1

VCE

HANDBOOK Year 12

FOR PARENTS AND

STUDENTS IN 2019

2

January 30 Unit 3 begins

February 15 Year 12 Orientation Program

February 15 Last day to change subjects

March 1 Final date for special exam arrangements to be lodged for GAT/November

exams

April 5 End of Term 1

April 23 Term 2 begins

May 1 Last day to enrol or withdraw Unit 3 & 4 sequences

June 12 GAT (all students enrolled in a Unit 3 subject must sit the GAT)

June 17 Unit 4 Begins

June 28 End of Term 2

July 15 Term 3 begins

July 23 Last day to withdraw from Unit 4

September 20 End of Term 3

October 7 Start of Term 4

7 Oct – 3 Nov Performance & LOTE Oral exams

30 Oct – 20 Nov Unit 3/4 exams

30 Oct N letters

December 13 Results available to students

KEY DATES 2019

3

ATTENDANCE

● You must attend 90% of scheduled classes (no more than 8 lessons

absent/subject/semester) in order to pass a unit. Failure to meet this requirement may result

in an N for the unit of work. This school decision is final and not subject to VCAA

appeal. ● This 90% includes illness (where a medical certificate must be supplied), approved school

excursions and activities. ● If a student is not going to be attending school parents need to advise the school by 10am on

the day of the absence. After this time the college will notify parents of the absence, either

by phone, SMS or email. ● Excursions and other school activities (such as sport, drama productions, etc) are recognised

as approved absences. ● If you need to be away from school, and you are aware of this, you must let your study

teachers and advisory teacher know well beforehand. Notes must always be supplied from

parents, beforehand if possible (note: only medical certificates will be included in your 90%

attendance).

COLLEGE UNIFORM

● All PCSSC students are required to attend school in full uniform. Where a student fails to

provide a satisfactory parental/guardian note of explanation excusing them from wearing

items of the uniform, they may be withdrawn from class or sent home and required to return

to school once they are correctly attired. This period of absence from classes will be used

when calculating the minimum 90% attendance requirement. ● Any family facing financial difficulty in supplying the uniform should contact the college

directly so that support, if available, can be provided.

UNIT 3 AND UNIT 4 EXAMINATIONS

There is one examination period that is centrally set and externally assessed by the VCAA.

It is scheduled for October / November.

All students enrolled in a Unit 3 / 4 study must also undertake the General

Achievement Test (G.A.T.) in June.

Please note: Students should remain for the full advertised time of each individual study examination,

unless otherwise directed by the Chief Examination Supervisor.

Use of dictionaries in exams: An English and/or English-LOTE printed dictionary can be used in English / English (EAL)

exam and in the GAT. In LOTE exams you may use any printed monolingual or bilingual

dictionary in one or two separate volumes. Dictionaries must not contain any highlighting or

annotation. A dictionary which contains a thesaurus in the same volume is not permitted in

any examination. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted in any examination. Dictionaries

are not allowed to be used in any other examination. In examinations where they are

permitted, a dictionary may be consulted during reading time. However, no notes may be

made during reading time.

Information on the use of and acceptable models of calculators will be provided by

VCAA prior to the GAT in Term 2.

4

DEADLINES FOR CLASSWORK

Deadlines are set by each study teacher and students are advised of these dates during the

unit. You are required to enter these dates into your study planner.

All work needs to be submitted on the due date during class time or at a time specified by

the study teacher.

An extension of time will only be granted by your study teacher in exceptional

circumstances, such as:

i) Medically certificated illness.

ii) Proven personal hardship.

iii) Circumstances clearly beyond the student’s control.

In exceptional cases your teacher MAY DECIDE to allow you to resubmit work so that you

may still achieve an “S” for the outcome. Your teacher will provide you with the appropriate

form and details of the resubmission.

If you fail to complete homework or classwork, your teacher will indicate this in the five

weekly checks / interim reports to inform you and your parent/guardian that you have

increased chances of receiving a Not Satisfactory result for the unit.

SCHOOL ASSESSED COURSEWORK

Coursework (Assessment tasks or SACs) are a part of the regular teaching and learning

program and must be completed mainly in class time.

Results of SACs in Units 3 and 4 studies count towards your Study Score in each VCE study

and ultimately towards your Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).

Absence from a SAC with Medical Certificate

If a student is absent from a SAC and has a MEDICAL CERTIFICATE then the

opportunity to undertake a reschedule of the SAC will be available on the Tuesday afternoon

between 3.15 and 4.30pm (in rooms 101/102) of the week following the SAC scheduled date

(or the week following the student’s return to school).

A copy of the medical certificate should be shown to the subject teacher and handed to

Ms.Sterck before the Tuesday of the reschedule. The Year Level Leader of the student will

organise supervision of the SAC.

Students who attend SACs on the specified reschedule date and time and complete or

attempt any part of the SAC will have their work graded accordingly and the score recorded.

Absence from a SAC without Medical Certificate

If a student is absent from a SAC and does not have a MEDICAL CERTIFICATE then

they will not be given the opportunity to undertake a reschedule of the SAC for study score

assessment. They will have an NA (Not Assessed) recorded as their grade, and a zero score

towards their study score for a Unit 3/4 sequence.

5

Note: Students who need to complete a SAC to achieve an S (Satisfactory) in an

outcome will be allowed to resit the SAC for this purpose only and must arrange the

resit with the classroom teacher. The grade towards unit 3/4 study scores will still be

NA.

Excursions

Students who wish to attend excursions and have a SAC scheduled may undertake a

reschedule of the SAC on the Thursday of the following week only if their subject teacher

has signed the Out of Routine Permission Form granting permission for the student to

attend the excursion.

If the Out of Routine Permission Form is not signed then the SAC will have an NA (Not

Assessed) recorded as the grade, and a zero score towards the study score for a Unit 3/4

sequence.

SCHOOL ASSESSED TASKS

SATs occur in Units 3 & 4 of the following studies. In these studies you are required to

produce a product or model:

● Media ● Studio Arts ● Visual Communication Design ● Product Design and Technology (Textiles and Wood) ● Food and Technology ● Systems Engineering

Feedback to students: After your work is submitted and marked, teachers will advise you:

● on particular problem areas. ● on where and how improvements can be made. ● if you have received an S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory) result.

For SATs, teachers ARE NOT permitted to mark or provide comments on any draft of

work that is to be submitted for assessment.

6

RULES FOR THE STUDENT CONDUCT DURING

EXAMINATION/SAC under TEST CONDITIONS

1. Students must not cheat or assist other students to cheat.

2. Students must not take any action that gives or attempts to given them or another student

an unfair advantage in an examination.

3. Students must not allow, induce or assist any other person to present for an examination

in their place.

4. Students must not present for an examination in another student’s place.

5. Students must not present for an examination under the influence of alcohol, drugs or

intoxication substances. A student who has taken medicinal drugs for a medical condition in

accordance with good medical practice is, to that extent, exempt from this rule.

6. Students must obey and observe all proper instructions or directions given by their

examination supervisor.

7. Students attending an examination may bring only materials and equipment approved for

that examination into the examination room.

8. Students must not possess in an examination room mobile phones and electronic devices

that are capable of storing, receiving or transmitting information or electronic signals, such

as recorded music and video players, organisers, dictionaries and computerised watches.

9. Students detected with a mobile phone or electronic device such as recorded music and

video player, organiser, dictionary or computerised watch or as defined in the previous

guideline, must, upon the direction of a supervisor, surrender that device for inspection and

to be retained pending any investigation into an alleged breach of VCAA rules.

10. Students must not bring into or possess in the examination room any drinks or food

except under special circumstances as approved and directed by the BCAA. Bottled water is

permitted in the examination room under approved conditions.

11. Students must not communicate with another student while the examination is being

conducted.

12. Students must not cause any nuisance, annoyance or interference to any other student

while in an examination.

13. Students must not remove, tear out or damage any part of a bound reference, script book,

question and answer book or answer book except formula sheets or similar permitted

examination materials.

14. Students must not remove any response material, used or unused, from the examination

room.

15. Students must not begin to write or mark their paper or response material in any way, or

use a calculator, until advised by a supervisor that writing may commence.

16. Students must stand in their place or raise their hand if they wish to communicate with a

supervisor.

17. Students will not be permitted to leave the examination room early.

18. Students must cease writing when instructed to do so by a supervisor.

19. Students must remain silent and seated in their place at the end of the examination until

response materials have been collected and checked, and an announcement is made to

students to leave the examination room.

20. Students must not leave their place until directed by a supervisor.

21. Students must not communicate with an assessor, either before or after a written

examination or during a performance examination, except when communication is necessary

for the conduct of the examination.

7

SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF A UNIT

You will receive an overall S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory) for every unit. To be

sure of receiving an S for the unit, you must achieve the outcomes.

To achieve an outcome, you must:

● Hand in work of a suitable standard. ● Hand in work on time. ● Hand in work that is clearly your own. ● Stay within the attendance requirements of 90%.

If all outcomes are achieved, you will receive an S for the unit.

Some assessment tasks are regarded as major tasks, and will be regarded as essential for the

completion of the unit. Your teacher will inform you of these special tasks at the start of the

unit.

NON-SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF A UNIT

If a student is unable to submit a major assessment task or achieve a grade above 40% for

the task and is therefore at risk of failing the unit, then the student may be given the

opportunity to resubmit the piece of work. This will only occur if there are exceptional

circumstances and the student will be given one opportunity to rectify these concerns.

Less than 90% attendance without satisfactory explanation for absence will lead to a result

of Not Satisfactory (N) completion of the unit.

If you do not submit work after revised deadline, an “N” letter will be sent from the

Assistant Principal. You may be able to appeal this decision if you have one or more of the

grounds to appeal. You have five days to appeal this decision, after which a panel will be

convened. The decision arrived at by the panel is out of the hands of the study teacher.

You may be awarded an N (Not Satisfactory) for a unit because:

● you failed to meet a school deadline for a work requirement or assessment task; ● you failed to meet a deadline where an extension of time had been granted for any

reason; and/or ● you committed a substantial breach of attendance rules (i.e., failed to meet the 90%

attendance requirement), and you have missed significant amounts of classwork.

If you receive an N, you and your parents will be sent a letter informing you of this.

8

APPEALING AN “N” RESULT ● If you are given an N for a unit or a piece of work, you have a right of appeal to the

College. You will be given an appeal form with your N letter. ● You have 5 days to fill this form out and present it to the Program Leader if you wish

to appeal. ● The appeals panel will deliberate the case, and make recommendations to the Principal ● You will be notified in writing of the decision. ● You may have a right of appeal to the VCAA against the decision of the Principal.

This must be done within 14 days of the decision. ● Your parent or a friend may attend in a support role, but cannot take part in any

proceedings.

Grounds for Appeal

● Illness

A medical certificate must be provided stating your incapacity to complete or attempt the set

work outcomes. The certificate must be shown to your subject teacher on the day you return

to school. No Back Dated Certificate Will Be Accepted.

● Major illness or death in the family

A letter from the treating Doctor or hospital confirming the illness or death of a relative

including relevant dates.

● Extenuating circumstances

Circumstances which have significantly affected the normal arrangements of students and

have an affect on the ability to meet required assessment timelines. A supporting statement

from the Student Welfare Leader or an outside agency must be provided.

A brief statement outlining reasons for appeal and relevant documentation must be

submitted within 5 days of receipt of “N” letter.

9

USE OF COMPUTERS

If you use a computer to produce work for assessment, you are responsible for

ensuring that:

● There is an alternative system available in case of computer or printer malfunction or

unavailability. ● Hard copies of the work in progress are produced regularly. ● Each time changes are made, the work is saved onto a back-up file. The back-up file

should not be stored with the computer.

AUTHENTICATION

You must submit only work that is your own.

You are responsible for ensuring that your teacher has no difficulty in authenticating your

work. You may be asked to provide evidence that a piece of work is your own.

You must acknowledge all resources used, including:

● Text and source material. ● The name[s] and status of any person[s] who provided assistance and the type of

assistance provided.

You must not receive undue assistance from any other person in the preparation and

submission of your work.

Acceptable levels of assistance include:

● The incorporation of ideas or material derived from other sources (e.g., by reading,

viewing or notetaking) but which has been transformed by the student and used in a

new context. ● Prompting and general advice from another person or source which leads to

refinements and/or self-correction. Unacceptable forms of assistance include:

● Use of, or copying of, another person’s work or other resources without

acknowledgment. ● Actual corrections or improvements made or dictated by another person. ● Submitting the same piece of work as another student

You must not submit the same piece of work for assessment more than once.

If you knowingly assist other students in a Breach of Rules you may be penalised.

10

If you hand in work that your teacher feels may not be yours: Your teacher will ask you to provide evidence that the work is your own. You can be asked

to:

● Provide evidence of the development of the work (for example drafts). ● Discuss the content of the work with the teacher and answer questions to demonstrate

your knowledge and understanding of the work. ● Provide samples of other work. ● Complete, under supervision, a supplementary assessment task (or test) related to the

original task. ● Complete a task to demonstrate an understanding of the work.

If your teacher feels that you haven’t provided sufficient evidence, your teacher will

immediately inform the Program Leader. You may need to go before a panel of staff to

discuss your case.

This is a serious breach of rules, and you are in danger of receiving an N for the unit.

At VCE level, if a task is not fully completed in class, you must sign the Declaration of

Authenticity at the time you submit the completed work. Your teacher will provide this for

you.

For School-Assessed Tasks (SATs) you must also: Produce appropriate evidence of the development of the work, from planning and drafting,

through to the final piece of work. Submit evidence of the development of each School-

Assessed Task (for example, a draft). Written comments will be provided by the teacher on

the evidence. The evidence is to be dated and signed by both your teacher and you.

11

SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF THE VCE

Completing the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE): The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) controls all aspects of the

Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). All students who enrol in any VCE study must

sign an agreement to abide by VCAA rules. This will be organised at the beginning of the

school year.

Successful Completion of VCE: You must:

i) Satisfactorily complete a total of 16 units over two years.

ii) Satisfactorily complete 3 units from the English group. Complete units 3 and 4 of

English

iii) Satisfactorily complete 3 pairs of units at Year 12 (6 units in total) other than English.

It is your responsibility to ensure that the above requirements are satisfied.

Please Note: “VTAC advises that for the calculation of a student’s ATAR, satisfactory

completion of both Unit 3&4 of an English sequence is required’.

To get a study score you must receive an ‘S’ for the sequence (Unit 3 and Unit 4).

ENROLMENT RECORDS

Records of enrolment in the VCE need to be accurate. Student records are kept on a database

called the VASS (VCE Administrative Software System).

Students will be issued with student “Full Details” forms at various intervals during the year.

These must be carefully checked to ensure accuracy - any errors will jeopardise VCE

enrolment requirements.

NB: Students who undertake VCE studies at another school, especially

languages, must ensure that this information is made known to the

Program Leader at the beginning of the school year.

12

SPECIAL PROVISION

You are eligible for Special Provision for school based assessment including:

● Coursework ● School-assessed Tasks ● Examinations ● The GAT

If during the completion of any tasks, you are:

● Affected significantly by illness, by any factors relating to personal environment, or by

other serious cause.

OR ● Prevented by illness, by any factors relating to personal environment, or by other

serious cause from completing a task for graded assessment.

OR ● Disadvantaged by any physical disability or impairment. You do NOT have grounds for Special Provision if you: ● Are absent from school or study for prolonged periods without evidence of significant

hardship or a doctor’s certificate. ● Are comparatively unfamiliar with the English language as your only disadvantage. ● Are affected by teacher absence and other teacher-related difficulties. ● Are affected by faulty technology in the preparation of work. ● Misread an examination timetable or an examination paper. It is the responsibility of the student to formally notify the Program Leader (Trish Walker)

AS SOON AS THEY BECOME AWARE of any circumstances which they believe have

disadvantaged them. Failure to give early notification may make it more difficult for you to

establish a case.

If the school is satisfied that the student’s disadvantage has been adequately compensated by

school strategies or special arrangements for exams then Consideration of Disadvantage

should not be granted by the school.

Scores for SACs would have thus been adjusted and entered on the Result sheets for SIAR

1, 2, 3 & 4.

The following form can be photocopied and used by you when you need to.

* This form must be submitted before the due date.

13

REQUEST FOR EXTENSION OF TIME

Note: 1. Only Section A & B must be completed by the student and given to the study Teacher

A. Student details

Student name: ________________________________________________________

Student Advisory Group/Teachers: ________________________________________

Date of Application: ___________________________________________________

B. Details of Application Subject/Unit: Teacher: Original due date: Assessment Task Title: Reason for Application: __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

*attach any required documentation or supporting evidence

Parental Signature:

__________________________________________________________________

C. Outcome

Date: STUDY TEACHER DECISION: YES / NO

CLASS TEACHER’S SIGNATURE : __________________________________________

THIS APPLICATION HAS / HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL

THE REASON/S FOR THIS IS/ARE:

REVISED DEADLINE : ____________________________________

14

NOTES