Senior+Secondary+Curriculum

=Key Documents informing Senior Secondary Education in Victoria=

If you are a Year 11-12 Teacher, you can access VCE, VET and VCAL materials on the VCAA website (see definitions below).

These are the three options for later years pathways offered in Victorian schools. Some students may also take a mix of TAFE subjects. Development of new Australian Curriculum-based senior secondary subjects in English, Mathematics, Science and History are ongoing. However, no changes to the senior secondary curriculum in Victoria will be made as a result of the development of the Australian Curriculum //before 2014 at the earliest.// There are three VCAA publications under the banner // Where to Now? which// provide information on the range of VCE, VCAL and VET courses available to students in 2012. Although designed primarily for students and parents these publications offer insights into the characteristics and focus of the three pathways. The following links provide a deeper understanding of VCE, VCAL and VET:
 * VCE - Victorian Certificate of Education - offered by schools and awarded to students who successfully complete Year 11 and 12. VCE subjects typically consist of four units; each unit covers one semester of study. Students are not required to complete all the units of a subject as part of the VCE course, meaning they are able to change subject choices between Year 11 and 12. A comprehensive range of VCE Study Designs is a good place to begin exploring VCE Curriculum and Assessment practices.


 * VET - Vocational Education and Training - offered by schools and TAFE, VET subjects can count towards the VCE or VCAL allowing students to include vocational studies within their senior secondary certificate. Students undertake nationally recognised training from either accredited state curriculum or national training packages which may contribute to their VCE and/or VCAL. An Overview of VET in the VCE and VCAL offers a useful summary of the way in which these three pathways intersect.

> A number of important changes were made to the VET and VCAL pathways at the end of 2011, these were explained and clarified at a number of statewide briefing sessions. To access a number of useful support materials follow this link and look for the sub-heading:
 * VCAL - Vocational Certificate of Applied Learning - offered by schools, TAFE and some private providers. VCAL is a hands-on option for students in Years 11 and 12, it offers practical work-related experience, as well as literacy and numeracy skills and the opportunity to build personal skills that are important for life and work. Students who undertake the VCAL are more likely to be interested in going on to training at TAFE, doing an apprenticeship, or getting a job after completing Year 12 rather than going on to university. However, Students who start their VCAL and then decide they would like to complete their VCE, are able to transfer between certificates.
 * 2011 VCAA VET, VCAL & DEECD Statewide Briefings.**

//**Reflective Prompts for Senior years Teachers:**//
 * 1) After familiarising yourself with the broad scope and structure of these three pathways, choose one pathway which you would like to explore further. If you have selected the VCE pathway, choose one subject from the VCE Study Designs to investigate. What are the most important aspects of students' development that these documents are asking you, as a teacher, to attend to?
 * 2) From your experience, what have you always strongly attended to anyway? How are the developmental focus areas and approach to assessment similar to or different from your previous experience?
 * 3) Choose one key developmental focus area - reflect on the consequences for students if you didn't attend to this area of development.
 * 4) Choose one key developmental focus area that offers you something new to think about - what is one idea you have for applying this concept in your teaching with a group of students?