Dean of Senior Years

Term 3 has been a busy time for Year 10 students having met with their SET plan mentors to discuss post school aims and preferencing for Year 11. Thank you to all parents and students for your involvement in this important process. Students are now working to continue to grow their exposure and understanding in their preparatory subjects at Year 10 to allow them to continue this growth pattern across the remainder of the Senior Phase in Years 11 and 12. 

Students in Year 11 have now completed Unit 1 for all subjects and are working to achieve their best in Unit 2 to secure their QCE point for each subject studied. All Year 11 Unit 1 results have been reviewed and meetings conducted with students and their parents, as needed, to complete a progress review and discuss any concerns. We will continue to monitor the progress of each student closely as we move through Units 2, 3 and 4. 

Term 4 will see Year 11 students moving into work on Unit 3 in General subjects with Internal Assessment items. Units 3 and 4 are paired. This means that once students complete three internal items (school-based tasks) and one External exam, they will have secured a mark out of 100. Where students meet the boundary for a pass (this is determined by the QCAA), they bank two QCE points. Overall results in Units 3 & 4 can be used to determine an overall ATAR for those on the ATAR pathway. Of great importance at this stage in the Senior phase, is for students to reflect on feedback offered for Formative Assessment tasks in Year 11 and put into action recommendations for next steps with the strategies provided. Students enrolled in Certificate III, IV or Diploma courses on RANK pathways continue to work at meeting competencies. 

Students in Year 12 have been busy completing work in Unit 4, finalising certificate courses and preparing for external exams. On the 12th of August, Year 12 students will receive their Senior School Report for internal assessment results across Units 3 and 4. 

To support students with their External Assessments, the College simulates trial examinations so that students have an experience of producing responses in the mode and timeframe of the EA. Student grades in the Mock Examinations will count in the determination of College Subject awards at the end of the year, but otherwise they are formative. Students should prioritise ongoing revision making sure they are familiar with the mode and conditions of each of their EAs.

Students have received information relating to their Mock Block exams and External Examinations. Parents and students should note that the Mock Block runs from Thursday 22 August until Friday 6 September. During this time, students in Year 12 are asked to attend for their examinations, or for scheduled tutorials or immersions timetabled during the block period. These immersions are intended to provide opportunities for learning for students without a heavy assessment load, at more convenient times. They are also intended to support students whose external assessments are weighted more heavily. Students may work from home outside of their scheduled examinations, tutorials or immersions

Year 12 students eligible for Rank have already had their QTAC meetings with the Futures Hub. Students who are ATAR eligible will commence QTAC meetings next week and have been scheduled for these across the remainder of the term. Students will receive their ATAR indication at this time. Parents and students are advised that this is an indication only. The indication is likely to fluctuate if assumptions about scaling are inaccurate. Fluctuation is also likely if EA results do not match IA results. Beyond this, students in applied subjects and some Certificate courses are finalising assessment. As this term comes to a close, Year 12 students will receive their Mock exam results and feedback which can be used to inform their areas for focus in the lead up to external exams. 

Year 7 – 9 Parent Feedback Survey link: https://forms.office.com/r/LbvJFVcUsS

In January and July of this year, parents and carers of Year 7- 9 students were invited to attend Goal Setting and Progress Review Meetings with the Homeroom Mentor Teacher. In Year 9, the July meetings included initial SET planning and subject selection advice.

As part of our commitment to ongoing continuous improvement, we seek feedback from parents and carers of Year 7-9 students who took part in these meetings. We would ask you to complete the survey so that we can evaluate the success of these sessions and refine processes and practices for the future. The survey closes on 16th August and your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Academic Mentoring and Support Schedule

As many students are working towards completing assessment, it is timely to reinforce the amazing supports on offer here at the College for students with our Academic Mentors at Senior Study from Monday to Thursday.  It has been excellent to see the numbers requesting feedback on the work they have been doing at home and in classes at senior study. When students understand the importance of seeking and responding to feedback, they learn that growth is possible.

As we move into the peak of the assessment cycle, it is important to be aware of the Academic Policies and Procedures should students require an extension or miss a scheduled exam. This information can be found in the Policies and Procedures tile on MyMtA along with the ‘Extension Application Form’. Please note that in the senior phase (Years 10-12) students are required to provide medical documentation to support applications for extensions and absence from exams due to illness. 

I wish all students the best as they work to achieve and meet their goals this term.