VPC Policy

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If you need help to understand the information in this policy, please contact the school office on (03) 9366 4322.

The following policy has been developed according to the most recent VCE Administrative Handbook guidelines.

Purpose

This policy outlines the school’s processes and responsibilities to ensure compliance with Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) requirements for the delivery, assessment, and administration of the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).

This policy recognises that students learn in different ways and may require adjustments, support, and scaffolding to demonstrate their learning.

 Jackson School is a special school for students with mild intellectual disabilities. At Jackson School, students are supported to complete the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) through a flexible and supported learning program over a 2-year period. Teachers and Education Support Staff will work closely with students to help them understand what they need to do and to provide support throughout their learning.

Scope

This policy applies to all staff and students involved in the delivery and completion of the VPC.

Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC): is an accredited foundation secondary qualification under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and aligned to Level 1 in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF).

Policy

The delivery of the VPC at this school occurs within a supported learning environment. Students may require adjustments, scaffolding, and additional support to demonstrate achievement of learning goals.

All assessment and decision-making processes are implemented in a way that maintains the integrity of VCAA requirements while recognising individual learning needs and supported pathways.

Roles and Responsibilities

Principal

• Overall accountability for VPC delivery and compliance
• Final decision-maker for authentication breaches and appeals
• Oversees implementation of the VPC in accordance with VCAA requirements

Assistant Principal (Inclusive Practice)

• Operational oversight of VPC implementation
• Ensures consistent application of procedures and audit readiness

Leading Teacher (Curriculum and Assessment)

• Ensures alignment with VCAA requirements are delivered
• Oversees assessment practices and quality assurance
• Supports staff to apply consistent assessment and authentication practices
• Monitors quality and consistency of assessment decisions
• Maintains documentation required for audit purposes

PLT Leader (VPC)

• Oversees day-to-day program implementation
• Supports teachers with assessment and authentication practices
• Monitors consistency across the program

Jobs, Skills and Pathways Coordinator

• Supports student engagement and pathway planning
• Ensures alignment between VPC learning and post-school pathways

VPC Teachers

• Deliver curriculum and assess student work
• Implement authentication strategies
• Document redeeming outcomes
• Communicate progress and requirements to students
• Provide appropriate scaffolding, adjustments, and support to enable students to demonstrate learning outcomes while maintaining assessment integrity
• Work closely with education support staff to monitor and gather evidence of student learning

Education Support Staff

• Assist in the delivery of learning programs under teacher direction
• Support students to engage in assessment tasks
• May provide prompting, clarification, or physical support where appropriate, but do not complete work on behalf of students
• Contribute to observational evidence of student learning

Students

• Engage in learning and submit authentic work
• Meet deadlines and follow assessment requirements

1. School Obligations to Students

The school provides all VPC students with clear written advice at the commencement of enrolment outlining:

• Requirements for satisfactory completion of VPC units
• Attendance expectations and monitoring procedures
• Conditions for completion and submission of work
• Processes for extensions of time
• Special provision and access arrangements
• Appeals procedures
• Consequences of receiving an ‘N’ (Not Yet Complete) result
• This information is communicated through the VPC Student Handbook and reinforced throughout the program.

Information is provided in ways that students can understand, including teacher explanation, modelling, and ongoing reinforcement. Students may require additional prompts from staff and/or parent/carer to understand requirements.

2. Satisfactory Completion of Units

The minimum requirement for the VPC is satisfactory completion of 12 units, which must include at least two units of: 

• VPC Literacy 
• VPC Numeracy
• VPC Personal Development Skills
• VPC Work Related Skills

The remaining four units may include units of competency (UoC) from nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training (VET). Successful completion of 90 hours of VET units of competency from a nationally recognised VET Certificate Level I.

At Jackson School we deliver 16 units across the 2 year academic cycle which supports students full completion of the VPC.

Awarding of ‘S’ Result

A student is awarded a satisfactory (‘S’) result when they:

• Demonstrate achievement of all learning goals
• Submit work that is their own
• Examples of different assessment tasks (portfolio, rubrics, work samples)

Assessment decisions are based on:

• A range of assessment activities
• Evidence collected over time
• Teacher observations across multiple contexts

Awarding of ‘N’ Result

A student receives a Not Yet Complete (‘N’) result when:

• They have not demonstrated achievement of the learning goals, or
• Work submitted cannot be authenticated through internal moderation

3. Redeeming Outcomes

If a student does not initially demonstrate satisfactory achievement, the school will:

• Consider all previously submitted work
• Provide at least two additional opportunities to demonstrate the outcome
• Ensure at least one additional opportunity is in a different format
• Delay the final decision to allow completion of additional evidence

Additional evidence may include classwork, practical demonstrations, oral presentations, or alternative assessment tasks. All opportunities and decisions are documented by the teacher.

These opportunities may include adjusted tasks, additional time, alternative formats, or increased Teacher/ES support.

4. Authentication of Student Work

Student Responsibilities

Students must:

• Submit work that is their own
• Acknowledge all sources and assistance
• Not submit the same work for multiple assessments
• Not assist others in breaching authentication rules

Teacher Responsibilities

Teachers will:

• Monitor student work throughout its development
• Ensure assessment is fair, valid and reliable
• Verify work is consistent with the student’s demonstrated ability
• Collect evidence across multiple tasks and settings

School Requirements

The school recognises that students may require varying levels of support to complete tasks. Any assistance provided will be appropriate to the student’s needs and will not compromise the requirement that work used for assessment reflects the student’s own achievement. Teachers will ensure that any support provided is consistent with VCAA authentication requirements.

The school ensures that:

• Only currently accredited VPC curriculum designs are used
• Commercial or previously used tasks are modified to enable authentication
• Authentication strategies are embedded in teaching and assessment
• Authentication strategies may include drafts, checkpoints, observations, discussions, and comparison with prior work.

Students may be supported through structured scaffolds, prompting, guided questioning, and working alongside staff. Students may demonstrate learning through oral, visual, practical, or alternative formats appropriate to their needs. Any assistance provided will not compromise the requirement that work reflects the student’s own achievement.

5. Breaches of Authentication Rules

When an allegation of a breach of the authentication rules are received we will:

Identification

A breach may be suspected where:

• Work contains unacknowledged material
• Work is inconsistent with known ability
• Work has not been sighted during development

Investigation Process

• The teacher documents the concern
• The student is informed of the allegation, evidence, and process
• The student is given an opportunity to respond

Decision-Making

• The Principal or delegate determines the outcome
• Decisions are based on evidence and consultation with relevant staff

Outcomes

May include:

• Resubmission of work 
• Completion of an alternative task
• Award of an ‘N’ result

Appeals

Students may appeal decisions in accordance with school procedures.

6. Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes.

Where attendance is unsatisfactory, the school will:

• Monitor and document attendance through Xuno
• Communicate concerns to students and families at SSG meetings
• Implement support strategies

The school recognises that attendance may be impacted by individual student needs. Support strategies will be implemented to maximise engagement and participation. Ongoing non-attendance may impact a student’s ability to demonstrate outcomes. 

At Jackson School we deliver 16 units across the 2 year academic cycle which supports students full completion of the VPC. 

7. Extensions and Special Provision

Extensions

Students may apply for an extension where circumstances impact their ability to meet deadlines. Applications should be submitted prior to the due date where possible and include supporting evidence.

Special Provision

Considering Jackson School is a special school for students with mild intellectual disabilities, many adjustments are embedded within normal Tier 1 classroom practice and do not constitute Special Provision.

Additional special provision be granted for illness, hardship, or significant circumstances. Decisions are documented and made in line with school procedures. In a special school setting, adjustments to timelines and conditions may form part of normal classroom practice and will be documented where relevant.

Acceptable levels of assistance include:

• School staff may scribe students’ ideas during discussions as evidence of understanding.
• The incorporation of ideas or material derived from other sources (discussions, viewed information, class notes etc.)

Unacceptable forms of assistance include:

• Use of, or copying of, another person’s work or other resources without acknowledgment, (this includes AI-generated texts.).

In considering if a student’s work is their own, school staff should consider if the work:

• Is inconsistent with the teacher’s knowledge of the student’s ability
• Contains unacknowledged material
• Has not been sighted and monitored by the teacher during its development.

School staff and students are encouraged to refer to a member of the leadership team for advice and practical support in the verification and authentication of student work.

8. Appeals

Students and/or their parent/carer may appeal decisions related to:

• Assessment outcomes
• Authentication breaches
• ‘N’ results
• Appeals must be submitted in writing and outline grounds for appeal

Appeals are reviewed by the Principal or delegate.

Communication

This policy is communicated to staff through induction and professional learning, and to students through their class teacher and school communication platforms.

Review

This policy will be reviewed annually to ensure alignment with VCAA requirements and best practice.

The Principal is responsible for implementation of this policy. All staff involved in VPC delivery are responsible for adhering to its requirements.