Senior School

Special Exam Arrangements (SEA)

A reminder about Special Exam Arrangements (SEA) and Special Provisions for VCE students 

What is Special Provision? 

Special Provision provides students completing the VCE or VCE VM, who are affected by illness, disability or other personal circumstances, with an opportunity to have the offer of additional support during assessments in test conditions. 

Special provision is available to students completing the VCE for classroom learning, school-based assessment such as SACs and VCE external assessments. Specific eligibility requirements to apply for each type of special provision: 

• Mental Health Conditions 

• Health impairment or physical disability 

• Specific learning disorders 

• Language disorder 

• Motor disorders 

• Vision impairment 

Students may be provided with Special Exam Arrangements which can include the following: • Rest breaks 

• Extra working time 

• Separate rooms for individuals 

• Use of computers, tablets and/or assistive technology 

• Scribes 

For more information, please carefully read through the special provision information on the VCAA website.

SEAs for Unit 3/4 Students

Special Examination Arrangements (for students undertaking a Unit 3 & 4 Subject/s only) may be approved for VCE students with disabilities, illnesses or other circumstances that affect their ability to access a VCE external assessment (GAT and exams). 

SEA applications are made to the VCAA through the student’s school and must be endorsed by the Principal. Such applications will be considered by the VCAA in accordance with its policies. Students must have appropriate evidence when applying for special exam arrangements. Students who are unscored or completing VCE-VM should also consider applying for SEA for when they complete the VCAA external exam called the General Achievement Test (GAT) on 18 June 2024. 

SEAa for Unit 1/2 Students

Special Exam Arrangements (for students undertaking a Unit 1 & 2 Subject/s only) may be approved for VCE students with disabilities, illnesses or other circumstances that affect their ability to access internal assessments such as SACs. 

Examination Arrangements applications are made to the Senior School Leader of Learning and Improvement and will only be considered if they are in accordance with VCAA policies. Students must still fill out the VCAA paperwork to provide appropriate evidence when applying for special exam arrangements. 

Students who are in the VM Program or are unscored do not need to apply for SEAs if they are not completing a VCE mainstream subject. 

Due Dates 

• SEAs (for students undertaking a Unit 3 & 4 Subject/s only) are due on Friday 1 March to Ms Katerina Fonda 

• SEAs (for students undertaking a Unit 1 & 2 Subject/s only) are due at the end of Term 1 to Ms Katerina Fonda 

• If students are in a position where they cannot apply for special exam arrangements until after these dates, please get in contact with Ms Fonda 

If you wish to apply for Special Provisions and submit a SEA application in 2024 please contact Ms Katerina Fonda by email:

FON@wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au

Attendance requirements in VCE /VM 

Success in VCE and VM starts with attending each day for learning. All students in any VCE / VM unit across Year 11 and 12 are required to complete a minimum 50 hours of scheduled classroom instruction for each unit (this is a VCAA requirement).  In addition, it is expected that students will undertake up to 50 hours of self-directed learning across each unit. 

Students who do not have a VCE attendance of 90% for a class will be ‘at risk’ of not completing the course  attendance requirements (50hrs) and may receive an N for the unit as the teacher is unable to authenticate learning. 

School Absences for Genuine llness/Other

It is recommended that evidence for absences for genuine illness/other reasons be obtained from and authorised person, i.e. Medical GP/Specialist stating that the student was unfit for school, or bereavement written evidence. This can then be submitted to, and approved by, the College to avoid impact on attendance. 

Families are actively discouraged from taking holidays during term time when they have a child undertaking VCE or VM. This can impact students’ ability to meet the required 50hrs and /or the subject teacher cannot authenticate the learning when students are not in class for extended periods of time. Family holidays are considered unapproved absences, except in exceptional circumstances. 

School Absences for Missed SACs 

(VCE only) 

Students who are absent on the day of a SAC  must  produce medical evidence (i.e. medical certificate) from a medical practitioner that shows they were unfit for school and this must be submitted to the general office in person or via email (below).

Process for students missing a SAC 

(VCE only)

Unless the absence is school approved, a student who is unable to attend a SAC must produce medical evidence from a medical practitioner that shows they were unfit for school (i.e medical certificate). In the case of a death in the family they should present a death or funeral notice or an order of service booklet. 

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all medical evidence is submitted to the general office in person or via email (below) within  5 days upon their return to school.

The Classroom Teacher will update the Learning Task on Compass, as well complete an ‘Assessment Reschedule’ chronicle entry on Compass the day of the missed SAC. Senior School will communicate on Compass chronicle entry to indicate medical evidence has been received. The student must present appropriate evidence to the general office upon their return to school. 

Rescheduled SACs will take place at the next Tuesday after school session in the Senior Centre (F4) from 3:15pm – 4:30pm 

Failure to provide medical certificate/ medical evidence for missed SACs

VCE Units 1 & 2 students who are unable to produce the above evidence will sit the SAC as a redemption task. 

VCE Units 3 & 4 students who are unable to produce the above evidence will sit the SAC as a redemption task and cannot receive a score higher than zero for the task. 

Failure to provide sufficient evidence of satisfactory completion in a redemption task can result in an N (Not Satisfactory) for the outcome, therefore an N for the unit. 

If a student does not complete a redemption task at the set time and does not supply a medical certificate, they forfeit the right to the redemption process and an N (Not Satisfactory) can be awarded. 

Year 11 Study Periods - Update 

Some Year 11 students will have one study block of three periods per week if they are undertaking an external subject such as VET, VSL, CHES or VSV. This will be timetabled on students' Compass schedules as a formal ‘study period’.  Please note the following:

 - Attendance of study periods will be recorded by the supervising teacher at the start of each period. Students are expected to arrive on time and inform Senior School if they are late. 

 - Students are not permitted to leave school grounds during any study period, excluding period 4 Wednesday. 

 - Students must be in the Senior Centre for all study periods at the start of each session for roll marking. 

 - Students are not permitted to leave the Senior Centre (i.e. toilet break / locker) without informing a member of the Senior School Team first to collect a lanyard. 

 - Students who are absent for a valid reason during a study period will need to follow the usual process for absences. 

Alternative arrangements regarding study periods is at the discretion of the Senior School team in consultation with the Assistant Principal of Senior School.

General Office Email: 

generaloffice@wantirnacollege.vic.edu.au

Tim Pearson, David Black 

& Darren Hoogkamer 

Senior School Leaders