NSC Senior School Subject Selection Handbook

Introduction

At Norwood Secondary College we are committed to providing innovative and engaging teaching and learning for all students. We focus on successfully engaging students as active participants in life-long learning. Our curriculum nurtures the potential of each student and encourages them to achieve their personal best in all areas.

 

As students enter Senior School in Year 10, we encourage them to be open minded and explore new subjects before committing to a Year 11 and 12 pathway. Choice is maximised at Year 10 through the provision of Semester length units across all Key Learning Areas.

 

This handbook aims to provide information to students and parents about available subjects, course selection and policies and processes for a successful transition into the Senior School. Students should undertake their own research by speaking to the Careers/Pathways Coordinator, Mentor teachers, subject teachers, family, and friends. Students intending to seek a Tertiary placement should research courses at various institutions, paying close attention to pre-requisite subjects. Students should also consider subjects they are good at and have an interest in.

 

Cooperation between home and the College is most important in the fostering of a sound education and positive outcomes for students. Should parents have any queries or concerns regarding matters of policy and curriculum, or queries regarding student wellbeing or progress, they are encouraged to contact Senior School.

 

Staff members are readily available to discuss any aspect of your child’s progress. Your attendance at Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences and Information Evenings is encouraged.

 

This handbook contains subject descriptions for Year 10 and VCE Units 1 - 4 offered by the College. At the time of publishing, the information contained herein was up to date and correct.

 

The following guidelines should be considered when selecting a course of study.

 

You should select studies:

  • You enjoy and in which you have had success
  • In which you have had sound preparation
  • In which you have the potential to do well i.e. good test/exam results and assessment task results
  • That allow you to keep your options open
  • That you are informed about
  • That are compulsory, or prerequisites, or recommended for further study at University or TAFE or employment.

Do not select subjects just because:

  • Your friends are doing them
  • You believe they get “scaled up” at Year 12

Promotions Policy

Students will transition to the next year level provided that they have demonstrated the following:

  • Satisfactory levels of academic achievement
  • A willingness to learn and respect the right of other students to learn
  • A satisfactory attendance record
  • Adherence to the College Code of Conduct.

Promotion from one year level to the next is not automatic

The College requires a commitment to study, an intention to produce work of a satisfactory standard, and the ability to organise out-of-class work and meet deadlines as set. Parents will be advised if it is believed that a student is not ready to progress to the next year level, or if there are problems which could hinder progress and success.

 

Parents with concerns about student progress should contact the appropriate Head of Year Level or Coordinator at Senior School.

 

Supporting students with special needs to access courses in VCE.

All students at Norwood have the ability to access the curriculum in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or the Vocational Major (VM) of the Victorian Certificate of Education. In some cases, the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) may be offered to some students. Course counselling will consider the results a student has achieved in the previous year, their interests and aspirations, possible career paths and pre-requisites for further study.

 

Students will receive further support according to individual needs. Support will be based on recommendations from a range of areas, including but not restricted to, professional reports, discussions with the Student Wellbeing and Careers/Pathways Coordinators, Heads of Year Level, Year level Coordinators, mentor teachers and support group meetings.

Year 9 and 10 Career Research

Year 9 – Morrisby Online and Work Experience

Students continue exploring their career options in Year 9 by completing the Morrisby online Career Assessment. A detailed profile for each student is produced and stored online for the student to access at any time. The profile includes suggestions of possible careers to investigate and subjects to consider studying. Each student who has completed Morrisby online has a follow up interview with a Careers/Pathways Coordinator, to assist in their research. Subjects to consider studying are discussed in this interview. Students will be able to log into their Morrisby account and review their profile, but more importantly access resources to further research occupations of interest.

 

Students also commence planning for their Year 10 Work Experience placement held on the last week of Term 2. Parents/carers are encouraged to assist their child to obtain a Work Experience placement, as it can be quite daunting for them to do this completely by themselves. Parents/carers can help in a variety of ways. This could include contacting useful people/businesses they may know of, rehearsing what could be said when contacting a possible employer or driving their child to a possible workplace. The Work Experience form for the placement is available at norwoodcareers.com. To avoid the disappointment of missing out on a desired placement, students can start seeking a suitable work placement now.

 

Year 10 - Subject Research

In Year 10, students continue their pathway research by logging back into their Morrisby account at www.morrisby.com to review and update their Career Profile. Other research will be undertaken in mentoring classes making use of a variety of resources available on the College Careers website (norwoodcareers.com). Career related events are advertised via the College's fortnightly Compass newsletter. The Careers room is well resourced with up-to-date information and is available for student use. The Careers/Pathways Coordinator is often available during class breaks to answer student enquiries. For further information, please check the Norwood Careers Website: norwoodcareers.com

 

Ideally students should select subjects they enjoy and are interested in, as they are more likely to achieve better academic results. They do, however, need to keep options open if applying for Tertiary courses of interest, by taking into account prerequisite subjects. Students considering further study after Year 12 should become familiar with the VTAC website www.vtac.edu.au The ‘Coursesearch’ feature provides details of Tertiary courses matching interest areas including VCE subjects known as prerequisites, that must be studied. An English subject is always a prerequisite but in a number of cases, courses may specify other prerequisite subjects such as one or more of the following: Mathematics, a Science (including Psychology), Health, Physical Education, or a folio/audition related subject.