Narrabri High School
Senior Subject Selection Guide
for
The Preliminary Year 2012
and
The Higher School Certificate 2013
An Information Package for Students and Parents
Contents
Senior Subject Selection Guide 1
A Message from the Principal 4
More Detailed Information about the HSC 5
Requirements for the award of the HSC 9
Requirements for receiving an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) 9
HSC Course Notes 10
Assessment and Reporting 11
Preliminary & HSC Courses offered at Narrabri High by Faculty 12
Board Developed Courses 14
Agriculture 15
Ancient History 16
Biology 17
Business Studies 18
Chemistry 19
Drama 20
Earth & Environmental Science 21
English Standard 22
English Advanced 23
Preliminary English Extension 24
English Studies 25
Food Technology 26
Geography 27
Industrial Technology 28
Information Processes and Technology 29
Legal Studies 30
General Mathematics 31
Mathematics 32
Mathematics Extension 1 33
Mathematics Extension 2 34
Modern History 35
Music 1 36
Personal Development Health and Physical Education 37
Physics 38
Senior Science 39
Textiles and Design 40
Software Design and Development 41
Visual Arts 42
Content Endorsed Courses 44
Applied Mathematics 45
Computing Applications 46
Exploring Early Childhood 47
Photography, Video and Digital Imaging 48
Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies 49
Visual Design 50
Work Studies 51
Vocational Education Courses 52
Construction 53
Metal and Engineering 55
Primary Industries 56
Hospitality- Multiple Courses 58
Aeroskills – Mechanical 60
Animal Care – Animal Attending 61
Automotive – Maintenance & Engines 62
Beauty Therapy 63
Children’s Services 64
Financial Services 66
Retail Services 67
Career Link Program 68
A Message from the Principal
Dear Students and Parents,
Year 10 students will shortly be with making some important decisions about their future. The HSC and senior school have changed dramatically in recent years. It is no longer a case of simply selecting from a small number of subjects, completing the HSC examination and moving on to a university or employment. Students now have a huge range of subjects to choose from, a number of different study options (or Pathways) to follow, and a changing work force to enter. It is now possible to complete the HSC in the traditional two years (Preliminary and HSC) or it can be accumulated over up to five years.
Most students in Year 10 will be required to attend school until they are seventeen. Consequently, most will return to Year 11 and many will proceed to their HSC year in Year 12. Some students will study a purely academic HSC to gain entry into a university. These students must select subjects that ensure they are eligible for an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). Others prefer a more practical HSC to gain entry into the work force or advanced standing for TAFE courses. These students have an additional range of Content Endorsed, vocational courses and traineeships available. Some students are not yet sure of their preferred path and opt for a combination of these.
There are, then, a host of options available to students proceeding to Year 11 and you will need to think carefully about these choices and consult with your parents, teachers and others before making firm decisions. You will need to research all possible options by reading the information provided in this booklet and discuss issues with people who can advise you. While the school requires information about your intentions quite early to facilitate its planning, every effort will be made to accommodate changes should you reconsider your options.
The information provided in this booklet is only a guide to the subjects and options that may be offered at our school. As always, the level of student interest and the availability of appropriate staff will determine whether a subject or option can be offered.
The following information will assist you in making the decisions that will affect your future career. Read all of the information carefully before you start to consider which subjects you will apply to study.
Geoff Myers
Principal
More Detailed Information about the HSC
This is your introduction to the HSC and the many options now available..More information is contained in the following Board of Studies publication:
Studying for the New South Wales Higher School Certificate - An Information Booklet for Year 10 Students
The HSC
w The Higher School Certificate recognises 13 years of schooling. In the interests of greater career choices and increased opportunities at university and TAFE, it offers you a full range of study areas matching individual abilities, interests and goals.
w Courses are linked to further education and training.
w Extension courses (including undergraduate university courses) enable students to undertake more in-depth study in areas of special interest.
w Vocational Education and Training courses count towards the HSC and will also lead to qualifications recognized across a range of industries.
w The HSC includes life skills courses for students with special education needs.
w The new HSC fairly assesses each student’s knowledge and skills.
w For each course you will receive easy-to-understand reports that contain much more information. These reports provide clearer indications of what you have demonstrated you know, understand and can do in each course.
What is the Preliminary Year?
You must satisfactorily complete a Preliminary Year before progressing to the HSC. A Preliminary Year at NHS involves studying a minimum of 12 Units for a minimum of three terms (Usually Terms I - III of your first year in the Senior School).
Satisfactory completion of a Preliminary Pattern of Study will lead to the award of a Preliminary Record of Achievement.
What is the HSC Year?
To qualify for the Higher School Certificate you must have completed a minimum 12 Units of Preliminary Courses AND you must have studied a minimum of 10 Units of HSC Courses.
The HSC Year for most students will include Term 4 of your first year in the Senior School (Year 11) and Terms 1-3 of your second Year in the Senior School (Year 12). Satisfactory completion of the HSC Year and the HSC Examination will lead to the Award of a High School Certificate.
What are Preliminary and HSC courses?
Most HSC courses have assumed knowledge. A Preliminary course is a course that is assumed knowledge that you have covered before attempting an HSC course. They are generally studied in Year 11 but must be completed before attempting a HSC course. The main focus of the HSC exam will be on what you have studied during the HSC course.
Thus:
w A Preliminary component is generally studied during Terms 1-3 in 2012 for full-time students in Year 11.
And
w a HSC component would generally be studied in Term 4 in 2012 and Terms 1-3 in 2013 by full-time students.
One-year courses may count as either Preliminary or HSC courses.
What Types of Courses can I Select?
There are different types of courses that you can select in Years 11 and 12.
a) Board Developed Courses
Board Developed Courses (BDs) are developed by the Board of Studies. There is a syllabus for each course that contains:
w the course objectives, structure, content and outcomes
w specific course requirements
w assessment requirements
w sample examination papers and marking guidelines
w the draft performance scale (except for Vocational Education and Training Courses)
All students entered for the HSC who are studying these courses follow these syllabuses. These courses are examined externally at the end of the HSC course and can count towards the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
b) Board Endorsed Courses
There are two main types of Board Endorsed Courses - Content Endorsed Courses (CEC) and School Designed Courses (SDC).
Content Endorsed Courses (CEC) have syllabuses endorsed by the Board of Studies to cater for areas of special interest not covered in the Board Developed Courses.
Schools may also design special courses to meet student needs. These courses must be approved by the Board of Studies. Once approval is granted, schools offer selected courses to senior students as part of the Higher School Certificate.
Some Board Endorsed Courses are one-year courses.
There is no external examination for any Content Endorsed Course or School Designed Course, but all Board Endorsed Courses count towards the Higher School Certificate and appear on your Record of Achievement.
Board Endorsed Courses do not count in the calculation of the ATAR.
c ) Vocational Education and Training (VET) Courses
(These may be either Board Developed or Board Endorsed):
Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are offered as part of the Higher School Certificate. They enable students to study courses which are relevant to industry needs and have clear links to post-school destinations. These courses allow students to gain both Higher School Certificate qualifications and accreditation with industry and the workplace as part of the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The national framework is recognized across Australia and helps students to move easily between the various education and training sectors and employment. These courses each have a specific workplace component and a minimum number of hours students spend in the workplace or a simulated workplace at school. Students receive special documentation showing the competencies gained. Schools will deliver some of these courses, while TAFE or other providers will deliver others.
Some VET courses (the “framework” courses) can be used in the calculation of the ATAR. However, only ONE VET framework course can be counted in the ATAR, irrespective of how many are studied. Non-framework VET courses cannot count towards the ATAR.
d) Life Skills Courses as part of a Special Program of Study.
Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) Life Skills courses have been available for students following a Special Program of Study for the Higher School Certificate.
Students accessing a Special Program of Study in Stage 6 will, in general, need to have completed at least four Generic Life Skills courses within a Special Program of Study in Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10). Further, participation in a Special Program
of Study will be based upon an individual transition-planning process that will occur for both the Preliminary and HSC years.
Life Skills courses will have Board Developed status and can be used in place of other Board Developed Courses to meet requirements for the award of the Higher School Certificate. Each Life Skills course comprises a 2 unit Preliminary course and a 2 unit HSC course.
The Board expects that most students would meet the outcomes for a 2 unit Preliminary course and a 2 unit HSC course over approximately 240 indicative hours in total (that is, 120 indicative hours in each course).
These are very important distinctions which must be considered when selecting courses. Further information about all courses appears in the section listing the Preliminary & HSC Courses available at Narrabri High School.
What are units?
All courses offered for the Higher School Certificate have a unit value.
Subjects may have a value of 1 unit or 2 units. Most courses are 2 unit.
Each unit involves class time of approximately 2 hours per week (60 hours per year).
In the HSC each unit has a value of 50 marks. Hence a 2 unit course has a value of 100 marks.
2 units = 4 hours per week (120 hours per year)
= 100 marks
The following is a guideline to help you understand the pattern of courses.
2 Unit Course
This is the basic structure for all courses. It has a value of 100 marks.
Extension Courses
Extension study is available in a number of subjects.
Extension courses build on the content of the 2 unit course and carry an additional value of 1 unit. Requiring students to work beyond the standard of the 2 unit course, extension courses are available in English, Mathematics, History, Music, some Languages and VET.
w English and Mathematics Extension Courses are available at Preliminary and HSC levels. Students must study the Preliminary extension course in these subjects before proceeding to the two HSC extension courses (Extension 1 and Extension 2). The Extension 2 course requires students to work beyond the standard of the Extension 1 course.
w HSC extension courses in subjects other than English and Mathematics are offered and examined in Year 12 only.
1 Unit Course
1 unit equals approximately 2 hours of class time each week or 60 hours per year. It has a value of 50 marks. There are a number of 1 unit Board Endorsed Courses. These courses do not contribute towards the ATAR.
Requirements for the award of the HSC
If you wish to be awarded the HSC, you must have satisfactorily completed courses that meet the pattern of study required by the Board of Studies for the award of the Higher School Certificate. This includes the completion of the practical, oral or project works required for specific courses and the assessment requirements for each course.
You must also have sat for and made a serious attempt at the Higher School Certificate examinations.
Required Pattern of Study:
You must study a minimum of 12 units in the Preliminary course and a minimum of 10 units in the HSC course. Both the Preliminary course and the HSC course must include the following:
a. at least 6 units from Board Developed Courses including at least 2 units of a Board Developed Course in English
b. at least three courses of 2 units value or greater
c. at least four subjects
d. At most 6 units of courses in Science can contribute to Higher School Certificate eligibility.
The Board of Studies publication, ‘Studying for the New South Wales Higher School Certificate - An Information Booklet for Year 10 Students’, contains all the HSC rules and requirements you will need to know.
Requirements for receiving an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
If you wish to proceed directly from school to university in 2014 (or in 2015, after a gap year) you must apply for, and receive an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
There are additional requirements for this:
You must study a minimum of 10 Board Developed units (and a maximum of one VET Framework course) in the HSC Course. Content Endorsed Courses cannot be counted. The booklet, ‘University Entry Requirements, Year 10 Booklet’, published by UAC (available by the end of the year), will contain important information about entry to university courses, course prerequisites and other information to assist your choice of HSC courses for study in Years 11 and 12 in preparation for university entry.