Principal's Message
Welcome to the Preliminary and Higher School Certificate courses, the Senior Years of your school life at Colo High School.
As you finish Year 10 after four years in the junior school and make a commitment to life in the senior school, you will need to make some very important decisions, to focus on the years ahead so that you can determine what your future holds.
Factors such as employment, university, career choices, senior study methods, time management skills, abilities, interests and enjoyment will all impact on the decision-making process and your subject selection for the Year 11 and Year 12 courses.
We have a very rich, broad and interesting senior curriculum at Colo High School. To help you to achieve your goals in the senior years, Colo High Schools professional, experienced and dedicated staff members are looking forward to facilitating your progress.
This website is designed to give you a starting point, to help make your selection of Year 11 and Year 12 courses being offered at Colo High School. Read through carefully, ask questions and make informed decisions.
I urge you to consult and discuss with your individual teachers, Careers Advisor, Head Teachers, Student Adviser and especially your parents in determining the best possible outcomes for your future.
Thank you for indicating your intention to study for your Higher School Certificate at Colo High School. Good luck with your future studies.
Tara Cullen
Relieving Principal
What do I need to consider?
Options for HSC & Subject Selection 2021.mp4In proceeding on to studies in the Senior School, you will be asked to make a carefully considered decision to plan a course structure that will lead to the award of the Higher School Certificate. The correct choice of subjects is vital in achieving academic success, personal satisfaction and in being able to pursue an appropriate career and/or studies at a tertiary level.
To succeed or achieve any real satisfaction in the Senior School, you must accept responsibility for your own education. Motivation is a very important factor in achieving success. For some students the Senior School is a preparation for a profession, skilled trade or a wide variety of challenging careers that require the Higher School Certificate as an entrance qualification. To others it is the general educational aspect and maturity gained that is of importance.
In the Senior School you will be expected to develop:
Organisational skills to use your time effectively without constant supervision and teacher direction while at school.
Determination and motivation to complete all assigned tasks to the highest standard.
Self-discipline to spend long hours doing school work and studying at home.
Interpretive and analytical skills to understand issued tasks.
Successful essay writing skills.
Fast and efficient reading skills, leading to good understanding.
Maturity and confidence to seek help when required.
When making choices for courses of study, you should consider the following:
ability
interest
enjoyment
commitment
career intentions
future educational needs
University requirements
Who can help and how?
Options for Senior School
There are a number of alternatives available to students as they complete the HSC.
You may study the traditional pattern of HSC over two years.
You may choose a mix of school and TAFE and even part time traineeships.
Some students will be able to choose vocational courses that will be directly related to their employment plans.
You may choose to extend your study over more than two years- Pathways / Accumulating the HSC.
Some students may be given the opportunity to do HSC subjects at an accelerated rate and to then complete more advanced study such as undergraduate university courses.
Requirements
If you wish to be awarded the HSC 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:
at least 6 units from Board Developed courses including at least 2 units of a Board Developed course in English
at least three courses of 2 units value or greater
at least four subjects
Note:
At most 6 units of courses in Science can contribute to Higher School Certificate eligibility.
If you wish to receive the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), you must study a minimum of 10 Board Developed units in the HSC Course with at least 8 units being Category A courses.
If you do not wish to receive a ATAR, the rest of your courses may be made up from Board Endorsed courses once you have studied six units from Board Developed courses.
English Studies is the only Board Endorsed course that will contribute to the accumulation of an HSC.
At Colo High School, all Year 11 students must undertake at least 12 school based units. TAFE and TVET should be considered as additional to these 12 units.
To achieve you must:
complete the practical, oral or project works required for specific courses and the assessment requirements for each course.
have sat for and made a serious attempt at the required Higher School Certificate examinations.
School-based assessment tasks will contribute to 50% of your HSC mark. Your school assessment mark will be based on your performance in assessment tasks you have undertaken during the course. The other 50% will come from the HSC examination. Some Page 8 courses have an externally assessed practical component.
Types of Courses
Board Developed
Board Developed courses are 2 unit courses developed by NESA.
For each course the following information is available:
the course objectives, structure, content and outcomes
specific course requirements
assessment requirements
sample examination papers and marking guidelines
the performance scale
All students entered for the HSC who are studying Board Developed 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 Admissions Rank (ATAR).
Board Developed Extension courses are available in a number of subjects. Extension courses are 1 unit courses, which build on the content of the 2 unit course. Extension courses require students to work beyond the standard 2 unit course, and are available in English, History, Music, some Languages and VET.
English and Mathematics Extension courses are available at Year 11 and 12 levels. Students must study the Year 11 Extension course in these subjects before proceeding to the two Year 12 Extension courses (Extension 1 and Extenion 2). The Extension 2 course requires students to work beyong the standard pf the Extension 1 course.
Content Endorsed
Board Endorsed courses are called Content Endorsed courses.
Content Endorsed courses (CECs) have syllabuses endorsed by NESA to cater for areas of special interest not covered in the Board Developed courses.
There is no formal HSC examination for any Content Endorsed course, but all Content Endorsed courses count towards the Higher School Certificate and appear on your Record of Achievement. Content Endorsed courses do not count in the calculation of the ATAR.
VET
Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are offered as part of the Higher School Certificate. They enable students to study courses that 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). This national framework is recognised 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 hour’s 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.
Life Skills
Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) Life Skills courses will be 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, which will occur for both the Year 11 and Year 12 years.
Life Skills courses 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.
What do I need to do to go to University?
A student must complete at least ten units of Board Developed courses including at least two units of English. The Board Developed Courses must include at least three courses of two units or greater, and at least four subjects. This will make you eligible for the ATAR.
What is the ATAR?
The ATAR is a rank between 0.00 and 99.5 with increments of 0.05. It provides a measure of overall academic achievement in the HSC, which assists universities in ranking applicants for university selection. Admission to most university courses is based on the performance in the HSC with applicants ranked on the basis of their ATAR. Other criteria such as portfolio, interview, audition or questionnaire may also be taken into account for certain courses in conjunction with the ATAR.
What courses can be included in the ATAR?
The ATAR will be based on an aggregate of scaled marks in ten units of Board Developed courses comprising:
the best two units of English, and
the best eight units from the remaining units of Board Developed courses, subject to the provision that no more than two units of Category B courses can be included.
Which courses are Category B courses?
With the introduction of the New HSC, at present there are very few Category B courses. They are:
The Board Developed Courses delivered by TAFE of Accounting
The 240 hour Industry Curriculum Framework Courses of Business Services (Administration), Construction, Entertainment Industry, Hospitality, Information Technology, Metal and Engineering, Primary Industries, Retail and Tourism.
Who gets an ATAR?
Year 12 students who indicate on their HSC Entry Form that they wish to be notified of their ATAR will receive an ATAR Advice Notice from the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) at about the same time they receive their Higher School Certificate (HSC) results from NESA. However, not all ATAR Advice Notices will show an ATAR. These include:
Students who achieve an ATAR between 0.00 and 30.00. They will have their ATAR reported as “30 or below”
Students who do not meet the ATAR restrictions above. The statement “Not eligible for an ATAR” will appear on the ATAR Advice Notice.
Other important aspects of the ATAR
The ATAR is calculated by the universities in NSW and the ACT and is released by the Universities Admission Centre (UAC).
Whereas the HSC serves many purposes, the ATAR serves only one – to assist universities in ranking school leaver applicants for tertiary selection in a fair and equitable way. The ATAR should not be used for any other purpose.
The ranking of students depends solely on their performance in HSC courses in Year 12. This includes both the school Assessment Program and the HSC Examination components of each course.
Pre-requisites
Students are advised to check the individual institutions requirements for prerequisite, recommended and assumed knowledge as this may change from university to university.
What do I receive when I complete Senior School?
On satisfactory completion of your HSC you will recieve a portfolio containing:
The HSC Testamur – the official cerificate confirming your achievement for the award
The Record of Achievement – this document lists the courses you have studies and reports the marks and bands you have achieved.
Course Reports – for every HSC Board Developed Course (except VET courses) you will receive a Course Report showing your marks, the Performance Scale and the band descriptions for that course. A graph showing the state-wide distribution of marks in the course is also shown.
Your HSC mark for 2 unit courses will be reported on a scale of 0 to 100. A mark of 50 will represent the minimum standard expected. If you achieve the minimum standard expected in a course you will receive a mark of 50. There will be five performace bands above 50 that correspinf to different levels of achievement in knowledge, skills and understanding.
Tha band from 90–100 will correspond to the highest level of achievement.
What next?
Read about the various courses offered
Think carefully about why you want to complete the HSC
Talk to as many people as you can about the courses offered
Print completed online subject selection form. Parent to sign this form, student to give form to Year Advisor.
Only in exceptional circumstances will students be able to change courses.
Further information:
The NESA publication, Studying for the New South Wales Higher School Certificate – An information Booklet for Year 10 Students, contain all the HSC rules and requirements you will need to know.
University Entry Requirements Booklet for Year 10 Students published each year by UAC, can be downloaded from the UAC schoolink website. Students are advised to research individual institution websites for specific prerequisute information on an annual basis.
The UAC Guide is distributed to every Year 12 student in mid-July. This contains all assumed knowledge, recommended studies and prerequisites for each university undergraduate course and instructions to students applying to university.
Additional information about course and the HSC is available on the NESA website.
