Especean

Curriculum and Learning

With six weeks to go to the commencement of the HSC written examinations, parents/carers and boys of Year 12 are reminded about the following HSC matters:

Year 12 Academic Reports

By the end of next week, Year 12 final academic reports will be issued online via the TASS Parent Lounge/Parent Orbit App.

 

It is worth noting a few key features of the final report include:

 

  • Co-Curricular Involvement to date, as applicable.

 

  • Attendance at key College events since the Semester 1 Report such as Founders’ Day, Athletics Carnival, and Year 12 Spirituality Day.

 

  • Attendance Record from Monday 31 March up to and including Friday 29 August.

 

  • The Homeroom Teacher’s Pastoral Profile which describes the student’s general school and homeroom practices associated with grooming and uniform, co-operation, manner, punctuality, responsibility, initiative, and contribution to Mission. These Profile elements are described as Consistently, Usually, Occasionally or Rarely.

 

  • A percentage Trial HSC Examination Mark, the Trial HSC Examination Rank, and the HSC Course Rank. It is important to note that it is a NESA requirement that schools are not permitted to issue the HSC Course Assessment Mark on reports.

 

  • Achievement in one or more Learning Areas or descriptors expressed by one of the following indicators: Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Elementary or Limited. Each indicator indicates the level of performance achieved by the student, like the Common Grade Scale as the Scale is generally well understood.

 

  • The Class Teacher’s report on Student Attributes associated with the student’s approach to learning involving application, commitment, conduct, engagement and responsibility associated with his classwork and study. These Student Attributes are described as Consistently, Usually, Satisfactorily, Occasionally or Rarely, each of which will be assigned a numerical value of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively and reported on the Pastoral Page as the Student Attribute Average or SAA with the maximum possible value attainable being 5.00.

 

The issuing of the reports is an important time for parents/carers to constructively assess their sons’ academic progress and make the necessary adjustments, with the view of making determined improvements over the remaining weeks leading to the HSC written examinations.

Preparation for the HSC Written Examinations

As mentioned in the 20 August 2025 issue of the Especean, HSC students must use the remaining time well as they prepare for the HSC written examinations, to maintain their health and wellbeing as well as undertake a thorough revision regimen.

 

The next few weeks are very important for HSC students to step up their study regime in the realisation that in terms of marks, “it’s only half-time – the game is not over yet”. There’s still 50% of the HSC Mark to work for. In fact, NESA’s statistical moderation of the school-based assessment mark to that of the HSC examination mark puts greater weight on the HSC examination in determining the final HSC Mark.

 

Although the remainder of term will be an eventful time for the Class of 2025 as they celebrate the end of their schooling, they must not lose focus from the main task ahead – the HSC written examinations which commence Thursday 16 October with the English Standard and Advanced Paper 1 in the morning and will conclude for our students, Friday 7 November with the Physics paper in the morning session.

 

Thorough revision of the syllabus points and practise using past papers under self-imposed examination conditions are essential to sharpen preparation for the examinations at this stage.

HSC Resources

Over the course of the year, teachers have drawn attention to readily accessible resources on the internet to assist Year 12 students with their study and revision.

 

Below are a few NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) approved HSC resources.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald 2025 HSC Study Guide

Each year NESA works with Fairfax Media to publish the HSC Study Guide now available at: HSC Study Guide 2025.

 

The Guide has a good range of NESA endorsed resources.

 

Stay Healthy HSC Hub

The Stay Healthy HSC Hub provides resources and advice for students, parents and teachers to help support HSC students to maintain their health and wellbeing as they prepare for and undertake their HSC examinations.

 

The Hub is available at: Stay healthy HSC.

 

The NESA website

Home | NSW Education Standards HSC examination rules and procedures, syllabuses, past examination papers and notes from the marking centre, 2025 HSC examination timetable and Students Online.

 

ARC: School-based assessment in New South Wales School-based assessment in New South Wales (nesa.nsw.edu.au) Syllabuses, past examination papers and notes from the marking centre, standards packages and online multiple-choice.

 

I strongly recommend that all Year 12 students engage the above sites as part of their preparation for the HSC examinations.

 

HSC Students Online

NSW Students Online provides students with their:

  • personal details 

  • enrolment details

  • personalised HSC examination timetable

  • personalised Advice Line schedule

  • Assessment Rank Order Notice

  • HSC results.

 

It is important that Students Online is accessed and checked. Should parents/carers or students have further questions about the Students Online service or concerns about the information therein, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Cutrupi at the College.

 

During the HSC, Students Online and the NESA website will continue to be an important source of information about the HSC. NESA will also continue to help with any HSC related matters.

HSC Illness/Misadventure

In the event of illness or misadventure during the HSC examinations, it is imperative that the HSC Presiding Officer, Mrs Saric, is immediately notified. The College, through either Mrs Fisicaro or Mr Martin (the College’s newly appointed Director of Curriculum), must also be notified. An appeal form, which covers each affected examination, will be issued. The completed form must be returned to Mr Martin for the Principal’s signature and submission to NESA by no later than Friday 7 November.

 

More information regarding the illness/misadventure process during the HSC examinations may be found at: Illness and misadventure | NSW Education Standards.

 

HSC Assessment Rank Order Notices

These may be accessed and printed from home via the Students Online facility after 12:30 PM on Friday 7 November. Appeals concerning rank order must be submitted to Mr Martin, in writing, by no later than 3:30 PM, Monday 11 November.

 

Release of Higher School Certificate Results

NESA will make the 2025 HSC results available to students via Students Online on Thursday 18 December.

 

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)

The Universities Admissions Centre issues a different PIN to that of Students Online to enable access to the ATAR, also released on Thursday 18 December.

 

Michael Cutrupi 

Director of Curriculum