Year 10, 11, 12 Program
VCE @ FSC
The Foster Secondary College VCE Program aims to provide all our students with an opportunity to pursue their pathway of choice.
We pride ourselves on being approachable, consistent and honest with all our students and staff.
We have an excellent track record of preparing our students for success, whether it be immediate employment in the local or greater community or the attainment of an ATAR score enabling our students to enter Tertiary Education.
We have a full time dedicated Careers Practitioner in Roxanne Hurst who meets weekly with our VCE students assisting them in their approach to life outside FSC.
Our VCE teachers are dedicated to their subjects and craft participating in extra curricular activities aimed at improving learning and collegiality amongst staff and students.
We are proud of all of our students and staff members at FSC and eagerly anticipate their successes every year and look forward to celebrating them together.
Year 10, 11, 12 Hand Book
Year 10 Program
Year 10 Focus on Career Pathways & preparation for Senior Years. Year 10 students participate in a variety of career support programs and undergo subject counselling sessions throughout the school year. Career Counselling can be accessed at any time through our Careers Advisor.
Term 1:
Students have the opportunity to participate in the College’s Peer Support program.
Term 2:
- Students complete a comprehensive investigation of two career pathways
- End of Semester 1 Exams
Term 3:
- Students participate in an excursion to Federation University.
- Students participate in a work placement of their choice during a work experience week.
- Course counselling sessions for Senior Years Study
- Information evening for VCE/VCAL pathways.
Term 4:
- Students participate in a Mock Interview program.
- End of Semester Two exams
- Headstart Program
Year 11 Program
The aims of the Year 11 program are to build student self-confidence and resilience through activities that require persistence, determination and a shared social responsibility to each other and their community. Students are given autonomy to choose their own pathways and taught the skills to be successful in their VCE and VCAL studies. The shared values of integrity, tolerance and respect underpin everything we hope to achieve at FSC.
Year 12 Program
The delivery of Victorian Certificate of Education courses occurs within a legal framework quite different to courses delivered at other levels. Schools have a legal obligation to deliver their VCE courses as stipulated in Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority study designs in order for their students to have maximum opportunities to achieve their best. Some VCAA policies are left to the discretion of schools. When disputes occur, the VCAA will support schools that have defined policies that align with best practice. This document defines those practices and all staff delivering VCE courses are expected to adhere to them as part of their performance review.
Attendance
Teachers are to ensure accurate rolls are kept and advise the relevant year level leader if a student falls below 80% attendance over the course of any month (monitored and documented at the Senior School meetings)
Approved absences
- All VCE students are expected to attend the College’s Athletics and Swimming carnivals
- VCE students are permitted 5 extracurricular school approved absences subject to teacher & Year level leader approval
- Teachers must consult the assessment schedule and avoid organising an excursion at a time when students have School Assessed Coursework (SAC)
- Students will not be permitted to attend an excursion if they are in danger of failing a VCE elective
- In exceptional circumstances a student may negotiate an extension to the 5 day rule in consultation with their teachers, the relevant Year Level Leader and the Principal
Agreed assessment processes
- All students are to be provided with the Unit outline (identifying weekly topics and tasks) and assessment schedule for the semester in the second week of February. For 2nd semester the Unit outline and assessment schedule is provided in the first week of Term 3. A copy must also be provided to the Principal and Senior School team
- SACs must allow for a range of results and be a unique task (not previously seen by the students)
- SAC feedback, based on the marking schedule/rubric provided to students, should be discussed with the students within 2 weeks of its completion and they should be given access to their SAC with corrections during that lesson.
- SAC feedback must also include a percentage score
- NO RAW SCORES ARE TO BE GIVEN TO STUDENTS per VCAA policy
- SACs must be retained by the staff member to validate VCAA authentication procedures
- SACs may be shredded at the end of the subsequent calendar year
SAC moderation (to be read in conjunction with the agreed assessment processes)
- Where more than 1 class of a VCE subject is taught teachers will meet to discuss the assessment criteria and collaborate in the production of the SAC task including the rubric/assessment schedule
- Teachers are to cross-mark samples of high, medium and low SACs
- Significant discrepancies in cross-marked SACs or difficult cases are referred to the PLT leader for consideration
- The final results of moderation are validated by the teachers and the PLT leader
Year 12 Partnerships
- Where a Unit 3 & 4 sequence is undertaken by a class group of less than 5 students a partnership will need to be established with another school (facilitated by the VASS leader) by Friday the 26th of February.
Make-up SACs
- Make up SACs are granted for medical reasons with certificate and other extenuating circumstances at the discretion of the relevant year level leader
- The timing of the make-up SAC is dependent on the length of time identified in the medical certificate
- The SAC itself is re-scheduled by negotiation with the relevant year level leader
- For students who miss a SAC for any other reason a penalty of 10% per day is enforced. After 5 school days the SAC is ungraded & scored S/N
In danger of N process
- Teachers are encouraged to send an “In danger of N” letter as soon as a student is failing to demonstrate the outcomes for a unit. These letters must be co-signed by the relevant year level leader
- Students must be given the opportunity to demonstrate the outcomes up until Friday June 24th for Semester 1 and Friday October 28th for Semester 2
- Parents must receive at least 4 weeks’ notice if their child is not going to satisfy the Outcomes of a unit.
- Teachers are encouraged to make regular contact with parents through Compass or by phone if a student is falling behind in their coursework
Gippy Maroons
- The top 2 students on a SAC task are to be awarded a Gippy Maroon if they achieve a score of 90% or above (an exception can be made if a teacher believes that more than 2 students merit the recognition or if a student is very close to the 90% cut off)
- Year 10 & 11 subjects can nominate 2 tasks per semester. Year 10 & 11 exams count as the 3rd
- Year 12 subjects can nominate 3 tasks per semester.
- As Gippy Maroons contribute to the decision making process for Presentation Evening, Dux & Excellence awards, it is important that all teachers submit eligible students for these awards.
Number of electives in Year 10/11/12 including acceleration policy
- Year 10 students who demonstrate the capacity to succeed at the VCE standard (according to demonstrated Learning Habits/Skills, for example, Productivity Awards, Ausvels) may accelerate into a study if they have the approval of the subject teacher, the year level leader and the Principal
- Acceleration occurs in the Year 10 elective blocks
- Only in exceptional circumstances will a Year 10 student accelerate into 2 VCE electives
- All VCE students undertake a minimum of 12 Unit 1 & 2 subjects (including compulsory English and Mathematics Units) and 5 Unit 3 & 4 sequences (including compulsory English Units)
- Students who have completed a Unit 3 & 4 sequence in Year 11 are expected by the College to still take 5 Unit 3 & 4 sequences in Year 12, unless they have done exceptionally well in the completed sequence (ie, a study score of 36) or are going to complete a total of 6 Unit 3 & 4 sequences. A student’s ability to undertake 4 Unit 3 & 4 sequences in Year 12 will be at the discretion of the senior coordination team.
- All Intermediate VCAL students undertake PDS, WRS, Unit 1-4 English, Unit 1 & 2 Mathematics, a Unit 1 & 2 study, a Unit 3 & 4 sequence (other than English), a VET course & 240 hours of work placement over a 2-year period.
Distance education policy
- Only students who have demonstrated the capacity to work independently will have access to a distance education elective if they have the approval of the relevant PLT leader, the year level leader and the Principal
- Preference will be given to students who cannot access a study offered by the College or need a prerequisite for their identified career pathway
- Entry into a distance education elective is by Principal approval only
Minimum requirements to fulfil the outcomes in VCE
- Students must attend and participate in coursework activities
- Students must attempt & submit assessment tasks to be eligible for satisfactory completion of the outcomes of any VCE study
- Teachers will use the study designs to determine what constitutes satisfactory completion
Authentication of student work
- Teachers will directly observe student work to authenticate it. If a teacher doubts the authenticity of a student’s work a test or suitable task will be used to assess their knowledge
Compass
- Year level leaders will document medical certificates and other approved absences on Compass
- Teachers are requested to use the student lesson plan section in Compass to document homework requirements.
- Teachers are required to document behaviour and academic concerns on Compass according to the following colour alerts
- Year Level Leaders will act on all red alerts.
Grey:
Disrupting teaching and learning, not prepared for class, not completing homework
Yellow:
Ongoing repeat of grey behaviours, passive resistance, lack of respect for the learning environment, low-level persistent disruptive behaviours
Red:
Falling significantly behind in work requirements, lack of productivity, refusal to follow teacher instruction, if a student is sent to time-out or asked to leave the classroom, abuse, bullying, harassment, threats, endangering the safety of the learning environment.
Green:
Teachers are encouraged to document examples of positive learning behaviours.