Emmaus Catholic College aims to meet the varied needs of the students who choose to enrol in our College. The College offers a broad curriculum, which caters for students intending to pursue tertiary studies at university, TAFE or other institutions and for those wishing to enter the workforce upon completion of their HSC studies.
The organisation of the curriculum to meet these different needs necessitates offering subjects that are Board Developed Courses and subjects which are approved by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) as Board Endorsed Courses.
For further information visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/hsc/subject-selection
These courses are developed by NESA. There is information on the website including:
A syllabus for each course which contains:
Requirements: the course objectives, structure, content and outcomes
Specific course requirements
Assessment
Sample examination papers and marking guidelines
The performance scales
All students entered for the HSC who are studying these 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 Admission Rank (ATAR).
(www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au and https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/Understanding-the-curriculum/syllabuses-a-z)
Board Endorsed courses are developed by schools, TAFE and universities. They count towards your HSC but do not have an HSC examination and do not contribute towards the calculation of your ATAR.
Content Endorsed Courses (CECs) have syllabuses endorsed by NESA to cater for areas of special interest not covered in the Board Developed Courses. These may be either one or two unit courses.
There is no external examination for any Content Endorsed Course or School Designed Course but all Board Endorsed Courses count towards either the Preliminary Course or the Higher School Certificate and appear on the Record of Achievement. Board Endorsed Courses do NOT count in the calculation of the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
Vocational Education and Training (VET) Courses are offered as part of the Higher School Certificate. These may be either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses. They enable students to study courses, which 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). The 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 hours, which students must 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 others will be delivered by TAFE or other providers.
Students choosing VET Courses may opt to do an HSC exam in that subject.
Stage 6 (Years 11 and 12) Life Skills Courses are 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 (Year 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 Preliminary and HSC years.
Life Skills Courses will 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. Each Life Skills Course comprises a 2 Unit Preliminary Course and a 2 Unit HSC Course.
The Board expects that most students would meet the outcomes for a 2 Unit Preliminary Course and a 2 Unit HSC Course over approximately 240 indicative hours in total (that is, 120 indicative hours in each course). Mrs Varga is the best contact for this Special Program of Study.