Year 9-10 Course Book

Curriculum Structure

Year 7 Curriculum

The Year 7 program has been designed to be both a transition year between primary school and secondary school and at the same time a foundation year for secondary education. Students begin to develop the skills and knowledge required for successful learning throughout their High School years, and they have the opportunity to experience many of the subjects available in Years 8 to 10. 

 

Students will take courses in all the eight learning areas upon which the curriculum throughout the School is based: The Arts, English, Health, Humanities, Languages, Mathematics, Science and Technology. Learning Support and English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD) may also form part of a student’s learning program where appropriate. A decision to replace a subject with with either of these is made in consultation with the student, parents and the School. In most cases, Learning Support or EALD will replace a language, but this will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

 

Year 7 Connections

One full day each week is set aside for Year 7 students to participate in a program which aims to foster explicit connections between the learning areas and to develop the understandings outlined in our Curriculum Statement. The emphasis is on teaching and learning approaches that promote knowledge acquisition, skill development and deep understanding that emerge from a transdisciplinary curriculum.

 

Extended tasks are seen as an ideal vehicle for allowing students to develop independent work habits, self-reliance and their ability to persevere. Students are encouraged through inquiry, reflection and self-assessment to reach a clear understanding of how they learn best as individuals and in partnership with others. Technology is used extensively within Connections, with particular attention to information literacy and the consolidation of a repertoire of research and multimedia skills.

 

The Outdoor Education program is included in the Connections program, which includes an introductory camp at the beginning of the year, a beach day, orienteering, mountain walk, winter skills and a camp in Term 4. 

 

Approach to Learning

Students in Year 7 are allocated to teaching groups called Backhouse, Fry, Mott, Oats, Penn and Walker, named after prominent Quakers. Each group has a key teacher who teaches their Connections program. The key teacher regularly liaises with other teachers of the group to ensure a cohesive learning program.

 

Throughout the Year 7 program, and especially in Year 7 Connections, the emphasis is on developing study skills, competencies, and the thinking processes involved in inquiry and reflection. Our curriculum is based on teaching for deep understanding, and developing the skills that allow students to learn independently.

Year 8 Curriculum

Year 8 builds on the foundation course completed in Year 7 and leads into the learning programs offered in Years 9 and 10, where there is a considerable range of subject choices. In Year 8, students take a combination of compulsory and elective subjects. English, Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education are compulsory and must be taken throughout Years 8 to 10. Humanities is compulsory in Years 7 to 9, with one semester of History studied  in Year 10.

 

In addition to the compulsory subjects, students in Year 8 choose elective subjects in The Arts, Languages and Technology. Students also have extended time set aside to participate in a Connections program which links themes in individual subjects in a transdisciplinary way. 

 

Subjects and Units in Year 8

Subjects are divided into units and run for one or two semesters. In one year there are two semesters of equal length. Whether units are undertaken in Semester 1 or Semester 2 depends on many factors, but specific requests can usually be accommodated.

 

In Year 8, English, Mathematics and Science have an allocation of four hours per week. All other subjects have three hours per week. 

 

Building a Year 8 Timetable

Students decide at the end of Year 7, after consultation with parents and teachers, which subjects they intend to take in Year 8. All courses are reviewed at the end of each semester. In most cases the current choices remain, although, occasionally alterations are made as interests and needs change. Parents are kept fully informed and are involved in the process. 

 

A student’s timetable in Year 8 will automatically include the compulsory subjects:

  • English
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics or Modified Mathematics
  • Science.

In addition, students select electives. The ⭐️Y8 Subject Planner & Index guides families through the steps and decisions for this process and is also available from that page as a downloadable PDF.

 

An individual student timetable for Semester 1 is generated from electronically submitted selections. Every effort is made to accommodate student choices but some subjects can only be offered when there is sufficient demand. Also, there may be particular combinations that cannot be fitted into the timetable. When making course choices, students will be asked to select subjects in order of preference so that those subjects given the highest priority are included.

 

At the start of Semester 2, students are issued with a new timetable, which will include the continuation of the compulsory and language subjects and the new electives.

 

Modifications to the timetable are made for students recommended for Subject Support or English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EALD). These options usually replace an elective subject but variations to this are made on a case-by-case basis.

Pathways Beyond Year 8

Year 9 courses in The Arts and Technology are designed to accommodate all students, including those who may not have taken a subject in Year 8. It is more challenging to pick up a Language in Year 9 without previous exposure and a decision to do this would be done in consultation with appropriate staff.

Pathways Beyond Year 10

At our Years 11 and 12 Clemes campus the following pathways of study are offered:

 

Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE)

There are no compulsory subjects and students may choose to specialise in a particular learning area or to keep options broad. A wide range of TCE subjects is offered. Currently, TCE courses run for one year. 

 

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

The TCE can be taken alone or in conjunction with one or more Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses.

 

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP)

This program is presented as a package with three common elements which incorporate Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) and an Extended Essay. In addition, all students must do a Literature subject, a second language, and a Mathematical subject, as well as selections from the Humanities, Science and, if desired, Art subjects. Subjects in the IBDP are run as two-year courses.