The first official day for all VCE Unit 3 and 4 students was Tuesday, 31 January. On this day, we ran a special 6-lesson timetable to allow students to have one lesson in each subject.

During the first weeks of 2022, I will update all senior students about VCE rules, policies, terminology, and direct them to the Senior Years Handbook (published on SEQTA under Documents). We will also complete official VCE Enrolment forms and related paperwork.

I have summarised several of the most important issues below, which will be reiterated when we welcome you all at Homestead Night on 15 February.

SACs and SATs

As part of their assessment, all students will complete SACs (School Assessed Coursework) and/or SATs (School Assessed Tasks – only in studies where models or products are produced). Both SACs and SATs are internally set and marked. In addition, all studies have externally set and marked examination(s). SACs are moderated against examination performance to ensure equality across schools. The ‘Achievement of Outcomes’ is used to determine satisfactory completion in all studies; all studies have 4–6 outcomes that must be ‘achieved’ to a ‘minimum standard’. SACs are completed mainly during class time. This means that it is essential for students to be in class both to satisfy outcomes and to complete scheduled SACs.

A calendar of dates for Semester 1 - including SACs, SATs and examinations - will be published and distributed to all VCE Unit 3 and 4 students in the coming weeks. It will also be made available on SEQTA under the VCE Portal. As you can all appreciate, changes to the planned dates may sometimes occur, so I encourage families to check this regularly. If changes are made, the class teacher will notify students.

Students and parents should be aware of the following policies (in particular) in relation to the VCE:

Attendance Policy

VCE students are expected to attend at least 80% of scheduled classes (the only exception to this will be for legitimate, documented reasons, for example, ongoing illness). Students who do not attend enough classes may not be eligible for an ‘S’ rating in the subject involved. The usual method for notifying the school of an absence, ringing Reception on the morning of the absence, is necessary at all year levels. This is especially important if a student will be absent on the day of a scheduled SAC/SAT (see following).

Special Provision Policy

At Units 3 and 4, school-based Special Provision for missed SACs/SATs will be granted only to students with a Medical Certificate (or similar official documentation) covering the class(es) missed. Students should see me as soon as they return to school to make arrangements to complete the SAC/SAT missed. In 2023, we will administer these on Wednesday afternoons (from 3-5 pm). Please encourage your child to leave this time free should this catch-up time be needed

At Units 1 and 2, students may apply for an extension of time for an assessment task so long as we have official parent notification that covers the class(es) missed. Teaching staff will ensure that students have written advice on important assessment dates and can satisfy these conditions for Special Provision.

Students should refer to the SAC/SAT Calendar as this calendar will allow all students (and parents) to see when the assessment is scheduled to take place and, if necessary, to obtain the required medical documents to apply for Special Provision (see above). The calendar will be updated periodically (as needed) and placed on SEQTA under Documents.

Ongoing Special Provision

*If you believe any medical, physical, emotional or environmental situation has, or will, disadvantage you / your student in completing the VCE, please come and speak to me ASAP. It is essential that I be kept up to date on issues – this way, I can ensure that students receive support and are aware of all options regarding Special Provisions.

VCAA Special Provision: SEA (Special Examination Arrangements)

*SEA (Special Examination Arrangements) may be granted for students with Severe Health Impairments, Physical Disabilities or Language / Learning Disorders that may impact examination performance. Please see me ASAP if you wish to discuss the relevant requirements. These applications are due to VCAA by 1 April. An email was sent to all students who we believed would qualify (at the end of 2022), and I will continue to follow up. Daily reminders are provided to students to assist them with following up on these applications.

VCE Subject Changes

All VCE subject changes MUST have been discussed with Mr David Benton, who can be found in the Library. Late subject changes are not recommended due to the requirement that students catch up on any missed SACs / SATs and all subject material they may have missed etc.

If a student is still unsure that they have chosen a wise subject, they should speak with me. Note that the VCAA has strict cut-off dates for subject changes – these are listed in the Senior Years Handbook. All subject changes for Semester One are to be completed by the end of Week 4 at the latest. No further subject changes for Semester One will be considered beyond this time.

VCE Results from 2022

We celebrate the achievements of every one of our 2022 Year 12 students. Woodleigh continues to celebrate a range of different pathways and successes. For some students, it was the completion of an unscored VCE, a transition to an Apprenticeship, or a TAFE course. For others, a scored VCE (and resulting ATAR) were required to undertake the next part of their learning journey. We congratulate all of you!

Student well-being and meeting the personalised needs of each individual is our key focus throughout the entire secondary journey. Celebrating that so many of our students achieved highly (as was their goal) is part of the VCE success picture.

It is again incumbent upon me to acknowledge that VCE success does not happen overnight and is a result of all the hard work and dedication from all the Year 7-10 and VCE teachers who have worked with our students. There were some truly outstanding achievements, and not all of these are represented by the top scores. I also wish to recognise the guidance and work extended by all the staff who have worked with our unscored students this year and over their entire secondary journey to ensure they completed their VCE.

I look forward to supporting all students, particularly our Senior students, through the final years of their secondary schooling. 2023 will undoubtedly throw at us all different challenges. However, I am confident that our students are well-equipped with the skills to thrive.

I wish all of you every success in the time ahead. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or want to discuss any VCE matters.

GINA BOLCH
VCE Coordinator and Director of Careers