Learning & Teaching News

End of Semester Reports

During the school holidays you would have received an email alerting you to the availability of End of Semester Reports on your child’s SPACE page.  I want to remind parents of the importance of looking at these results to discuss your child’s progress and take an active role in encouraging them to perform to the best of their ability.  

These reports have been revamped to give you more information; such as the student attendance for each subject and the name of the teacher assessing your child. This is valuable information if you wish to follow up any concerns that you may have.

Since returning to Term 3, students have spent some time reflecting on their goals in the light of their results.  Many students will have made new or modified goals for Semester 2.  Please discuss these new goals with your child or children so that you can be a genuine support in encouraging them.  Remember also that you can regularly access SPACE and look at continuous online reporting to know how your child is progressing throughout the term.

Futures Expo

On Monday 18 July, students participated in Futures Expo. During the day Year 8 to 10 students were provided with plenty of information of the wide array of subjects on offer at St Peter’s College to assist them in deciding on their 2023 course of studies.  Year 11 & 12 students attended excursions to universities and TAFEs. I do want to acknowledge the great work of the Learning & Teaching Pedagogical Coaches, Ms Jade Smith (CRA) and Mr Daniel Green (CLN), and the Careers Counsellors, Ms Melissa Dillon (CRA) and Ms Jismy Pappachan (CLN) in organising and co-ordinating the day.  The Curriculum Team, Learning Area Coaches and their teams also did an amazing job in providing valuable information that enable students to be well informed in determining their preferred pathway.

The information sessions and set up in the Cranbourne Hall allowed parents the opportunity to hear subject offerings firsthand and ask clarifying questions of staff so that they can be helpful partners in their child’s choices.  I do want to emphasise the role of parents and teachers in providing information and support for students in choosing subjects.  While we might have hopes and dreams for our children, it is important that our young people take responsibility for their subject choices and pathway.  It is ultimately their life and as they approach the end of school, they need to be comfortable with what they choose to study.

Subject Selection

At St. Peter’s College, the subjects we ultimately decide to run are determined by what students elect to study.  If enough students do not choose a subject, then it will not run.  Consequently, subject selection and submitting preferences is critically important for your child so as to:

• Avoid subjects not running, when students in fact want to do them
• Ensure we run an adequate number of classes for popular subjects
• Ensure that the timetable is constructed to maximise access to the subjects that students choose.
• Avoid missing out on doing subjects if they want to change subjects at a later stage
• Minimise the number of subject changes so that students do not miss valuable lessons.

This week we will be running Year 9 into 10 interviews and next week Year 10 into 11 interviews via Zoom. This format has been identified by parents as the preferred mode of interviews and has undoubtedly increased parent involvement.  Please note that parents will be able to access these interviews from a device or email address other than the student’s laptop.  Please ensure that you join your child in these interviews as we are not permitted to conduct an interview with only one teacher and one student in a breakout room.

These meetings will help clarify the course of study for students and provide a final opportunity to have any questions answered before getting the web preference code.  This code will enable students to submit their subject preferences electronically by Monday, 1 August.  Please ensure your child adheres to this timeline so that the process of determining what subjects are running and our staffing needs for 2023 can be determined as early as possible.

Students who choose a VCE or VET subject for 2023 Year 10 will be invited to an assembly in the coming weeks to explain this process. They will then apply for the accelerated subject and attend an interview with a Curriculum Team member so that the can be counselled in their choices to best support them to achieve their goals. 

Applied Learning in 2023

The VCAA is introducing the VCE Vocational Major (VM) in 2023 to replace the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). This qualification allows students greater flexibility by completing a VCE focusing on applied learning (vocational major) subjects with or without other standard VCE subjects. Consequently, we have devised two different courses that will allow students to complete the VCE-VM.  Course A is typically for the student who is fully committed to applied learning. Course B is for the student who wants to give applied learning a try but may want to move into a standard VCE in Year 12.  Alternatively, Course B may be appropriate for the student who is committed to applied learning but would also like to undertake a standard VCE subject. It is important to note that the VCE-VM is a non-scored option, and no ATAR will be awarded.  It is not appropriate for a student to do the VCE-VM if they are intending direct entry into university at the conclusion of Year 12.

This reform has also resulted in us having to modify our Year 10 Applied Learning program and our approach mirrors Year 11 with two courses A & B.  In Year 12, students who have been undertaking VCAL and successfully complete their Senior Certificate will be awarded the VCE-VM.

Victorian Pathways Certificate

For students in Years 10 to 12 who have missed significant amount of school or have learning needs or health conditions that would impact their ability to successfully complete a VCE, we are offering the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC).  This certificate may lead on to a VCE-VM, apprenticeship, VET Certificate, or work. Speak to your House Leader or a member of the Curriculum Team if you think this option is best for your child.

Applied Learning options are explained in more detail below.

Year 10 Applied Learning Programs

Course A

Year 10 Learning Applied Learning Course A is a 3-day per week program with the opportunity to undertake a VET Certificate and Structured Workplace Learning (SWL). 

Course B

Year 10 Applied Learning Course B is a 5-day per week program with a VET Certificate and the opportunity to select two Electives per semester. There is no Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) with this program.

Year 11 - VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM)

David Hansen

Deputy Principal - Learning & Teaching - Cross Campus