Information about the HSC - Waverley College

Pathways
For students entering Stage 6 there is far more flexibility to a senior student in planning and following a
course of studies that will lead to the gaining of the Higher School Certificate. The Board of Studies
uses the term “Pathways” to categorize these arrangements.
This Booklet has been prepared to indicate which of the many different pathways to the Higher School
Certificate will be available at Waverley College for 2012-2013.
The Implications of Pathways
Senior School Students are now identified as those engaged in Pathways. Senior Studies
prepares students for the purposes of a number of Commonwealth and State Government
initiatives designed to promote more skilled and better-trained citizens for the Australia of the
21st Century.
In New South Wales most adolescents are now expected to remain in formal education for a
minimum of twelve years (13 if kindergarten is in place in a particular State). The changes are
designed to cater not only for those who would normally have stayed at school but especially
for those for whom traditional school courses do not provide adequately.
Year Eleven has been made more important as a result of the two senior years of study (Years
11 and 12) being divided into a Preliminary Year and a Higher School Certificate Year. It is now
not possible to commence Higher School Certificate Studies until the Preliminary Year in a
course has been satisfactorily concluded as determined by Headmaster.
Students are now permitted to accumulate results towards the gaining of the Higher School
Certificate (and the ATAR). This means that, among other possibilities, they may:
• Take up to five years to put together a series of results which they eventually present
for the purpose of gaining the Higher School Certificate (and ATAR);
• Enrol in courses at a school, or in courses conducted in Technical and Further
Education (TAFE) Colleges or Distinction Courses in Universities or even gain credit
for other experience in employment and training;
• Repeat subjects where possible in which they have performed poorly to gain a
satisfactory standard of performance whilst (over a 5 year period) maintaining those
results with which they are satisfied;
• The intention of the changes is to open up as many opportunities as possible for post
compulsory education to be 'useful' and for studies which are relevant to either
employment or further study to be recognised and not repeated;
• A large number of new subjects have been developed with relevance and transfer to
employment and skills related programmes out of school.
Students sitting for the Higher School Certificate must make written application for the
University Admissions Index (ATAR). This is done during Term 3 of Year 12.
The Higher School Certificate: Preliminary Courses 2012 Page 7
HSC Courses 2013