The Higher School Certificate

• The Higher School Certificate is the highest educational award you can gain in New South Wales schools. It is internationally recognised and provides greater career opportunities at university and TAFE, and in employment.  

• A wide range of courses are available to study which enable students to match individual abilities, interests and goals. The HSC also includes life skills courses for students with special education needs.  

• The standards based Higher School Certificate sets out clear expectations of what students must learn and measures performance against these set standards. Each student will receive a mark based on what they know, understand and can do.  

• Students meeting the minimum standard expected in a course receive a mark of 50. Students reaching a higher standard of performance will receive a higher mark. 

• For each course students receive easy-to-understand reports that provide clear indications of knowledge and skills in each course.  

• We are a very progressive school offering over 60 senior subjects. These will cater for specific career needs and interests within a broad educational framework. We have supportive, caring and flexible staff willing to assist students and parents with subject selections and studies. 

A subject is a general name given to an area of study, and a subject may offer more than one course. The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) has developed or endorsed all courses available for study at this school in both the Preliminary Certificate (Year 11) and the Higher School Certificate (Year 12). 

There are different types of courses offered in senior school.  

• Board Developed Courses, Category A and Category B  

• Vocational Education and Training Courses, Industry Framework Courses (Category B subjects) or Board Endorsed Courses 

• Board Endorsed Courses 

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 on offer 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. Therefore, a 2 unit course has a value of 100 marks.