VCE Regulations

Attendance: 

The VCAA requires schools to set minimum class time and attendance rules. At Homestead Senior Secondary School, student attendance is set at a minimum of 90% for each Unit. Attendance and participation in classwork is part of a student’s overall performance and part of the evidence needed to award a Satisfactory pass (S) for a VCE unit. Failure to attend at least 90% will result in a N (Not Satisfactory) for that unit unless there are special circumstances. Parents must:

• Account for the absence/s on COMPASS with an explanation 

• Provide a medical certificate 

• Email the relevant Student Manager regarding reasons for prolonged absence.

This should be completed within one weeks of the student’s return to school. Attendance below 90% per semester (unapproved absences) = a N for that Unit. Parents or carer’s need to be aware that for their child to learn they need to attend classes. With the VCAA requirements

parents must make all attempts for their child to be in class. If a parent/carer provides regular explanations for their child’s absence they may be asked to provide medical certificates or other relevant documentation to substantiate their approvals. In addition, parent/s or carer/s may need to meet with their child’s Student Manager to seek support so that their child can attend classes. 

Lateness to class 

Students will be admitted to class if they are late. However, they will be marked late on COMPASS. If a student arrives late for session one they are required to sign in using the school’s KIOSKs and proceed to class. Lateness in session two to five will be recorded by the classroom teacher. It is the student’s responsibility to verify with the class teacher at the end of the session that the teacher has recorded a lateness not an absence. Student managers will monitor lateness and contact will be made if this is a repeated behaviour.

Extensions 

Of time for the submission of key tasks is only possible under the ‘Special Provision’ guidelines. For an extension to be granted, a student will have generally encountered significant hardship due to ill health or personal circumstances. All applications for ‘Special Provision’ are to be made to the Leading Teacher of Student Engagement.

Lost and damaged work 

It is the student’s responsibility to take precautions to ensure that they keep copies of all significant work. Students must ensure that they store their work, including rough drafts and notes, hard copies and electronic copies (e.g. computer files) in a secure place. Students are encouraged to back-up their work on suitable media.

Unsupervised excursions 

Occasionally, senior students need to complete assignments outside of normal school hours. This may necessitate visits to sites to complete work or interview people at their workplace. When such activities are completed during school hours without the accompaniment of a teacher, the student may be permitted to attend but must follow the procedures for an Unsupervised Excursion. Students will need to obtain the relevant form from their Student Manager well in advance. This form requires the permission of the Pathways Leading Teacher, affected teachers, the Assistant Principal and parents.

Study score and the ATAR 

The grades and study scores of students who have received special provision are reported on their statement of results in the same way as the grades and study scores of other students. VCAA will report each students final study score to the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) for the calculation of the ATAR. VTAC will calculate a single ATAR for each student. 

Special provision 

The special provision policy allows Homestead Senior Secondary College to make alternative arrangements for students’ school based assessments where they suffer significant disadvantage. This may include arrangements to allow students to demonstrate their ability to meet the set outcomes and achieve a score for set tasks. This policy also makes provision for students suffering significant hardships during examination periods. Any special provisions granted to a student will be incorporated into the calculation of the student’s final grades and study score. Applications to VCAA are made via the Leading Teacher of Student Engagement. All students receive a single study score for each study, regardless of whether or not they are given special provision for their assessments. 

What Special Provision are available for students? 

The VCAA Special Provision policy ensures that the most appropriate, fair and reasonable arrangements and options are available for students to demonstrate their capabilities if their learning and assessment programs are affected by illness, impairment or personal circumstances. Students may apply for Special Provision when a student has legitimate grounds that prevent the submission of work or the completion of an assessment task. There are three forms of Special Provision available to students completing the VCE:

• Special Provision options for classroom learning and School-based Assessment. Students are eligible to apply for Special Provision for school-based assessment for reasons of illness, impairment or personal circumstances

• Special Examination Arrangements for VCE external assessments. Schools can apply for special examination arrangements for students with a disability or illness Derived Examination Scores 

• Students who become ill or experience a personal trauma at the time of their VCE examinations can apply for a Derived Examination Score

Students will need to apply for Special Provisions using the application forms available from the Leading Teacher of Wellbeing.

The decision is made solely by VCAA as to wether the application will be approved. Subject teachers will be informed where relevant.

Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS) 

Students who have experienced disadvantage throughout their Unit 3&4 studies are eligible to apply for Special Consideration through the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS). This will occur late in Term 3 when applying for tertiary courses. Many institutions offer alternative entry schemes that take into account short- and long-term disadvantage. While many are offered through the single VTAC SEAS application process, others require you to apply directly to the institution. Information will be provided to students in Semester 2 regarding the SEAS application process

Attendance

Students must attend all of their scheduled classes in order to pass a unit. Failure to meet this requirement may result in a N for the unit of work. This school decision is final and not subject to VCAA appeal.

• Illness (where a medical certificate must be supplied), approved school excursions. Activities will be considered by the college in determining a final outcome.

• If a student is not going to be attending school parents need to advise the school by 10am on the day of the absence. After this time the college will notify parents of the absence, either by phone, SMS or email.

• Excursions and other school activities (such as sport, drama productions, etc) are recognised as approved absences.

• If a student needs to be away from school, and you are aware of this, they must let their study teachers and Student Management team know well beforehand. Notes must always be supplied from Parents, beforehand if possible (note: only medical certificates will be included in your approved absences).

College Uniform

• All Homestead students are required to attend school in academic uniform. Where a student fails to provide a satisfactory parental/guardian note of explanation excusing them from wearing items of the uniform, they may be withdrawn from class or sent home and required to return to school once they are correctly attired. This period of absence from classes will be used when calculating the minimum 90% attendance requirement.

• Students MUST wear uniform to all external assessments also.

• Any family facing financial difficulty in supplying the uniform should contact the college directly so that support, if available, can be provided.

• PE uniform is only to be worn during PE classes. Students are expected to change into the PE uniform at the beginning of the lesson and change back into academic uniform at the end of the lesson.

Unit 3 and 4 Examinations

There is one examination period that is centrally set and externally assessed by the VCAA. It is scheduled for October / November.

All students enrolled in a Unit 3 / 4 study must also undertake the General Achievement Test (G.A.T.) in June.

Please note:

Students should remain for the full advertised time of each individual study examination, unless otherwise directed by the Chief Examination Supervisor.

Use of dictionaries in exams:

An English and/or English-LOTE printed dictionary can be used in English / English (EAL) exam and in the GAT. In LOTE exams you may use any printed monolingual or bilingual dictionary in one or two separate volumes. Dictionaries must not contain any highlighting or annotation. A dictionary which contains a thesaurus in the same volume is not permitted in any examination. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted in any examination. Dictionaries are not allowed to be used in any other examination. In examinations where they are permitted, a dictionary may be consulted during reading time. However, no notes may be made during reading time.

Information on the use of and acceptable models of calculators will be provided by VCAA prior to the GAT in Term 2.

Year 11 students will have internal exams at the end of each semester for Unit 1 and 2 studies.

Deadlines for Classwork

Deadlines are set by each study teacher and students are advised of these dates during the unit. Students are required to enter these dates into their diary. All work needs to be submitted on the due date during class time or at a time specified by the study teacher.

An extension of time will only be granted by your study teacher in exceptional circumstances, such as:

i) Medically certificated illness.

ii) Proven personal hardship.

iii) Circumstances clearly beyond the student’s control.

In exceptional cases a teacher MAY DECIDE to allow a student to resubmit work so that they may still achieve a “S” for the outcome. The teacher will provide a student with the appropriate form and details of the redemption.

If a student fails to complete homework or classwork, the teacher will indicate this through compass.

School Assessed Coursework (SACs)

Coursework (Assessment tasks or SACs) are a part of the regular teaching and learning program and must be completed mainly in class time. Results of SACs in Units 3 and 4 studies count towards a student’s Study Score in each VCE study and ultimately towards their Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

Absence from a SAC with Medical Certificate

If a student is absent from a SAC and has a MEDICAL CERTIFICATE then the opportunity to undertake a reschedule of the SAC will be available the very next session of that course, or at a time negotiated with the classroom teacher. Parents and Student will be contacted via email through Compass and a copy of the medical certificate MUST be submitted to reception via the school email within one week from the missed SAC. The classroom teacher of the student will organise supervision of the SAC.

Students who attend SACs on the specified reschedule date and time and complete or attempt any part of the SAC will have their work graded accordingly and the score recorded.

Absence from a SAC without Medical Certificate

If a student is absent from a SAC and does not have a MEDICAL CERTIFICATE then they will not be given the opportunity to undertake a reschedule of the SAC for study score assessment. They will have an opportunity to complete the task for a “S” (satisfactory). A UG (Un Graded) will be recorded as their grade, and a zero score towards their study score for a Unit 3/4 sequence.

Excursions

At times, students will be out of school on school approved events such as sport or excursions. Subject teachers will communicate this to students and parents via a compass chronicle “SAC Absence due to School Approved Event”.

Students will be required to undertake the SAC the very next session of that course or negotiated with the classroom teacher and will have the SAC graded as if they had attended 

School Assessed Tasks

SATs occur in Units 3 & 4 of the following studies. In these studies students are required to produce a product or model:

• • Media

  • Studio Arts

  • Visual Communication Design

  • Product Design and Technology (Textiles and Wood)

  • Applied Computing – Software and Data Analytics

  • Systems Engineering

Feedback to students:

After a student’s work is submitted and marked, teachers will advise them:

• • on particular problem areas.

  • on where and how improvements can be made.

  • if they have received an S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory) result.

For SATs, teachers ARE NOT permitted to mark or provide comments on any draft of work that is to be submitted for assessment.

Satisfactory Completion of a Unit

A student will receive an overall S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory) for every unit. To be sure of receiving a S for the unit, they must achieve the outcomes.

To achieve an outcome, a student must:

• Hand in work of a suitable standard.

• Hand in work on time.

• Hand in work that is clearly your own.

• Stay within the attendance requirements of 90%.

Initially, the easiest and best way to satisfactorily achieve a S is to pass all SACs. SACs are the tasks designed to show knowledge of the specific outcomes of each unit.

If a SAC is not completed to at least a 50% grade, the following will occur:

A redemption will be required. 

This process allows the student to work closely with the subject teacher to achieve a S for the outcome in a timely manner and thus continue with the course.

The initial grade will remain on the report and in units 3/4, the initial  grade will be reported to the VCAA to contribute towards the study score of that subject. 

• The teacher has judged that a student has satisfactorily demonstrated their understanding through coursework.

• If the redemption task is completed satisfactorily, a comment on the school report will show that the outcome was met via redemption. A S will be recorded to the VCAA.

• If the redemption task is not completed satisfactorily, a comment on the school report will show that the outcome was not met initially or via redemption. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE OUTCOME CAN NOT BE MET IN OTHER WAYS AS EXPLAINED EARLIER

Issuing of a N for a unit

If a student is unable to submit a major assessment task or achieve a grade above 50% for the task and is therefore at risk of failing the unit, then the student may be given the opportunity to resubmit the piece of work. This will only occur if there are exceptional circumstances and the student will be given one opportunity to rectify these concerns.

Less than 90% attendance without satisfactory explanation for absence will lead to a result of Not Satisfactory (N) completion of the unit. If a student does not submit work after revised deadline, a “N” letter will be sent towards the end of the academic semester however parent and student communication will start earlier. A student may be able to appeal this decision if they have one or more of the grounds to appeal. A student has five days to appeal this decision, after which a panel will be convened. The decision arrived at by the panel is out of the hands of the study teacher.

A student may be awarded a N (Not Satisfactory) for a unit because they:

• • failed to meet a school deadline for a work requirement or assessment task;

  • failed to meet a deadline where an extension of time had been granted for any reason; and/or

  • committed a substantial breach of attendance rules (i.e., failed to meet the 90% attendance requirement), and they have missed significant amounts of classwork. If a student receives a N, a letter will be sent letter informing the student and parent/s and or carer/s of this.

Authentication Breach

A teacher must establish guidelines for authentication, e.g. sighting work, checking progress, verifying resources. 

Students need clear directions on how, when and where to submit work. Remember no piece of work can be submitted for assessment twice.

These VCAA rules are: 

1. A student must ensure that all unacknowledged work submitted for assessment is genuinely his/her own. 

2. A student must acknowledge all resources used, including: 

• text, websites and source material 

• the name/s and status of any person/s who provided assistance and the type of assistance provided. 

3. A student must not receive undue assistance from another person in 

• the preparation and submission of work.