These first two years in the Senior School lay the foundation for the rest of the academic years and begin with an orientation program for students entering into Year Seven. Orientation is a significant part of our program and is designed to give Year Six students a taste of Senior School life, incorporating peer support, team building activities and the opportunity to begin the formation of new friendships which will support them along their journey. Year Seven also participate in a transition program which is designed to teach skills implicit to success in Senior School.

The subjects studied in Years Seven and Eight provide a variety of learning experiences. Good study habits, time management, and effort application to work are reinforced in all academic areas. All programs are NESA approved and the work completed by students assists them in making important choices about career and study paths for the future. Subjects studied are:

• English Mathematics
• Human Society and its Environment (History and Geography)
• Science
• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
• Technology and Applied Studies
• Creative Arts (Drama, Music, Visual Arts and Languages) 

Year Eight students study one language after having received instruction in several languages in Year Seven.

Years Nine and Ten continue with the foundation work laid in the first two years of Senior School. Core subjects continue to be taught – English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, PDHPE and Christian Education. Students are now able to begin to develop their preferences at the beginning of Year Nine by choosing two elective subjects from a variety of courses offered in Technology and Applied Arts, Creative Arts and PDHPE. These elective courses are studied for two years. Subjects offered may differ from year to year according to the requirements of the student body. These courses include:

• Child Studies
• Crime, Death & Punishment (Elective History)
• Commerce
• Dance
• Drama
• Design Technology
• Food Technology
• French
• German
• Information & Software Technology
• Industrial Technology (Timber)
• Japanese
• Music
• Photographic & Digital Media
• Physical Activity & Sports Studies
• Planet Earth (Elective Geography)
• Textiles Technology
• Visual Arts
• Visual Design

In addition to regular classes, all students in Year Ten participate in Careers Education giving them the opportunity to research and investigate vocational paths through class activities, career workshops, work placement experiences and one-to-one careers interviews. Year Ten students participate in “Australian Business Week”, a program designed to give students a more practical understanding of life in the business world. The College also runs a service program towards the end of Term Four where students can assist others in the College and its wider community.

In Years Eleven and Twelve the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) sets requirements for the award of a Higher School Certificate (HSC) that provides a strong foundation for students wishing to pursue tertiary qualifications, vocational training and/or employment, and an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) necessary for entry into university studies following the completion of formal schooling. A Record of School Achievement (RoSA) is also awarded to students who are eligible. Students are expected to complete minimum of twelve units of study in Year Eleven and ten units of study in Year Twelve, including English as a mandatory subject. The curriculum offers a wide range of subjects to suit students’ interests, abilities and career paths, and students can choose from a selection of courses, differing from year to year according to the requirements of the student body. These courses include:

Students may also study subjects not offered at the College by distance, such as a language through the Open High School or other subject(s) through Distance Education programs and/or TAFE courses. Students are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their own learning as they progress through the Senior School. Study skills camps, study days, time management programs and development of higher order thinking skills are all embedded into every curriculum area to ensure students obtain the best education possible.

The College is seeking to continue to improve communication and feedback to students and parents around achievement in assessment work that students are completing as part of their course requirements. The College has moved to a new reporting model which will provide students and parents with greater feedback on individual tasks, utilising Edumate.

All subjects will now be providing written feedback on individual tasks which can be accessed by students and parents. Students will also have the opportunity to provide their own reflection on their performance on each task and the feedback that has been provided. This level of engagement will provide students and parents with regular and more relevant feedback on each task providing greater capacity for success in future tasks.

Continuous assessment will partially count towards the report grade for each student. The amount of continuous assessment that makes the report grade is variable depending on individual subjects and number of Summative Assessment tasks held in a semester.  Please refer to Edumate and this table when considering the construction of your child’s final report mark as it now encompasses both the Summative and Continuous Assessment Task results for the semester.

Benefits of Continuous Feedback

• A more authentic reflection against student tasks. Students will be able to view the teacher’s feedback and then respond more directly to this.

• Continuous Feedback is task orientated provided in real time when it is most needed.

• Continuous Feedback is more meaningful to students and parents as it is on a granular task nature. It can be acted upon near to the task date not weeks afterwards.

• Continuous Feedback increases communication with parents regarding their child’s progress as they are able to read the comments on both summative and continuous tasks.

We encourage parents to engage frequently with student results on Edumate at the bottom of the student profile page. 

To see how to access your child's Continuous Feedback, please watch this short instructional video.