From the Senior School Assistant Principal 

2024 Senior School Pathways

It is an exciting time in the Senior School. Our course selection for 2024 continues with our students working on pathways planning through year level sessions and Education for Life (E4L) classes. The Senior School Expo last week supported our Year 9 and 10 students with a forum to explore our three pathways: VCE (including Vocational Major) and the International Baccalaureate. They were able to ask questions of the program leaders, subject teachers and current students. We were so impressed with the research that they had completed in preparation, with clear consideration of their future beyond school as well as their interests. Students embodied our Auburn Leader Quality of communication as they actively asking questions to ensure that they are making informed decisions for their futures.

Course Confirmation meetings begin on Monday where students will be supported through a 1:1 conversation in finalising their programs. In preparation students are to ensure that they complete their pathways planning form and have reflected on their Semester 1 learning data through their My Learning Growth tool. It is important that this process is completed early as student preferences impact on staff recruitment and timetable planning. Parents are encouraged to discuss their children’s subjects with them considering interest, aptitude and preferred post-secondary pathways.

Strengthening our Senior School communities

This week our Year Level Leaders begin to analyse our 2023 Student Attitudes to School Survey data. With 130 statements across 19 categories, we have access to rich data that describes the student experience in the Senior School in 2023.

I am proud of our Senior School data, with above average data in the majority of statements school-wide. Our top five categories include: attitudes to attendance, high expectations for success, effort, advocate at school and effective teaching time. Our students are responding to the rigour they experience in their personalised learning programs while telling us that they feel supported by our teaching teams who invest in our students to support them to do their best. Furthermore Year 10 and 11 students have shared strongly that ‘I want to learn new things’ demonstrating natural curiosity, motivation and interest, inspiring us to continue to strengthen our programs for them.

Year Level Leaders will be designing a focus group to unpack some of the data in more detail, supporting our year level communities to connect and respond with both short-term and long-term actions. We encourage students to volunteer for these opportunities, enabling them to share their perspective, which will soon be advertised on Compass and Teams.

Attendance Requirements in Senior School

Ongoing attendance to every class is one of the essential factors for academic success. With the start of the Term 3 Year Level Leaders and Tutor Group Teachers will be carefully monitoring student attendance, including lateness. When students are late to class (including Tutor Group) they require additional time to catch up on key messages and/or learning, disrupting their ability to maximise their growth. Responding to our bell times and taking individual responsibility supports students to arrive to class and be settled before the starting bell, ensuring a calm and supportive learning environment.

Students are encouraged to build their routines in this first phase of the term, supporting them to be organised and begin the day feeling calm and prepared. Communications will be sent home for students who are below our 90% attendance requirements at this early point in the term. We ask that families support the work of the Senior School team in monitoring attendance, parents should ensure that they ‘approve’ legitimate student absences through the Compass portal. Please upload documentation such as medical certificates for Year Level Leaders to review or contact the Year Level Leader if you require additional supports for your child’s attendance. Students are encouraged to also monitor their attendance through Compass. Failure to achieve a 90% attendance rate for each VCE or IB subject could jeopardise satisfactory completion for that subject and unit. The same requirements exist for Year 10 Semester 2 subjects and is particularly important in preparation for Year 11. Thank you for working with us to meet these requirements.