Contact
Jo Merrey (08) 9273 6348
jo.merrey@scsa.wa.edu.au

Principals should ensure that school policy documents for students who are in Year 11 and Year 12 in 2018 are consistent with information in the WACE Manual 2018. Teachers should ensure that their teaching and assessment practices reflect those presented in the WACE Manual 2018.

The structure and content of the WACE Manual 2018 have been continued from 2017.

In addition of minor corrections to language, the following minor amendments have been made to the WACE Manual 2018:

• the new and clarified content icons used in 2017 have been replaced by a banner that will appear alongside content and carry the date of the update
• ‘four units from an English course’ requirement has been further clarified to become ‘from an English learning area course, post-Year 10, including at least one pair of Year 12 units from an English learning area course’ (p. 5, 93)
• changes to eligibility for Foundation courses with details for students who are yet to sit either NAPLAN or OLNA, and where students’ OLNA results indicate ongoing enrolment will support students (p. 8–10)
• clarification about retention of and access to student assessments (pp. 34–45)
• mention of the Syllabus Delivery Audit School Coordinator Handbook (p. 39)
• mention of the Externally Set Task Handbook 2018 (EST) and clarification about the independent marking of selected EST scripts (pp. 39-40).

Only the amendments relating to the changes to eligibility to Foundation courses and the retention of and access to student assessments are flagged with an update banner at the time of publication as the other changes are refinements and clarifications.

The WACE Manual 2018 is available on our website at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual and via the Further Resources tab in the Years 11 and 12 section at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/further-resources/wace-manual.

Data Procedures Manual
The Data Procedures Manual for 2018 is now available to download in Portable Document Format (PDF) on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority webpages:

https://scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual
https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/further-resources/data-procedures-manual
https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/resources/

The Data Procedures Manual reflects changes made to the WACE Manual 2018.

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au

As a result of the amendments to the Acts Amendment (Higher School Leaving Age and Related Provisions) Bill 2005 and the School Education Act 1999, the compulsory education period is until the end of the year in which the child reaches the age of 17 and six months. Thereforestudents must not be removed from the school roll unless the school has received advice of:

• a transfer to a new school or home education, or
• an approved Notice of Arrangements (from either the Participation Unit or School Curriculum and Standards Authority) or
• the student has officially been placed on the ‘Whereabouts Unknown’ list, or
• the parent advises that the student is leaving the school to enrol outside the State, or
• the student has already turned 18 years of age.

A student with a date of birth between 1/7/1998 and 30/6/2000 should not be marked as ‘Left Provider’ or ‘Left Secondary Education’ because they have decided they no longer wish to attend school.

Schools can no longer withdraw any student from a course and adjustments will have to be made to enrolments by the data services team once ATAR course examinations are completed. Any achievements should be uploaded to SIRS.

Students with a ‘Left’ status on SIRS will not receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA) which they may require at a later stage as proof of their education or to apply for further studies.  However, students still on the school roll, or on an approved Notice of Arrangements who will have a current record at 9000 (Department of Education), and who have achieved results in Years 11 and/or 12, will receive a WASSA detailing any results achieved at school.

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au

Students who received an approved ‘Notice of Arrangements’ late in the year may be entitled to receive results for completed courses, VET units of competency or Endorsed Programs.  

If you are uploading results for a student who has previously been withdrawn from a course unit on transfer to Code 9000 with a ‘Notice of Arrangements’, you will receive warning messages similar to the following:

The Course Results (RSCOS): rscos1234y1up.csv has been successfully processed but has recorded the following warnings:

Warning occurred on record: 8 (Student: 12345678: Doe, Jane). The following issue should be noted:

• The student with Student No 12345678 has been re-enrolled to the course or course unit GTENG of course ENG.
• Warning occurred on record: 23 (Student: 12345678: Doe, Jane). The following issue should be noted:
• The student with Student No 12345678 has been re-enrolled to the course or course unit GTAET of course AET.

Please note this is not an error; it means the student has been re-enrolled into the course unit and a result has been recorded for that unit. It will not create a new enrolment, it will only re-enrol. To receive a green tick to indicate a successful upload, please upload the same file again – the warning messages will not appear as the re-enrolment has already taken place.

Year 12 students on a ‘Notice of Arrangements’ will also receive a Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

Contacts
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are reminded the last date for uploading Year 12 student registration and demographic data is 17 November 2017.

All schools are requested to upload their Student Registration and Demographic File (SRGDG) on a regular basis to ensure the accuracy of student registration and demographic data. This is particularly important for the Year 12 students who will be receiving their Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and/or Western Australian Statement of Student Achievement (WASSA) through Australia Post early in 2017.

Please ensure that the student home and postal address details are correct. The Certificate Name that appears on the CSE059 Report is the name that will be printed on the student’s WASSA and WACE. This information is taken from the Certificate Name field in the SRGDG file. These details can be checked by running the Verification of student details report via the pathway Reports > Other Reports > Enrolments > CSE059 – Verification of Student Details.

Schools should ensure students check this information carefully, make any changes and upload their SRGDG file. Instructions for uploading the SRGDG file can be found in Section 3 of the Data Procedures Manual.

If a student has received prior learning block credit, this will also show on the Verification report.

Community service hours
The number of community service hours a student has completed can be uploaded through the SRGDG file and this will appear on each students’ WASSA. If no hours are noted, no mention of community service will be made on the WASSA.

Students with a ‘Left’ status on SIRS will not receive a WASSA, which they may require at a later stage as proof of their education or to apply for further studies.  However, students still on the school roll, or on an approved Notice of Arrangements who will have a current record at 9000 (Department of Education), and who have achieved results in Years 11 and/or 12, will receive a WASSA detailing any results achieved at school.

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@education.wa.edu.au opens in new window

Rick Browner (08) 9273 6386
rick.browner@education.wa.edu.au opens in new window

dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools and other education providers are asked to note the following important dates as the last date for the initial upload of student registration and demographic information to SIRS in 2018.  Please do not leave it until the last date to upload your data.

Thursday 15 February 2018

• Initial 2018 registration and demographic information for Years 10–12 students (required for Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) student lists and password generation).
• Initial 2018 registration and demographic information for ALL Kindergarten–Year 6 students where these students attend schools either administering National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) online or delivering Brightpath.
• Initial 2018 registration and demographic information for all Year 7 and Year 9 students where these students attend schools administering NAPLAN online.

Thursday 15 March 2018

• Registration and demographic information for Years 7–9 students where these students attend schools not administering NAPLAN online is due to be uploaded on Thursday, 15 March 2018.

Thursday 12 April 2018

• Registration and demographic information for Kindergarten-Year 6 students where these students attend schools not administering NAPLAN online is due to be uploaded on Thursday, 12 April 2018.

Updates to registration and demographic information should be uploaded into SIRS on a regular basis for the remainder of the year.

Details of how to register students will be provided in the updated Data Procedures Manual 2018, with links to assist schools using Reporting to Parents, MAZE, and Excel.  There is also a separate Student Registration Procedures Manual 2018 – Primary Students found at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/349641/Student-Registration-Procedures-Manual-2017-Primary-Students-web-version.PDF to assist primary schools with creating and uploading their Student Registration and Demographic File (SRGDG).

Schools who have never previously registered their students Western Australian Student Number will be contacted during 2018 with instructions on how to request and allocate the WASN and how to upload an SRGDG to SIRS.

Requesting WA student numbers (WASN)

WASNs for Kindergarten students ONLY can be requested directly through SIRS from the commencement of Term 4 2017.  Please see instructions in the Section 3.3 of the Student Registration Procedures Manual 2018 – Primary Students found in the above link.

Schools where most students already have a WASN and new students have enrolled who require a number, should check first using the ‘Search for WASN’ process – explained in ‘How to Search for WA Student Numbers in SIRS’ in this Circular.  If you cannot locate a number, then contact numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and give details of the student’s legal surname, legal first name, date of birth and academic year.

To request WASNs, where you have a large number of students requiring numbers, please send a spreadsheet containing the students’ surname, first name, date of birth and academic year to numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and a check will be made before returning with allocated numbers and a request made for new numbers where appropriate.

Schools are requested to include their school code in any correspondence.

Contact
Lynn Galbraith (08) 9273 6702
lynn.galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au opens in new window

Rick Browner (08) 9273 6386
rick.browner@scsa.wa.edu.au

Kerry Tarrant (08) 9273 6770
kerry.tarrant@scsa.wa.edu.au

Limited places are available for secondary school staff, using the Student Information Records System (SIRS), to attend a familiarisation seminar at the School Curriculum and Standards Authority. The seminar is aimed at new and existing secondary school users who have not previously attended a seminar.

Ideally, two staff members should attend: the clerical staff member who may be responsible for maintaining the changes on the school database and the Deputy or Associate Principal who is responsible for timetable changes for students.

The seminar will cover the basic operations and functions of SIRS. This includes data transfer and the generation of reports which enable the information transferred to SIRS to be checked.

The seminar will be approximately two and a half hours duration. Participants will log into SIRS using their own school login and password.

There will be four sessions available prior to school commencing in 2018, which may be preferable for staff in remote and country Western Australia.

Seminar dates and times (2018)

More sessions may be provided if these sessions are fully booked.

Registrations can be made online at
https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/events/SIRS_intro

The seminars will be held in the Mason Bird Building Training Room 1 at 303 Sevenoaks Street, Cannington.  Further details will be supplied to participants once registered.

In previous years, two sessions were held in Bunbury for South West participants, and if we have enough interest for 2018, it may be possible to conduct sessions there again.  Please contact Lynn.Galbraith@scsa.wa.edu.au if you would be interested in attending SIRS familiarisation in Bunbury.

Sessions were also funded in 2017 by schools in Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie and Geraldton and any future sessions in these areas would include a session dedicated to primary schools only.

Contact
Kerry Tarrant (08) 9273 6770
kerry.tarrant@scsa.wa.edu.au

Principals are advised that, further to the communication with principals dated 9 October 2017, the School Curriculum and Standard Authority (the Authority) Board has revised the eligibility rules for Foundation course enrolment from 2018.  

Schools will be able to apply for individual students to be enrolled in Foundation courses where the student is yet to sit either National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) or the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA), or where it would be educationally beneficial for the student to remain enrolled in a Foundation course for 2018. The details of the change can be found in Section 1.8 of the WACE Manual 2018.

The Application form can be downloaded from the Authority website https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/forms/forms under the Enrolments tab.

Contact
Maureen Lorimer (08) 9273 6397 [Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday]
maureen.lorimer@scsa.wa.edu.au

Secondary Deputy Principals and senior administrators are reminded that that the Authority will be hosting a series of briefings in Term 4, 2017.

The briefings will assist Deputy Principals and Senior Administrators in managing curriculum and assessment related activities at their school in Years 7 – 12.

Matters to be discussed include implementation of the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline, updated information regarding moderation activities for 2018 and tools to assist schools with assessment practices and policy specific to senior schooling.  The briefings are not subject specific and as such are not aimed at Heads of Learning Areas/curriculum leaders.

The briefings will be held at venues throughout metropolitan and regional WA in the period 13 November to 27 November 2017.  For those unable to attend, a video presentation will be made available on the Authority’s website: www.scsa.wa.edu.au.

If you require further information please contact Maureen Lorimer, Principal Consultant on

9273 6397 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) or email: Maureen.Lorimer@scsa.wa.edu.au.

To register please follow the link below:

https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/events/secondary-deputy-principals-and-senior-administrators-briefings.

Contact
Gabby Raggio (08) 9273 6306
gabby.raggio@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of Accounting and Finance are advised that the following content has been corrected in the syllabus for teaching in 2017.

ATAR Unit 4

The statement ‘notes not required’ has also been removed from each financial report listed in this section. The notes required are limited to only those listed and may apply to various statements. No other notes are required.

The correction reflects the fact that the notes that accompany financial statements do not solely relate to the statement of financial position, but can be used to inform and support all financial statements.

Teachers should also refer to the clarification published earlier in the year regarding the disclosure requirements of dividend notes and of revalued assets in the property, plant and equipment note .

The updated syllabus is identified with the document number on the inside cover 2013/37297v5. The sample course outline has been updated accordingly and can be identified with the document number 2015/48345v5.

Contact
Mandy Hudson (08) 9273 6755
mandy.hudson@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers are advised that the syllabus documents for Economics ATAR Year 11 and Economics General Year 12 have been updated to remove references to Commonwealth taxes that have been repealed, specifically the mineral resources rent tax and carbon tax.

Contact
Jenny Morup (08) 9273 6377
exams@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools with candidates presenting for an ATAR course examination or interstate language examination can collect one copy of the examination paper one hour after the start of the examination. Multiple copies of the examination paper will not be given to a school.

Teachers must not enter the examination room to request copies of the papers. Where prior arrangements have been made with the chief supervisor, a copy of each examination paper will be left in the school reception area. For examinations with an aural component, copies of the CDs cannot be distributed.

For schools whose students are sitting the examination at a centre other than their school, a copy of the examination paper may be collected from the examination centre as outlined above or they can email exams@scsa.wa.edu.au prior to Thursday, 30 November 2017 to arrange for a copy to be sent to them. Phone requests cannot be accepted.

For schools that do not have candidates sitting the ATAR course examination in that course in 2017, a copy of the examination papers will be available for download from the Authority website early in 2018.

Contact
Angela Kiely (08) 9273 6751
angela.kiely@scsa.wa.edu.au

From 2018 the VET declaration form will replace the VET industry specific declaration form currently located under Declarations in the Forms section of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) website.

https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/forms/forms

The VET declaration form requires all schools who have students enrolled in VET for recognition within the WACE whether through VET credit transfer or VET industry specific course recognition arrangements to declare that all VET enrolments meet the specified conditions as set out in the VET declaration form.

The VET declaration form is required to be signed by the Principal of the school and returned to the Authority by the due date specified in the Activities Schedule.

VET declaration components

The VET declaration form comprises two main components:

• Part A – General
• Part B – VET industry specific courses.

Part A contains:

• reporting and record maintenance
• delivery and assessment
• RTO Partnerships.

Part B requires that for schools enrolling students in VET industry specific courses that they have considered all components and workplace requirements including the ability to:

• provide the appropriate human and physical resources to offer the course
• provide workplace details to the Authority if required as part of the VET industry specific integrity check.

The VET declaration form will be sent as part of the information package sent to schools in January each year.

Principals and VET coordinators should be aware that the VET declaration form may need to be included as an additional record keeping and reporting process to the Authority.