Stage 6 Subject Selection

A MESSAGE TO YEAR 10 STUDENTS 

Welcome to the next stage of your educational journey. It is up to YOU to make the most of the challenges you will face and the opportunities you are given.

Wagga Wagga High School is able to offer you a range of courses which are academic and vocationally based. Take the time to read the information on this website carefully, to learn about the HSC and what it means for you. Ask your teachers, parents, older students, friends all questions you have to ensure that you have the correct information.

As a senior student, you will be expected to take an increasingly active role in your own education and learning - both in and out of the classroom. You must commit yourself to the hard work necessary to gain a worthwhile HSC, with this dedication to your education beginning on day 1 of Year 11. There is much to be learnt from students who have completed the HSC in previous years and these students are an invaluable source of information.

Successful students think ahead, stay on task in class, use their study time effectively and are well prepared for assessment tasks and examinations. These students have clear goals, positive attitudes and are enthusiastic about their future.

You must be informed about all the challenges that will face you as you embark on your journey through the Wagga Wagga High School senior school years.

When selecting your courses for Stage 6 (Year 11 and 12), you should:

• ensure that you satisfy the requirements of the HSC [and an ATAR if you are thinking of going to university]

• be realistic about yourself and your abilities but also consider the academic challenges you are capable of. 

• recognise your skills and build on your strengths and interests

• take into account your plans for the future

• be well informed - read this booklet carefully, ask questions if you are unsure.

• listen to the advice of your teachers, the Careers Adviser and Deputy Principal.

Best of luck in your senior school years. Years 11 and 12 can be the best years of your school life. They will certainly be easier for you if you have chosen your subjects wisely and make informed decisions.

Mr Davies (Principal) and the members of the Curriculum Committee.

June 2023

About the HSC

School students in New South Wales generally work towards the Higher School Certificate or HSC in Years 11 and 12. It is the highest level of attainment you can reach at school.

The HSC is a huge operation each year, and the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) oversees it. This section offers information of what the HSC involves and how Wagga Wagga High School can cater to students with a diverse range of abilities, backgrounds and goals.

Advice for students choosing HSC courses

Your aim is to attain the best HSC result you can. You should choose courses that you are good at, interested in and may use in the future.

Consider:

• What are you good at and what do you have an interest in?

• What do you think you might be interested in doing when you leave school?

• What are the course outcomes for the subjects I might be interested in doing? 

• How many hours of work for this subject will I need to do at home?

• Will you be required to submit a major work, or perform, as part of your assessment? 

• Is there a compulsory work placement?

• Talk with your teachers about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as individual course requirements, before making your selections.

Meeting HSC eligibility requirements

Know the eligibility basics

To be eligible for the HSC, you must:

• satisfactorily complete Years 9 and 10 or gain other qualifications that satisfy NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)

• complete HSC: All My Own Work before you submit any work for Year 11 or HSC courses, unless you are only entered for Year 11 and Year 12 Life Skills courses

• satisfactorily complete courses in the patterns of study detailed below

• sit for and make a serious attempt at the required HSC exams.

Certain patterns of study and course requirements apply

You must satisfactorily complete:

• a Year 11 pattern of study that includes at least 12 units

• an HSC pattern of study that includes at least 10 units.

Both patterns of study must include at least:

• 6 units of Board Developed Courses

• 2 units of a Board Developed Course in English, or English Studies

• 3 courses of 2 or more units (either Board Developed or Board Endorsed Courses)

• 4 subjects.

The ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank and is a number used by universities to offer students positions in universities courses.

• The ATAR ranks students in the state. A student who earns an ATAR of 70 has achieved to a higher standard than 70% of students in the state while 30% of students have achieved to a higher level than that student.

• Students must study a minimum of 10 units of Board Developed Courses to be eligible for an ATAR. Two of these units must be English. 

• Students can be eligible for the HSC but not eligible for the ATAR.

• An ATAR is not the only way students can be offered a place at a university, however, it can be the easiest path for students wanting to attend university in the year or two immediately following school.

Types of HSC courses

ATAR or non-ATAR Pathway

Yr 11 2024 Subjects