The Cambridge Story at Marsden
 | The Cambridge Story at Marsden Report by Margaret Adeane |
At Marsden we were sensitive to the concerns raised about NCEA in its introductory phase. The school explored alternatives, looking at both the IB and CIE. While the IB programme had a great deal to recommend it educationally and from an international perspective, it was discounted, primarily because of the cost and the prescriptive nature of the curriculum. At Marsden there was a strong feeling that we should offer a New Zealand qualification but that an alternative and additional qualification would strengthen the value of a Marsden education. CIE was pursued as having the ‘gold standard’ brand and a proven track record. It offered challenging and rigorous assessment and was affordable. Taught in conjunction with NCEA, we believed that the Cambridge courses would add extra depth and strengthen students’ knowledge and skills. In offering CIE Marsden offered a point of differentiation in Wellington.
Excerpt from "The Cambridge Story at Marsden" written by our Academic Director, Mrs Margaret Adeane, April 2010