School Curriculum and Standards Authority | 11 to 12 Circular September 2019

11to12 Circulars - September 2019

Examinations

Front covers for the 2019 ATAR course examinations available to schools

Contact
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787
Kerry.Cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

Front covers for the 2019 ATAR course examinations are available on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website under the ‘Examination Materials’ heading on the relevant course page at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials.

The examination front covers should be distributed by teachers of the relevant courses to help prepare students for the examinations. Feedback from students last year suggests that some teachers did not make copies of the front covers available to their students, nor did they discuss the significance of the information in them.

The front covers contain details of the structure of each examination, the allocation of marks and the rules governing the conduct of the examination. Teachers are strongly encouraged to familiarise students with the front covers of both the written and practical examinations.

Front covers are not included for those language examinations that are set by curriculum authorities in other states.

2020 EST content for all Year 12 General and Foundation courses

2020 EST content for all Year 12 General and Foundation courses

Contact
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787
Kerry.Cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Externally Set Task (EST) is administered in schools during Weeks 2, 3 and 4 of Term 2, 2020. All students enrolled in a General Year 12 or Foundation Year 12 course are required to complete the EST for that course. The EST is based on Unit 3 syllabus content and schools are advised that the syllabus content, highlighted within the document, is now available in the Assessment section of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) website – Years 11 and 12 at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/externally-set-tasks/externally-set-task-materials.

All Foundation course ESTs will include the skills of literacy and numeracy in association with the identified 2020 EST Unit 3 content.

The Authority will publish the Externally Set Tasks Handbook 2020 in January 2020.

Opportunity to join examining panels for the 2020 ATAR course examinations

Contact
Kerry Cribb (08) 9273 6787
Kerry.Cribb@scsa.wa.edu.au

Trish Daly (08) 9273 6761
Patricia.Daly@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) invites applications from current and retired teachers and TAFE and University lecturers to participate in the development of the 2020 ATAR course examinations.

Positions that may be available for all examining panels are:

Chief examiner
Examiner
Independent reviewer
Paper checker.

The Authority is seeking applicants with at least three years’ experience in teaching and assessment, an excellent understanding of examination-setting techniques and familiarity with the syllabus to be examined in 2020 in the relevant course.

The Authority may offer a panel position different from those selected on the original application form.

All individuals offered a position on a 2020 ATAR course examining panel will be required to provide a current screening clearance number obtained through Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check prior to commencing in the position.

Applications for positions are to be made online at the Authority website at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/about-us/employment.

Further information about these positions, including Terms of Reference, Duties of Members, Code of Conduct and the Indicative timeline are available online.

Applications must be received no later than 5pm on Friday, 25 October 2019. Appointment to positions will be finalised by Friday, 15 November 2019.

Courses

Minor syllabus changes for 2020 – the Arts learning area

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

School administrators and Heads of Learning Area – the Arts are requested to note for 2020 the following courses that have minor syllabus changes. These syllabuses are now available on course pages and labelled as ‘For teaching from 2020’.

Course	Syllabus change
Year 12 ATAR Design	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 4 selection of appropriate strategies for communication to attract attention of the audience, including shock tactics, humour, metaphor and emotion

Course

Syllabus change

Year 12 ATAR Design

The following content in the syllabus has been revised:

Unit 4

selection of appropriate strategies for communication to attract attention of the audience, including shock tactics, humour, metaphor and emotion

Minor syllabus changes for 2020 – the English learning area

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

School administrators and Heads of Learning Area – English are requested to note for 2020 the following courses that have minor syllabus changes. These syllabuses are now available on course pages and labelled as ‘For teaching from 2020’.

Course	Syllabus change
Year 11 and Year 12 General and Foundation English as an Additional Language/Dialect	The following change to the syllabus has been made: Eligibility information has been updated to match current WACE rules
Years 11 and 12 ATAR English	For the Year 11 and 12 Glossaries, there have been changes (which take the form of additions, deletions or clarifications) to the terms: Convention Narrative point of view Point of view Prose Short answer response Stylistic features Interpretive texts Voice The following content in the syllabuses has been revised: Unit 2 ‘digital conventions’ now reads as ‘digital features’ Unit 3 ‘create shades of meaning’ revised as ‘create meaning’ ‘language conventions’ revised as ‘language features’ Unit 4 ‘the use of voice and point of view’ revised as ‘the use of voice and narrative point of view’ ‘points of view and values’ revised as ‘viewpoints and values’
Years 11 and 12 General English	For the Year 11 and 12 Glossaries, there have been changes (which take the form of additions, deletions or clarifications) to the terms: Convention Narrative point of view Point of view Prose Short answer response Stylistic features Interpretive texts Voice The following content in the syllabuses has been revised: Unit 1 ‘how conventions of written and visual language shape audience response’ revised as ‘how written and visual language features shape audience response’ Unit 3 ‘different points of view’ revised as ‘different viewpoints’ Unit 4 ‘a logical point of view’ revised as ‘a logical viewpoint’

Course

Syllabus change

Year 11 and Year 12 General and Foundation English as an Additional Language/Dialect

The following change to the syllabus has been made:

Eligibility information has been updated to match current WACE rules

Years 11 and 12 ATAR English

For the Year 11 and 12 Glossaries, there have been changes (which take the form of additions, deletions or clarifications) to the terms:

Convention
Narrative point of view
Point of view
Prose
Short answer response
Stylistic features
Interpretive texts
Voice

The following content in the syllabuses has been revised:

Unit 2

‘digital conventions’ now reads as ‘digital features’

Unit 3

‘create shades of meaning’ revised as ‘create meaning’
‘language conventions’ revised as ‘language features’

Unit 4

‘the use of voice and point of view’ revised as ‘the use of voice and narrative point of view’
‘points of view and values’ revised as ‘viewpoints and values’

Years 11 and 12 General English

For the Year 11 and 12 Glossaries, there have been changes (which take the form of additions, deletions or clarifications) to the terms:

Convention
Narrative point of view
Point of view
Prose
Short answer response
Stylistic features
Interpretive texts
Voice

The following content in the syllabuses has been revised:

Unit 1

‘how conventions of written and visual language shape audience response’ revised as ‘how written and visual language features shape audience response’

Unit 3

‘different points of view’ revised as ‘different viewpoints’

Unit 4

‘a logical point of view’ revised as ‘a logical viewpoint’

Minor syllabus changes for 2020 – the Humanities and Social Sciences learning area

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

School administrators and Heads of Learning Area – Humanities and Social Sciences are requested to note for 2020 the following courses that have minor syllabus changes. These syllabuses are now available on course pages and labelled as ‘For teaching from 2020’.

Course	Syllabus change
Year 12 ATAR Accounting and Finance	As a result of the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting (the Conceptual Framework) coming into effect as of 1 January, 2020, the following content in the syllabus has been revised in Unit 4: the purpose of the Conceptual Framework and its key elements the nature of the reporting entity the objective of general purpose financial reporting evaluation and application of the fundamental and enhancing qualitative characteristics of financial information evaluation and application of asset, liability, income and expense recognition criteria All other references to the previous framework have also been updated to the new Conceptual Framework. To support teachers with these changes, additional support materials have been published and can be accessed via the Support Material tab on the course page of the website.
Year 11 ATAR Accounting and Finance	As a result of the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting (the Conceptual Framework) coming into effect as of 1 January, 2020, the following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 1 simple definition of the elements of financial statements assets liabilities equity income expenses Unit 2 definition, as per the Conceptual Framework, of: assets liabilities equity income expenses recognition criteria, as per the Conceptual Framework, for: assets liabilities income expenses All other references to the previous framework have also been updated to the new Conceptual Framework. To support teachers with these changes, additional support materials have been published and can be accessed via the Support Material tab on the course page of the website.
Year 12 General Accounting and Finance	As a result of the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting (the Conceptual Framework) coming into effect as of 1 January, 2020, the following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 3 simple definition of the elements of financial statements assets liabilities equity income expenses Unit 4 definition, as per the Conceptual Framework, of: assets liabilities equity income expenses recognition criteria, as per the Conceptual Framework, for: assets liabilities All other references to the previous framework have also been updated to the new Conceptual Framework. To support teachers with these changes, additional support materials have been published and can be accessed via the Support Material tab on the course page of the website.
Year 12 General Ancient History	The following two Unit 3 electives have been removed: China from the time of the Warring States to the rise and fall of the Qin dynasty c. 475–c. 206 BC Emergence of the Greek City states in the archaic period to the fall of the Pisistratid Tyranny in Athens c. 800–512/11 BC
Year 12 ATAR Philosophy and Ethics	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: a minor clarification has been made to the instructions in Section 2 of the Examination Design Brief.

Minor syllabus changes for 2020 – the Mathematics learning area

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

School administrators and Heads of Learning Area – Mathematics are requested to note for 2020 the following courses that have minor syllabus changes. These syllabuses are now available on course pages and labelled as ‘For teaching from 2020’.

Course	Syllabus change
Year 11 ATAR Mathematics Applications	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: Assessment table for Investigations and Examinations.
Year 12 ATAR Mathematics Applications	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: Assessment table for Investigations and Examinations Examination Design brief.
Years 11 and 12 Mathematics Essential	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: The Mathematical Thinking and Statistical Investigation processes have been made more explicit within the unit content of each unit in the syllabus using existing text from pages 4 – 5 of the current syllabus.
Year 11 ATAR Mathematics Methods	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: Assessment table for Investigations and Examinations.
Year 12 ATAR Mathematics Methods	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: Assessment table for Investigations and Examinations Examination design brief.
Year 11 ATAR Mathematics Specialist	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: Assessment table for Investigations and Examinations.
Year 12 ATAR Mathematics Specialist	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: Assessment table for Investigations and Examinations Examination design brief.

Minor syllabus changes for 2020 – the Science learning area

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

School administrators and Heads of Learning Area – Science are requested to note for 2020 the following courses that have minor syllabus changes. These syllabuses are now available on course pages and labelled as ‘For teaching from 2020’.

Course	Syllabus change
Year 11 ATAR Aviation	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 1 civilian aviation development since the Wright brothers’ first flight, including: technology (aircraft design, capacity and range, engine power and efficiency, avionics) impact on social and economic development Unit 2 Aviation history and developmental influences the services provided by aviation in Australia today, including: airlines (e.g. Qantas and Virgin) charter (e.g. Skippers, Rex) airwork (Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS)) the roles of: CASA air traffic control (ATC) Bureau of Meteorology
Year 12 ATAR Aviation	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 3 factors influencing the ongoing development and/or likely impact of: unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aircraft noise composite materials ageing general aviation (GA) aircraft fleet, metal fatigue and airframe life extension Unit 4 using the Piper Turbo Lance aircraft determine, under a range of parameters: fuel use, time and distance to climb and descend TAS, cruise power settings and associated rates of climb calculation and adjustment of position of centre of gravity take-off and landing distances weight and balance issues affecting aviation development and their likely impact on the aviation industry, the community and the environment, including: air traffic growth in Asia air traffic congestion in Europe and USA low cost carriers
Year 12 General Aviation	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 4 using the Piper Turbo Lance aircraft, determine, under a range of parameters: fuel use, time and distance to climb and descend TAS, cruise power settings and associated rates of climb
Year 11 ATAR Human Biology	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: School-based assessment The following statement has been added to the Science Inquiry task type in the assessment table: Students must complete at least one investigation over the pair of units. The sub-headings for the types of Science Inquiry tasks have been changed as follows: Practical Practical work can involve a range of activities, such as practical tests; modelling and simulations; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of second-hand data; and/or brief summaries of practical activities. Investigation Investigations are more extensive activities, which can include experimental testing; conducting surveys; and/or comprehensive scientific reports. The wording with regards to authentication of student tasks has been revised to: Appropriate strategies should be used to authenticate student achievement for tasks that have been completed out of class or as part of a group.
Year 12 ATAR Human Biology	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 4 the incidence of genetic diseases in particular populations illustrates the effects of different factors on the dynamics of gene pools, including the incidence of Tay-Sachs disease, thalassemia (α and β) and sickle-cell anaemia determining relatedness and possible evolutionary pathways for hominins uses evidence from comparisons of modern humans and the great apes with fossils of: Australopithecus afarensis Australopithecus africanus Paranthropus robustus Homo habilis Homo erectus Homo neanderthalensis Homo sapiens tool use is seen in a number of hominin species and the study of these tools provides important insight into the evolution of the human cognitive abilities and lifestyles. Trends are seen in the changes in manufacturing techniques and the materials used in the tool cultures of: Homo habilis Homo erectus Homo neanderthalensis Homo sapiens Examination design brief Section Three Extended answer 20% of the total examination Unit 3 One question from a choice of two Unit 4 One question from a choice of two Suggested working time: 50 minutes School-based assessment The following statement has been added to the Science Inquiry task type in the assessment table: Students must complete at least one investigation over the pair of units. The sub-headings for the types of Science Inquiry tasks have been changed as follows: Practical Practical work can involve a range of activities, such as practical tests; modelling and simulations; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of second-hand data; and/or brief summaries of practical activities. Investigation Investigations are more extensive activities, which can include experimental testing; conducting surveys; and/or comprehensive scientific reports. The wording with regards to authentication of student tasks has be revised to: Appropriate strategies should be used to authenticate student achievement for tasks that have been completed out of class or as part of a group.
Year 11 and Year 12 General Human Biology	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: School-based assessment The following statement has been added to the Science Inquiry task type in the assessment table: Students must complete at least one investigation over the pair of units. The sub-headings for the types of Science Inquiry tasks have been changed as follows: Practical Practical work can involve a range of activities, such as practical tests; modelling and simulations; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of second-hand data; and/or brief summaries of practical activities. Investigation Investigations are more extensive activities, which can include experimental testing; conducting surveys; and/or comprehensive scientific reports. The wording with regards to authentication of student tasks has been revised to: Appropriate strategies should be used to authenticate student achievement for tasks that have been completed out of class or as part of a group.
Year 11 and Year 12 General Integrated Science	The following changes to the syllabus have been made: School-based assessment The following statement has been added to the Science Inquiry task type in the assessment table: Students must complete at least one investigation in each unit. The sub-headings for the types of Science Inquiry tasks have been changed as follows: Practical Practical work can involve a range of activities, such as practical tests; modelling and simulations; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of second-hand data; and/or brief summaries of practical activities. Investigation Investigations are more extensive activities, which can include experimental testing; conducting surveys; and/or comprehensive scientific reports. The wording with regards to authentication of student tasks has been revised to: Appropriate strategies should be used to authenticate student achievement for tasks that have been completed out of class or as part of a group.
Year 11 ATAR Integrated Science	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 1 a driver’s reaction time impacts on driving ability and is affected by: anticipation fatigue age eyesight and hearing environmental distractions drugs, including alcohol, cannabis, methylamphethamine, ecstasy, codeine, dexamphetamine and benzodiazepine sound production and transfer require a source of vibration in a medium; the intensity is measured in decibels Unit 2 soil and water quality is monitored by sampling and analysing pH, salt and nitrate levels, as well as the amount of solid wastes School-based assessment The following statement has been added to the Science Inquiry task type in the assessment table: Students must complete at least one investigation in each unit, including a fieldwork or environmental investigation in Unit 2. The sub-headings for the types of Science Inquiry tasks have been changed as follows: Practical Practical work can involve a range of activities, such as practical tests; modelling and simulations; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of second-hand data; and/or brief summaries of practical activities. Investigation Investigations are more extensive activities, which can include experimental testing; conducting surveys; and/or comprehensive scientific reports. The wording with regards to authentication of student tasks has been revised to: Appropriate strategies should be used to authenticate student achievement for tasks that have been completed out of class or as part of a group.
Year 12 ATAR Integrated Science	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 3 the polarity of water molecules helps to explain its properties of high surface tension, high specific heat and density buoyancy is affected by differences in water density and temperature diversity and abundance of aquatic life is affected by the physical and chemical conditions of water, including salt concentration nutrients – phosphates and nitrates dissolved oxygen turbidity pH temperature macro-invertebrate monitoring in aquatic ecosystems can be conducted using a variety of methods to sample known volumes of water biomagnification, eutrophication and oil pollution, affect the ecology of aquatic ecosystems Unit 4 Science Inquiry Skills conduct investigations safely, competently and methodically for the collection of valid and reliable data Science Understanding the structure and function of the internal combustion engine takes advantage of energy transformations to generate motion heating of the home is achieved by burning of wood and fossil fuels, and the consumption of electricity for direct heating passive solar design takes advantage of radiant heat to warm the home electricity generation impacts on society and the environment through resource extraction disturbing natural ecosystems land clearing for infrastructure emissions which contribute to the enhanced greenhouse effect production of wastes, including nuclear consumption and pollution of water the extraction of shale gas by hydraulic fracturing (fracking), is increasing resource lifetimes School-based assessment The following statement has been added to the Science Inquiry task type in the assessment table: Students must complete at least one investigation over the pair of units. The sub-headings for the types of Science Inquiry tasks have been changed as follows: Practical Practical work can involve a range of activities, such as practical tests; modelling and simulations; qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of second-hand data; and/or brief summaries of practical activities. Investigation Investigations are more extensive activities, which can include experimental testing; conducting surveys; and/or comprehensive scientific reports. The wording with regards to authentication of student tasks has been revised to: Appropriate strategies should be used to authenticate student achievement for tasks that have been completed out of class or as part of a group.
Year 11 General Marine and Maritime Studies	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 2 roles and responsibilities of Western Australian marine resource management organisations: for example, Parks and Wildlife Service – Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Fisheries – Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Recfishwest, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Year 12 General Marine and Maritime Studies	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 3 aquaculture management by Fisheries – Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Minor syllabus changes for 2020 – the Technologies learning area

Contact
John Newman (08) 9273 6757
John.Newman@scsa.wa.edu.au

School administrators and Heads of Learning Area – Technologies are requested to note for 2020 the following courses that have minor syllabus changes. These syllabuses are now available on course pages and labelled as ‘For teaching from 2020’.

Course	Syllabus change
Year 12 Computer Science	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 4 types of communications protocols and standards, including: wireless (Bluetooth, ethernet 802.11x, radio frequency identification [RFID]) wired (ethernet 802.3) TCP/IP (IP4, IP6) dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) and domain name system (DNS)
Year 12 ATAR Design	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 4 selection of appropriate strategies for communication to attract attention of the audience, including shock tactics, humour, metaphor and emotion
Year 12 ATAR Food Science and Technology	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 3 how and why food processing techniques are used to control the performance of food temperature – heat, cold exposure to air pH level addition of chemicals – salt, sugar removal of moisture manipulation
Year 12 ATAR Food Science and Technology	The following content in the syllabus has been revised: Unit 4 purpose of the Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) and the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI) influences on the global food supply trade restrictions – embargos, tariffs, subsidies government policies – free trade agreements, fair trade ownership concentration within the food industry - multi-national companies natural disasters and the potential loss of infrastructure land ownership influences on the distribution of global food resources production of biofuels population growth and population distribution food production and distribution food prices demand for meat and dairy

Music Glossary for the WACE Music Syllabuses

Contact
Nick Fielding (08) 9273 6756
Nick.Fielding@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers are advised the Music Glossary for the WACE Music Syllabuses is now available on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website Music course page, under the Support Materials: Written component accordion (https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/music).

This support document defines many of the key terms contained in the ATAR and General Music syllabuses. The glossary was created to address the ambiguity or varying definitions associated with some terms and provides a definitive Western Australian definition to be used in teaching, school-based assessments, the Externally set tasks and the Music ATAR course examination.

Teacher Support Materials for Design General Year 12

Contact
Claire Hodge (08) 9273 6342
Claire.Hodge@scsa.wa.edu.au

Teachers of the Design General Year 12 course are advised that new teacher support materials are available to download at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/arts/design under Support Materials.

These include:

a sample course outline
a sample assessment outline
sample assessment tasks with marking keys for each assessment task type.

Meeting WACE Requirements 2020 Seminar

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

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) is providing two generic seminars for Meeting WACE Requirements in 2020. There will be:

a face-to-face seminar on Wednesday, 23 October from 9.00 am to 11.30 am
an online seminar for teachers in regional, remote or international schools on Thursday, 24 October from 9.00 am to 11.30 am.

The seminars are designed for:

schools that are offering a course for the first time in 2020
schools that are reintroducing a course for the first time since 2015
teachers delivering one or more WACE courses for the first time in 2020 (e.g. graduate teachers, teachers who have not previously taught Year 11 or Year 12, teachers whose past experience has been interstate or overseas)
new school leaders (e.g. Heads of Learning Area).

The purpose of the seminars is to provide teachers with information on the Authority’s assessment and moderation requirements that teachers need to follow when delivering senior secondary courses.

The face-to-face seminar will be conducted at the Telethon Speech and Hearing Centre, Tomasi Room (36 Dodd Street, Wembley). To register online go to the Authority website at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/events/meeting-wace-requirement-2020-seminars.

Teachers in regional/remote areas will be able to join the online seminar via WebEx. To register for this session via WebEx, go to the Authority website at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/events/meeting-wace-requirement-2020-seminars. You will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the session on Thursday, 24 October 2019.

The seminars are free to attend, but the school is responsible for teacher relief and any travel and accommodation expenses. Teachers are asked to bring a laptop or tablet to review and discuss online content.

ATAR Year 12 Economics – Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply Model Clarification

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

In relation to Unit 4 and the Aggregate Demand/Aggregate Supply (AD/AS) model, there is no requirement to distinguish between the Long Run and the Short Run Aggregate Supply curves. The understandings required in relation to the AS curve in the syllabus can be met by using the AS curve described as having three ranges.

There is no requirement in the syllabus to explore the determinants of AD/AS in detail. It would be expected that teachers, when presenting the model of AD/AS, follow the syllabus content set out below:

the aggregate demand (AD) curve and factors that can cause movements along and shifts of the AD curve
the aggregate supply (AS) curve and factors that can cause movements along and shifts of the AS curve.

Teachers are reminded that examination questions are drawn directly from the syllabus. Textbooks are considered as a teaching resource where appropriate.

Vocational Education and Training

Guidelines for the delivery of Certificate IV and above VET qualifications to Senior Secondary Students

Contact
Arti Dogra (08) 9273 6751
Arti.Dogra@scsa.wa.edu.au

Rachael Davidson (08) 9273 6750
Rachael.Davidson@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority has developed Guidelines for the delivery of Certificate IV and above VET qualifications to Senior Secondary Students for use by schools to assist in making an informed decision about the appropriateness and suitability of the delivery of higher-level VET qualifications to senior secondary students.

The guidelines contain key criteria which the school and registered training organisation (RTO) must be satisfied can be demonstrated prior to the enrolment of the student in the qualification.

The guidelines are found at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/vet/vet-credit-transfer under WACE recognition of Certificate IV or higher qualifications.

Endorsed Programs update September 2019

Contact
Arti Dogra (08) 9273 6751
Arti.Dogra@scsa.wa.edu.au

New programs added to the 2019 Endorsed Programs list

The following programs were endorsed by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) Board on 13 August 2019 and are available to students in Years 10, 11 and 12 for WACE recognition from 2019:

School-developed Endorsed Programs

North Lake Senior Campus: Preparing for Access and Transition Program
Emmanuel Christian Community School: Christian Studies Program
Prendiville Catholic College: TIDE Enterprise Program

Provider-developed Endorsed Programs

ASDAN International Awards Programs
- Bronze Award
- Silver Challenge Award
- Silver Award
- Gold Award
Codemaster Institute Pty Ltd: Web-development Programs
- Web-development for Industry Module 1 Front-end Design
- Web-development for Industry Module 2 Web Programming
- Web-development for Industry Module 3 Back-end Development and Hosting
- Web-development for Industry Module 4 Frameworks and Industry Requirements

A description of each program, the provider’s contact details, the allocated unit equivalence and the period of endorsement are detailed on the Authority website. The web link for endorsed programs is:

https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/endorsed-programs.

General Information, SIRS and Enrolments

Year 12 students to remain on school roll unless advised otherwise

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. Therefore, students 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 1/7/2001 and 30/6/2002 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.

Students on a ‘Notice of Arrangements’ – uploading results

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.

Western Australian Student Number (WASN) requests for 2020

Contact
numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au

dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

All current students in Western Australia should have been allocated a Western Australian Student Number (WASN), and be registered with the School Curriculum and Standards. This number remains with the student throughout their school life. Schools need to recognise the importance of the WASN to avoid duplication of records and maintain continuity of student data.

From 14 October 2019, schools will only be able to request WASNs through the Student Information Record System (SIRS) for Kindergarten students commencing in 2020. If a student other than Kindergarten arrives at your school from another WA school, please check to see if they have a WASN 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. It is also useful to include your school code in any correspondence. If schools request a WASN for a student who already has a number, the correct WASN number will be sent back to schools. The Authority will forward to schools new WASNs for those students without a number.

All secondary schools with a Year 7 intake can send a complete list (spreadsheet) of Year 7 students entering their school, including the student’s legal surname, legal first name and date of birth and we will look up the numbers on their behalf.

A reminder that details of how to register students can be found in the Student Registration Procedures Manual 2019 – Primary Students found at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual-2019 opens in new window with links to assist schools using Integris (RTP), Civica Maze, and Excel. There is also a Guide to uploading Student Registration and Demographic (SRGDG) file found at PDFhttps://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/349636/GUIDE-TO-UPLOADING-STUDENT-REGISTRATION-AND-DEMOGRAPHIC-FILE.pdf opens in new window and some online training videos found at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/sirs-info/primary-schools.

Ensure your Year 12 student details and community service hours are accurate

Contact
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 Friday, 15 November 2019.

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 2020.

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 4 of the Data Procedures Manual - https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/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 student’s 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.

How to Search for WA Student Numbers in SIRS

Contact
numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au

dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

Please refer to the 2 August 2019 circular item regarding registration and enrolment of P–10 students transferring between schools in Western Australia. By checking a student number the system will also give you a student’s current academic year.

If a student arrives at your school from another school in Western Australia, or even from overseas/interstate, you have the ability to search in the Student Information Records System (SIRS) for that student’s Western Australian Student Number (WASN) using a surname, given name and date of birth.

All student registrations are recorded in SIRS by the end of Term 1. After this time, you will be able to search for students including the student’s previous school/s. You will know where to send a transfer note, if required.

Hover over Enrolments in the menu bar.
Click on Student Enrolment > Student Maintenance > Find Student Number (see image below).

The Find Student Number directory will appear (see image below). Enter the student’s Family Name, Given Name and Date of Birth.

Click Search.If the information you have entered exactly matches the information in SIRS, you will find a result even if the student is not at your school (see image below).

If the details you have requested are different from the information in SIRS (e.g. date of birth is different, Jackie is spelt as Jacky), no information will be found. In this case, please email numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and provide the student’s:

Family Name (Surname)
Given Name (First name)
Date of Birth
Academic Year
Previous School (if known).

Troubleshooting: Search WASN

What happens if the requested information does not show?Email numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and provide student name, academic year and date of birth.
What happens when a single year (for example, 2012 to 2012) is entered in the date range? Only a result for that year will be returned.
What does it mean when the Department of Education is shown as the student’s main provider?

It means the student is likely to be under a Notice of Arrangements or may have been on the Whereabouts Unknown List (more likely with Years 7, 8, 9 and 10).