Semester 2 2024 Course Selection

Future Directions Parent Information Evening Monday March 4

Click on the thumbnail below to access a video of the Parent Information Evening.

Doing a VCE or VET Subject in Year 10

When Year 8 and Year 9 students are selecting units for Semester 2, the usual curriculum protocols apply. However, students should be aware that it is possible to include a VCE or VET (unit one/two) subject, when undertaking Year 10 in the future.

If a student is managing all areas of his/her Year 9 course, has good time management skills and has performed well in one or more areas of the curriculum, taking a VCE unit early is a sensible option which may provide several advantages:

• Having satisfactorily completed a VCE one/two unit in Year ten, a student is then able to complete the unit three/ four sequence of the same unit in year eleven.
• By simply undertaking a VCE unit in Year ten a student may gain a better understanding of the workload involved and of their own capacity or preference for either VCE or IB
• Some VET units can count towards the study score. They may also provide a qualification which may be useful in the future.
• Students considering the IB are advised to enrol in a VCE unit as a means of preparing for the start of the IB in Year 11. For example, if a student is considering studying IB Biology at the Higher Level they might enrol in VCE Unit One and Two Biology in Year Ten. Although this study will not count towards the final IB Diploma, it has proven to be a successful strategy in previous years for preparing for the rigours of the study required.

Considerations:

• You should select a VCE unit only if you have completed either a D or E level unit in the related Key Learning Area, or your current subject teacher says you are capable.
• You should be coping very well with all of your units, obtaining good results and keeping up with the work load (VCE and VET units have a far greater work load).
• You should consider VCE units that would be best completed in Year 11. Some units such as the more difficult sciences, languages and mathematics should not be taken unless there are special circumstances.
• You should only consider taking one early entry VCE subject or a VET course. In some special situations students may take more than one unit. This will only be approved after consultation with the VCE Coordinator, Heads of House and the Senior Leadership Team.

Resources:

Future Directions Booklet: Future Directions Bridges

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs regarding acceleration into VCE

What D and E level subjects should I undertake in Semester 2 of Year 9?

Click on the document below to see a list of recommended preparation units

What are D and E level teachers looking for in an accelerated student?

For approval into acceleration, teachers are looking for students who have demonstrated good grades (at least B+), excellent learning behaviours, excellent attendance, excellent work ethic.

How can I accelerate into VCE?

Students must have completed the D or E level subject relevant to that subject area. You should be getting good grades of at least a B+ in that subject area also. Your teacher can give a recommendation for acceleration for one subject.

Do I have to accelerate into VCE in Year 10?

No. Whilst acceleration in one area is encouraged, it is not always in the best interests of the student to do so. Sometimes, students will be better to consolidate their knowledge at D or E level to prepare them for entry into VCE the year after.

Will my application be approved?

Approval to accelerate into VCE is not automatic. A panel of teachers and leaders consider many factors before applications are approved. Applications will not be considered if the D or E level has not been completed. Students will be advised on pathways best suited to their learning and preparation for VCE.

Can I do two accelerated subjects?

Only in a small number of cases will students be approved to do two accelerated subjects. The student’s whole program is considered in these instances. Attendance, learning behaviours, academic and application awards, academic performance and overall wellbeing are just some of the considerations. Students must have completed the D or E level preparation units. Students may be advised to complete an alternative D or E level to better prepare them for VCE.

Can I skip Units 1 and 2 and go straight into Units 3 and 4 as acceleration?

It is not considered best preparation to skip Units 1 and 2. Special approval would be required.

If I accelerate and complete a Unit 3-4 early, can I do less subjects later?

No. Year 12 students are expected to complete 5 Unit 3-4 subjects whilst in year 12. A Unit 3-4 subject completed in Year 11 will count as a student’s 6^th subject contributing to the VCE certificate and ATAR.

Students who have completed 2 or more VCE Unit 3-4 subjects early will be expected to still complete at least 4 or 5 subjects in Year 12. These students may consider acceleration into University programs such as Deakin Accelerate.

Can VCE subjects contribute to IB?

No. Some Unit 1-2 subjects help to better prepare students for the IB programme, however these will not contribute any credit towards their diploma. If you are thinking about IB, some subjects are preferred over others. It is important to discuss this with the VCE or IB Coordinator.

Do I get a bonus 10% for doing an early VCE subject?

No. There is no bonus for doing a subject early. The ATAR is a rank based on each student’s aggregate (or total) produced by adding:

The VTAC scaled study score in one of English, English Language, Literature or English as an Additional Language (EAL)

1. The next best three VTAC scaled study scores permissible; and
2. 10% of the fifth and sixth permissible scores that are available.

Completing a unit 3 and 4 sequence in Year 11 allows students to include a sixth subject in their ATAR calculation while only having to complete five sequences in Year 12. The 10% “bonus” comes from having a sixth sequence, not from doing the sequence early.

Can I begin acceleration mid year into Unit 2 without doing Unit 1?

There is no mid-year intake for acceleration at Year 10 even if they have completed the D or E level subject.

As students being making decisions about their senior secondary years, they receive a great deal of support, coaching and counselling about future career opportunities and pathways to get there. Kardinia offers students the opportunity to study VCE, VET or the IB Diploma. Year 10 students need to decide which senior program to study, before selecting subjects that best suit their skills, interests and future ambitions

Parent Information Evening Presentation

Click on the image below to view the presentation hosted on 27 July 2023. (The video will open in a new window)

Post School Considerations

Students and parents must take into account a range of considerations when choosing an 11 and 12 course. Indeed, a primary consideration should be to the possible career path a student may wish to pursue after secondary school. The career path is likely to have associated post-secondary study requirements at University or TAFE. A key step for students is to investigate possible post-secondary studies and ensure that the subjects taken in Years 11 and 12 support these pathways.

As you consider what course and subjects to take in Years 11 and 12, it is important to think about possible career opportunities too along with the associated post-secondary studies that you may have to undertake. The following information has been designed to help students and parents with that thinking.

ATAR Scores

Myth: You should only do ‘hard’ subjects that are scaled up as these one guarantee you a higher ATAR.

Fact: No subjects guarantee a high ATAR. Scaling adjusts for the fact that it is more difficult to obtain a high VCE study score in some studies than others. This is not because some studies are inherently harder or easier, it is because some studies attract a more competitive cohort of students.

Many students believe that to achieve their best possible ATAR they need to choose studies have been scaled up in previous years. This is not true and can work against you.

Choosing a study that you are not very good at, or engaged in, simply because it may be scaled up would be a mistake. If you are concerned about your score, you need to be sure you are good at a study and that you are engaged in doing your best.

It is most likely that a ‘scaled down’ score in a study you performed well in will be higher than a ‘scaled up’ study in which you didn’t.

Scaling ensures that students are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged based on the studies they choose. All VCE study scores are scaled by VTAC.

From: https://www.vtac.edu.au/atar-scaling-guide-2025.html

Some examples of ATAR calculations (from https://www.vtac.edu.au/atar-scaling-guide-2025.html):

From: https://www.vtac.edu.au/atar-scaling-guide-2025.html