General Stage 5 Elective Information

You should:

• Choose subjects you’re good at

• Choose subjects you’re interested in studying

• Choose subjects you enjoy, but may not want to study in Stage 6 (eg, practical subjects that have major performances or projects for the HSC)

• Choose subjects that you really want to learn.

You should NOT:

• Choose subjects based on your friends’ choices 

• Choose subjects based on who you think the teacher might be

• Approach your subject selection with the attitude that you can try subjects and change them if you don’t like them

The Secondary Department is constantly reviewing its curriculum pattern with reference to the guidelines outlined in the Education Reform Act, 1990. The Act, along with the Government's paper on Education Reform in NSW Schools, describes the program of curriculum reform introduced in 1992/1993.

At Holy Trinity, the Year 9/10 Elective program operates with vertical integration of Years 9 and 10 that conforms to the above Act.

The vertical integration system allows students to study areas that interest them and/or will benefit them. The system is designed to cater for the needs and interests of the students. Hence, the courses may vary from year to year, depending on student demand. In addition, some variations in electives can be expected due to the varying talents of the teaching staff at Holy Trinity.

All other subjects, such as Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Personal Development, Health and Physical Education and History/Geography are not vertically integrated.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are available for study by students in Stage 5. VET courses give our students the opportunity to work towards gaining nationally recognised qualifications. At Holy Trinity School, Primary Industries will be offered to Year 10 students in 2026. Interested students will choose one of these courses as one of their electives. Primary Industries will be taught on our campus. Students undertaking these courses need to be self-motivated and organised and have the ability to work in an online learning environment.

All VET courses are either developed or endorsed by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for inclusion in a student's Record of School Achievement. Students who choose to study Construction and Primary Industries in Year 10 will have the opportunity to continue their study of this subject during Stage 6. Successful completion will result in the student achieving a Certificate ll, with the possibility of a Certificate III, by the end of Year 12.

Individual requests to undertake a VET course will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis for other subject areas. Some students may be best served with exposure to various work placements tailored to their individual interests and experiences.

 Year 9                                       Subject                                           Year 10

      5                                  Religious Education                                 5

                   7                              Mathematics                                             7

                   7                                  Science                                                      7

    7                               English                                                       7

    5                                Elective I                                                    5

    5                                Elective II                                                   5

    5                                History/Geography                                   5

    4                               PDHPE                                                          4

    1                                Assembly                                                   1

    4                                Sport                                                          4

                                           50 periods/cycle in both Years 9 & 10

The Record of School Achievement (RoSA) is the credential for students who leave school after Year 10 and before they receive their Higher School Certificate (HSC).

A cumulative record of all academic achievement:

The RoSA is designed to record and credential all secondary school students' academic results until the HSC.

• While all students currently receive grades for courses they complete at the end of Year 10, this system will be extended to also capture grades for courses a student completes in Year 11.

• If a student leaves school before receiving a grade in Year 11 or 12 courses, their RoSA will record the courses they commenced.

• This measure acknowledges the fact that many students begin senior secondary study but leave school for employment or other training opportunities before receiving their HSC.

Fair allocation of grades:

It is important for parents, employers and students to know that grades awarded for the RoSA credential are given fairly and consistently.

• NSW teachers are very experienced in determining the standard of work that warrants a particular grade. As grading is extended into senior secondary courses the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) will work with teachers to ensure that appropriate standards are developed and applied at that level.

• The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) will also provide schools with information about the historical allocation of grades to their students. This will serve as a guide for the allocation of grades to current students.

• These methods of moderation and monitoring of grades will help ensure that parents and employers can know that a grade awarded in one school is equivalent to the same grade awarded in another school.

All courses have an associated fee, which will be determined in Term 4.

We expect that fees will be similar to those currently in place.