Study Options

Approaching Year 11?

Which option should I choose?

With the offering of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), Aberfoyle Park High School students now have an additional programme choice. In transitioning from Year 10 to 11 students can undertake the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), the IBDP or study one IBDP subject as part of the SACE.  So which choice is the most suitable?

There are some differences between the SACE and the IBDP. Neither option offers advantage over the other however there are different elements to both which may better suit the needs and interests of an individual student.

One of the differences between the SACE and IBDP is in the arrangement of subjects. Year 10 students going into Year 11 SACE have the option of a range of subjects such as Physical Education, History and Metalwork alongside subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science. In the SACE, studying a subject in Year 11 does not impact significantly on subject choices in Year 12. For example, a student can undertake a semester of history, without the requirement of undertaking history in Year 12. With a greater range of subjects comes a greater range of teachers, and while there may be instances of Year 11 teachers taking subjects in Year 12, this is not required nor guaranteed. The SACE benefits students who may enjoy exploring different areas of interest, and want the opportunity to try subjects prior to choosing their study in Year 12. 

In contrast, the IBDP offers less choice of subjects, with greater consistency of focus and teachers over a two-year period. Students spend two years with the same teacher over the two years, with student/teacher relationships ongoing, and the learning journey more individualised within each subject. The IBDP benefits students with a clearer idea about their areas of interest, who are eager to pursue deeper engagement and exploration in their choices over a longer period of time.

The graphic below illustrates a visual difference of the structure of the SACE and IBDP illustrating the options and variety of the SACE in contrast to IBDP. In each case, students have the capacity to explore a range of different disciplines, with each providing preparation for future study. While there are variations and combinations of each course available, and further information to help inform choices, we encourage families to discuss which model might offer greater appeal in preparation for the subject selection process for Year 11. Students may be interested in undertaking an IBDP subject as part of their SACE.

For further information about the curriculum options in Year 11 and 12, please don’t hesitate to contact Ryan Brown.