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Senior School

About Year 12

Students are encouraged to plan a two-year program and choose their Year 11 courses with consideration being given to the Year 12 courses they will study the following year.
Student MUST select;

  • An English course, either General or ATAR; and
  • If participating in a direct entry University Pathway, at least 4 ATAR courses; and
  • A full complement of 6 courses or equivalent in Year 11.

Recommendations

In view of the requirements for success in Years 11 and 12, the following recommendations are made to help you:

  • Maximise your educational opportunities.
  • Take advantage of what the school has to offer.
  • Make sure you give yourself every chance to qualify for courses and career pathway/s of your choice.
  • Achieve the WA Certificate of Education.
  • Allow for the fact that you may change your mind
  • Adhere to the advice and recommendations of your course counsellor

Course Structure

An explanation of the course structure

  • Courses are divided into two units which will generally make up one year of study. (For the most part, Carine Senior High School will offer paired units concurrently which will make a pair of units look like a year-long course).
  • Courses are divided into two distinct groups – ATAR courses which are the more difficult courses and can be used for direct University entry, and General courses, which contribute to graduation requirements, but do not contribute to a tertiary entrance score or the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
  • All ATAR courses taken in Year 12 have external examinations (WACE examinations).
  • General courses are wholly school assessed with one compulsory externally-set task in Term 2, used for moderation purposes.
  • All ATAR courses are eligible for inclusion in a Tertiary Entrance Aggregate, providing the WACE examination has been taken.
  • Not all courses will be offered at both ATAR and General levels at Carine Senior High School

VET and Endorsed Programs

  • In addition to General and ATAR courses, Carine Senior High School offers a number of VET programs (such as Certificates) and Endorsed Programs (such as UniPrep)
  • Certificates are competency based and provide unit and C grade equivalence
  • Endorsed Programs provide one unit and one C grade equivalence per 55 hours of student engagement
  • All VET programs currently offered are delivered onsite at Carine Senior High School

Marks and Grades

  • The final result for each ATAR or General course in Year 12 will be reported with a grade and a mark out of 100.
  • The results will be forwarded to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority once a year.
  • The mark out of 100 will be statistically adjusted to conform with the rest of the state.
  • Only a grade will be forwarded to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) for units taken in Year 11.
  • All students working towards the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) will need to include a pair of units from List A and a pair from List B, in their suite of Year 12 courses. List A courses cover the Arts, Humanities and Languages, while List B covers Science, Mathematics and Technology.
  • Senior school assessment policy can be found here.
  • VET and Endorsed Programs provide unit and C grade equivalence upon successful completion

Unacceptable Course Combinations

There are a number of unacceptable course combinations in relation to the calculation of the Tertiary Entrance Aggregate:

  • Chemistry and Integrated Science
  • Physics and Integrated Science

If both these subjects are taken, only one can be included in the ATAR.

The calculation of a student’s Tertiary Entrance Aggregate does not have to include one of the English-based courses and is independent of his/her achieving the WACE or competence in English.

English Requirement

Students must study an English course in both Years 11 and 12. The English courses draw upon and develop the knowledge, skills and processes related to the strands of Language, Literature and Literacy used in the Year 7 to 10 programs.  In Year 11, students study Units 1 and 2 of their course, while in Year 12 they study Units 3 and 4 of the course.

Students intending to apply to TAFE will be required to demonstrate literacy and numeracy.

Students intending to apply for University entrance will be required to demonstrate Competence in English, as prescribed by Universities through Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC). Please speak to the Senior School Academic Performance Manager if you require further information regarding this.

Guidelines for Choosing the Most Appropriate Courses

As young people mature and collect more information it’s likely that they will change their understanding about their choices. The courses selected should aim to deliver the broadest range of choices for further education and training and for meeting employer expectations.  Courses and programs selected should also reflect a student’s academic capacity as demonstrated in school results, and school staff are best positioned to advise on this.