my peers and I, allowing us to bloom into curious adventurers of the knowledge of the world, forging our unique paths into adulthood.
"Knowledge is like a garden; if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested"
She was confident this was the best way forward in terms of mental health of learners.
"Instead of forcing knowledge upon us, we are nurtured to allow our unique interests and skills to shine."
She believed that studying for NCEA level one would not have been the best for her.
"I know for a fact as an overthinker and perfectionist, I would have burnt out from stressing so much about level one credits, which in the big scheme of my senior school, would not matter."
Northern Southland, Māruawai, Menzies and Blue Mountain colleges’ year 11 students are working towards NCEA level one credits.
