The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) issues the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) to eligible students who leave school before completing the Higher School Certificate (HSC).

The RoSA is a cumulative credential, listing all mandatory and additional Stage 5 and, where applicable, Stage 6 courses completed by the student, along with the grade awarded. The RoSA credential also lists any courses commenced but not completed, any minimum standard literacy and numeracy test results (if sat), and the date of leaving school.

The RoSA is useful to students leaving school prior to the HSC because they can show it to potential employers or places of further learning.

The NSW Department of Education follows curriculum courses as mandated by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA). If students successfully complete Years 7 to 10, they are eligible for a Record of School Achievement (RoSA) credential, issued by NESA.

To qualify for the RoSA, a student must have:

• Attended a government school, an accredited non‐government school or a recognised school outside NSW

• Completed courses of study that satisfy NESA curriculum and assessment requirements for the RoSA

• Complied with all requirements imposed by the Minister of Education or NESA

• Completed Year 10

The Department of Education requires students to complete the following mandatory curriculum for the RoSA:

• English (500 hours by the end of Year 10)

• Mathematics (500 hours by the end of Year 10)

• Science (500 hours by the end of Year 10)

• Human Society and Its Environment (400 hours by the end of Year 10)

• Languages other than English (100 hours by the end of Year 8)

• Technological and Applied Studies (200 hours in Years 7 and 8)

• Visual Arts (100 hours by the end of Year 8)

• Music (100 hours by the end of Year 8)

• Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (300 hours by the end of Year 10)

In addition, Caringbah High School students are given the opportunity to study 600 hours of elective subjects across Years 9 and 10. Students will study three 100-hour electives in Year 9 and three 100-hour electives in Year 10. Each elective is a separate course, and neither is a pre or co-requisite for the other. In this way, students can potentially choose:

• up to six different 100-hour electives over the two years

• to study an elective course B without having studied elective course A, and vice versa

• to continue with the same subject(s) over two years, for example, studying both Commerce (100 hours) in Year 9 and Commerce (100 hours) in Year 10, effectively studying Commerce for 2 years (i.e. 200 hours)

• any combination of 100-hour or 200-hour electives over the two years.

Schools award each student who completes a Stage 5 course a grade to represent that student’s achievement. The grades for NESA approved courses are reported on the student’s RoSA and range from A to E, based on performance descriptors as outlined for each Stage 5 course by NESA.

Hours and types of courses

The Department of Education requires students to study at least 400 hours of electives in Stage 5 (Years 9 & 10). These hours must be courses that are either developed, endorsed or approved by NESA. At Caringbah, we call these RoSA courses. Courses outside this category are Non-RoSA courses.

Students at Caringbah High study at least 600 hours of Electives - three 100-hour electives in Year 9 and three 100-hour electives in Year 10. Therefore, students need to complete a maximum of 200 hours of Non-RoSA courses.

• It is important that students choose subjects based on their interests rather than what subjects their friends have chosen, or advice suggesting that a certain subject is good for a future career or studies in Year 11 and 12. Students who choose an elective for any other reason than interest or curiosity often end up unhappy and under-performing. 

• Years 9 and 10 is the first time students can have some control over what they study with their elective choices and is the time when students can explore their interests and undertake studies in subjects they would like to try before they begin the senior years. 

• There are no pre‐requisite elective studies in Year 9 or 10 that impact student studies in Year 11 and 12, with the exception of Language Continuer courses

• Students are encouraged to discuss their choices with their classroom teachers, Head Teachers, Year Adviser, students in Years 9 and 10 and their parents.