To receive a RoSA or continue on to Year 11, students must complete the following mandatory Years 7-10 curriculum requirements. 

• English: 

  • • NESA syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. 

    • By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed. 

• Mathematics: 

  • • NESA syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. 

    • By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed. 

• Science: 

  • • NESA syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. 

    • By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed.

• Human Society & its Environment 

  • • NESA syllabus must be studied substantially throughout Years 7–10. 

    • By the end of Year 10, 400 hours need to be completed. 

    • This includes 100 hours each of History and Geography in each Stage 4 and 5 

• Languages other than English 

  • • 100 hours to be completed in one language over one continuous 12-month period between 

    • Years 7–10 but preferably in Years 7–8. 

• Technologies and Applied Studies 

  • • Our Technology (mandatory) 

    • Years 7–8 syllabus to be studied for 200 hours. 

• Creative Arts 

  • • Two hundred hours to be completed, consisting of our 100-hour mandatory courses in each of Visual Arts and Music. 

    • 100-hour mandatory courses in these subjects will be taught as coherent units of study and not split over a number of years. 

• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education: 

  • • Mandatory 300-hour course to be completed. 

    • This integrated course is to be studied in each of Years 7–10. 

The Common Grade Scale shown below should be used to report achievement in both primary and junior secondary years in all NSW schools. The Common Grade Scale describes performance at each of five grade levels. 

 A The student demonstrates extensive knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts, and applies highly developed skills and processes in a wide variety of contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates creative and critical thinking skills using perceptive analysis and evaluation. The student effectively communicates complex ideas and information.

 B  The student demonstrates thorough knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts, and applies well-developed skills and processes in a variety of contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates creative and critical thinking skills using analysis and evaluation. The student clearly communicates complex ideas and information.

 C The student demonstrates sound knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts, and applies skills and processes in a range of familiar contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates skills in selecting and integrating information and communicates relevant ideas in an appropriate manner.

 D The student demonstrates a basic knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts, and applies skills and processes in some familiar contexts. In addition, the student demonstrates skills in selecting and using information and communicates ideas in a descriptive manner.

 E The student demonstrates an elementary knowledge of content and understanding of course concepts, and applies some skills and processes with guidance. In addition, the student demonstrates elementary skills in recounting information and communicating ideas.

For each NESA Developed Course, Course Performance Descriptors have been developed, which describe in more detail typical performance by students awarded each grade at the end of Stage 5. In Mathematics, the grades are further differentiated as A10, A9, B8, B7, C6, C5, D4, D3 or E2. 

Purpose of Assessment 

The purpose of an assessment task in Year 10 includes the following: 

• assist student learning 

• evaluate and improve teaching and learning programs 

• provide information on student learning and progress in a course in relation to the syllabus outcomes 

• provide evidence of satisfactory completion of a course 

• report on the achievement of each student at the end of a course. 

During the Year 10 Stage 5 Course, NESA stipulates that a formal assessment program is to be developed and implemented in all schools. The assessment tasks undertaken in each subject will help determine what is to be recorded on a student’s Record of Achievement, the official NESA certificate documenting a student’s final grades. 

Measuring achievement at various points throughout the course provides a better indication of student achievement than a single examination. 

• multiple measures generally give a more accurate measure of each student’s achievement 

• this caters for knowledge and skills outcomes better assessed in specific settings or at specific times (for example research, fieldwork or practical skills). 

Nature of Assessment 

In any Year 10 course, the assessment program consists of a number of formal assessment tasks. 

A formal assessment task may be: 

• An out-of-class task, for which work is handed in by a specified date. 

• An in-class task, such as a written response a practical task. 

• A task that has out-of-class and in-class aspects. (eg. An oral presentation in class, for which a transcript must be submitted before or after the task)

• A formal examination 

The assessment program includes a number of informal tasks and incorporates assessment for, as and of learning. Students must complete all such tasks to the best of their ability. Failure to do so may make a student eligible for an “N” determination in the course. 

Each assessment task should: 

• Be based on syllabus outcomes. 

• Include criteria to clarify for students what aspects of learning are being assessed.

• Enable students to demonstrate their learning in a range of task types. 

• Be a valid and reliable measure of what the task intends to assess.

• Provide accurate information on each student’s achievement. 

• Be free from bias and provide evidence that accurately represents a student’s knowledge, understanding and skills. 

• Enable students and teachers to use feedback effectively and reflect on the learning process. 

• Be inclusive and accessible for all students. ɓ Be part of an ongoing process where progress is monitored over time. 

• Allow for a good performance to maintain or improve a student’s ranking in the group, while not allocating such importance to one task that recovery from poor performance is not possible. 

• Allow for realistic estimation of performance in a missed task, based on performance in other tasks attempted, including summative and formative tasks. Estimates should only be used in exceptional circumstances. 

Notification of Assessment 

An assessment notification of the task will be communicated by a notification posted on Compass, and a PDF version will also be accessible on Google Classroom. 

For each task, the Assessment Notification document will set out the following: 

• The Key Learning Area (e.g. English) 

• The nature of the task (e.g. oral presentation) 

• The due date 

• Weightings - mark value in relation to the total number of marks for the course (e.g. 30%) 

• Mode of submission of the task (e.g. submitted via Google Classroom prior to 9 am) 

• What will be assessed and by what means (e.g. test on Chapter 4 Algebra; report on Long Reef fieldwork) 

• The outcomes assessed 

• The marking criteria 

• Details about opportunities for feedback 

• The task to be completed (a clear outline of the work required) 

• Any additional details (e.g. students will require calculators). 

NOTE: It is each student’s responsibility to check the assessment task specifications and details carefully. 

Marking of Tasks 

• Teachers will mark all assessment tasks and return them to students promptly. This will normally be within 10 school days of the task being completed. 

• For each task, the teacher will provide students with: 

  • • A total mark or overall grade. 

    • A mark or grade for each component of the task. 

    • Feedback sheets or written constructive comments which enable the student to learn from the task.