Careers News

Nicole WILSON

Leading Teacher - Pathways and Transitions

Classroom Teacher

Subject Selection Expo

On Tuesday, 14 July, the Careers and Pathways Team hosted the 2026 Subject Selection Expo, attended by all students in Years 8, 9 and 10.

The expo aims to bring our course handbooks to life by giving students the opportunity to engage with each learning area, explore the subjects offered at Highvale, and ask questions about courses that best match their interests, strengths and future aspirations. This helps students make informed decisions when selecting their subjects for 2027.

As we are introducing changes to the Year 7–9 curriculum in 2027, our Year 7 students did not attend this year's expo, as much of their program will consist of core subjects rather than elective choices.

This was the second year we have run the Subject Selection Expo, and once again it was a tremendous success. It was fantastic to see so many students actively engaging with staff, asking thoughtful questions and gaining valuable information to support their future pathway decisions.

A sincere thank you to all Highvale staff who contributed to making this event possible. Our Learning Area Leaders and their teams created engaging and informative displays, with many developing new resources to reflect the curriculum changes coming in 2027. Thank you also to all staff who generously gave their time to answer students' questions throughout the event.

A special thank you to the Careers Team for the significant amount of planning and organisation required to coordinate the expo, and to our Education Support staff for their assistance with timetabling and relocating classes to ensure the day ran smoothly.

Subject Selection

Term 3 is one of the busiest times of the year as students begin selecting their subjects for 2027.

Year 9 students have already had the opportunity to apply for Early Commencement VCE in 2027. This year we received an exceptionally high number of applications, all of which have been carefully considered by a panel of staff. Decisions are based on a student's readiness for acceleration, taking into account their academic achievement, learning behaviours and attendance.

While Early Commencement VCE can be an excellent opportunity for some students, it is important to remember that many students benefit from the additional year of learning and maturity gained in Year 10 before undertaking a VCE subject.

Subject selection information has now been emailed to all students in Years 9, 10 and 11 regarding their Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 studies for 2027.

During the coming week, all Year 9 and Year 10 students will participate in an individual subject selection interview with a member of the leadership team to discuss and finalise their course selections. Interview times have been scheduled and are available for students to view on Compass. Students, and parents or carers if they are available to attend, are asked to arrive at the General Office five minutes before their allocated interview time. Students should also bring along their Subject Selection Expo Passport.

Subject selection is an important process. Once the school timetable has been constructed, changes to subjects are often difficult due to class sizes and timetabling constraints. Students and families are strongly encouraged to read the 2026 Course Handbooks, available on Compass via Community > School Documentation > Courses > Course Information Books. Students entering Year 10 should refer to the Years 7–10 Course Handbook, while students entering Year 11 or 12 should refer to the Senior School Handbook for VCE and VCE Vocational Major.

Students wishing to undertake the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) or a Vocational Education and Training (VET) program in 2027 are also encouraged to complete the relevant Expression of Interest form, available via the Compass Newsfeed.

Years 7 and 8

Students currently in Years 7 and 8 will have the opportunity to select their electives later this term. All relevant information, including timelines and instructions, will be communicated via Compass and email.

As we are introducing changes to our Years 7–10 curriculum in 2027, families are asked not to refer to the 2026 Course Handbook. Updated information, including a new handbook reflecting the revised curriculum and elective offerings, will be distributed prior to the commencement of subject selection.