Course Selection

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Stage 1: Subject Preferencing.

Our Altona College Pathways Guide (this website) is designed to provide students and families with comprehensive information to help create a well-informed pathway plan. It is essential that students list all subjects in order of preference. If a subject is cancelled, all preferences will shift up one place. The student will be notified, offered guidance, and an alternative subject will be added as their final preference. 

As a general checklist, students are encouraged to complete the following before moving ahead to Stage 2.

• • Browse this site and ensure you have discussed post school destinations, and the senior certificates required to get there.

  • Select at least 2-3 post school destinations that engage and motivate the student.

  • Identify and choose the most appropriate senior certificate.

  • Browse subject choices and consider any necessary pre-requisite subjects or requirements for tertiary entrance.

  • Consult with teachers and careers staff to clarify questions.

  • Complete the Course Selection sheet ranking all subjects in preferential order and submit to the Personal Development teacher.

Stage 2: Course Revision (Internal) 

After the completion Stage 1, all students will have a set of preferences that they take into Stage 2, Course Selection. This preference list is checked and approved by the Engagement and Academic Teams prior to becoming the student’s course selection. If changes need to be made, the student will be notified, and preferences will be changed or altered.   

The key steps for course revision include:

• Note that fees are indicative only and are provided for family budgeting purposes only, confirmed fees are customized each year, once course selection is completed.

• 1:1 family appointments can be scheduled where additional support and clarity is needed to help students understand and complete course selection.

• Once submitted, students should retain a copy of their COURSE SELECTION receipt and await their COURSE OFFER.

• Subject viability is checked, classes with very low popularity maybe subject to removal. 

Stage 3: Course Offer

Once course selection closes, our team will immediately start timetabling for the next school year. This can be a long and arduous process, so your patience is appreciated. We will always aim to provide a personalised course offer to each student before the end of Term 3, although the timeline remains flexible depending on the complexity of each cohorts choices. 

Key points for the COURSE OFFER stage include:

1. Students will be provided with a COURSE OFFER before the end of Term 3 wherever possible, after all course selections are reviewed and processed.

2. Students and parents will have the opportunity to book an appointment and attend a course offer counselling session, during which subject changes can be explored before the course offer is signed by all parties. If counselling is not required, the signed form should be returned directly to the Engagement Team.

3. The admin team will use this signed offer to prepare student fee statements in order to confirm course placements.

How does the preference system for course offers work?

a. Course offers are developed based on a preference system. Complex algorithms are used to provide the best possible combination of student preferences, within the bounds of class size, staffing and specialist room requirements.

b. Priority 1 is given to year 12 students continuing a year 11 course of study.

c. Priority 2 is given to year 11 students continuing VCE Access programs and all other year VCE and VCE-VM programs (including year 10 VCE Access courses).

d. Priority 3 is given to all year 10 courses, starting from preference 1.

e. Priority 4 is given to all year 9 courses, starting from preference 1

f. NOTE: our program is customised every year to accommodate each individual cohort of students.

Stage 4: Course Confirmation

Having completed all of the planning for a senior pathway, families must now confirm the students course. Parents/Carers should ensure their Compass access and notifications are up to date, as students are NOT notified when a course confirmation request is sent to parents. The key steps for course confirmation include:

1. Parents should ensure they have Compass login credentials and can access the portal.

2. Altona College will send a notification to each family, including the following:

a. User agreements and general permissions for the following school year

b. Subject list and associated fees (if they apply)

c. Options for payment in full or payment plan

3. Once confirmed with a payment arrangement started, students will be placed into classes.

4. CAUTION: No student is guaranteed placement in a class until Course Confirmation has been completed by the parent/carer.

Stage 5: Timetable

1. Once course confirmations are finalised, our team will populate classes and finalise the timetable. Again, this is a customised process completed each year, depending on staff availability, student choices and room requirements. The task is arduous, so please be patient. 

2. Timetables will be loaded into COMPASS over the school holidays and will be available to students at least one week prior to the commencement of the school year.