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Senior Secondary

Senior Years

Welcome to Years 10, 11 and 12 at Melton Christian College.

Through senior school, students can connect all the varied and various learnings that have led to this point in their education. Most importantly, senior schooling is a continuation of each student’s search to identify their God-given gifts. In Christian education we believe that every person has a specific and wonderful contribution to make to their society; we call it their ‘vocation’ or ‘calling’.

Each of our students is guided through their senior schooling and helped along the path of identifying their ‘calling’ in Christ. Thus our teachers assist students to pursue their personal best, and through that pursuit of excellence students discover the ways the Lord can use them to positively impact their world.

Our College’s leaders and teachers hold excellence as a core value. They are experienced practitioners with a passion for teaching and learning. They seek to bring out their students’ best as they guide our young men and women towards optimal post-secondary options.

I look forward to wonderful partnership with parents, staff and students in the ongoing education for excellence at Melton Christian College.

Mr D Gleeson, Principal

Our Senior School Leadership Team

Success in senior school comes from treating study as a long-distance marathon, not a quick sprint.

Those who succeed in senior school are those who set manageable goals, and who follow through to reach those goals. Sometimes students who start in senior school rush through study, or they produce hasty assignments. Sometimes students start with a great flurry of energy, but their stamina soon stops and so do they. Such students do not succeed through the marathon-like demands of senior schooling.

We urge parents of senior students to stay connected. Stay connected both with your children through their senior years of schooling, and stay connected with the teachers also. Staying connected with teenagers is not difficult, it just involves doing more listening than talking. Constructive communication with your children’s teachers is also not difficult, it is simply a matter of prioritising the partnership that you have with the school staff. In other words, take the time to email, take the time to attend interviews, stay in touch so that if obstacles arise, you and the teachers together can overcome them quickly.

The students of Melton Christian College are blessed to have onsite VCE exams, great resources, passionate teachers, a range of studies that includes scored VET subjects that can be studied onsite and a dynamic hands-on VCAL program. There is every reason for our latest cohort of senior students to thrive in life as they strive for excellence and find their calling.

We look forward to partnering with parents in supporting our senior school students.

Introduction

This guide contains information about the Year 10 subjects, the VCE and VCAL certificates offered at Melton Christian College. In addition, the guide outlines the VET certificates offered for Year 11 and 12 students. Each student is provided an opportunity to develop a program to suit his or her own needs and interests as they pursue their God-given calling.

Accordingly, it is very important that students consider carefully the subjects that may be needed for entry to tertiary institutions or particular careers.

Christ-Centred Education

Melton Christian College provides a range of options for senior secondary schooling. Students can attain a VCE or VCAL completion certificate, and in addition can incorporate a vocational certificate into their chosen course.

However, education goes beyond mere academic or vocational training. As a Christian College, we invite students to see and understand the world through the perspective of God’s word – a biblical ‘lens’ through which ideas, mindsets, philosophies, actions and events can be examined. The biblical narrative of God’s relationship with mankind is woven throughout our curriculum from primary school to VCE.

Course Pathways – VCE, VCAL & VET

Students have a choice of three pathways to attain a secondary completion:

  • the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Scored;
  • the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Certificate-only; and
  • the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).

VCE Scored

  • A good option for students who would like to go on to further education at university
  • Students complete a minimum number of units, sit exams and receive a study score which gives them a ranking number (ATAR) for tertiary admission

VCE – Certificate Only

  • A good option for students who are not intending to go on with further education at the university level
  • Student who complete this pathway can continue into TAFE courses or the workforce.

VCAL 11-12

  • A good hands-on option for Year 11 & 12 students
  • Gain practical work-related experience
  • Build skills that are important for life and work
  • Students who do the VCAL are likely to be interested in going on to training at TAFE, starting an apprenticeship, or getting a job after completing school

Students in either stream can also choose to incorporate a vocational certificate into their course. A VET course can be taken in Years, 10, 11 or 12 alongside the student’s other subjects.

VET 10-12

  • Enables students to work towards a recognised qualification at the same time as their VCE or VCAL certificate
  • Nationally accredited modules which work towards a Certificate or Diploma, such as children’s services, construction, automotive, fitness
  • In 2021, four VET courses will be offered onsite

Read more about each of these options by reading the Senior Years Guide here: link to Senior Years Guide PDF

Year 10

Year 10 is a major preparatory year for each student’s VCE/VET/VCAL pathway and subject preparation. The Year 10 timetable is modelled on the Year 11 and 12 program. This allows greater emphasis on fewer subjects and improved ability in application in all outcomes and assessments. The current timetable operates on a six-session day, with 50-minute sessions and each subject block containing ten sessions per fortnight.

Students study the following core subjects:

  • Bible (full year)
  • Careers (full year)
  • English (full year)
  • Global Citizens (full year)
  • History (minimum one semester)
  • Maths (full year)
  • PE-Health (minimum one semester)
  • Science (minimum one semester)

Electives

In addition to core subjects, students will select from the following electives to complete their program:

  • Japanese (single semester)
  • An additional semester of Science, History and/or PE-Health
  • A VCE Unit 1&2 subject (full year – see next page for more information)
  • A VET subject (full year – see the VET section of this handbook)
  • Applied Learning (full year)

Subject Selection

Students choose their subjects in preference order from 1-9. The subject preferences of all students will then be used to create the timetable blocking grid and students will be allocated to their subjects based on their preferences, ensuring that they satisfy the core subject requirements.

Whilst every effort will be made to allocate students their top preferences, due to the complexity of the timetable this might not be possible. Where students cannot be allocated their top preferences, their subsequent preferences will be taken into consideration.

VCE elective units in Year 10

In Year 10, students have the option of incorporating a VCE Unit 1&2 subject into their program.

Benefits

  • Taking up an initial VCE subject at Year 10 allows students to familiarise themselves with the requirements and workload of VCE before entering the full program at Year 11
  • Early uptake also enables students to complete a higher number of Unit 3/4 subjects in order to maximise their ATAR for university entrance. At MCC, we have seen Year 10 students in a Unit 1&2 subject keep up with and at times even outperform their Year 11 classmates

Choosing Your Subject

If taking up this option, we recommend that students select the VCE subject that most interests them. Research shows that students are more likely to maintain engagement in areas where they have an intrinsic (internal) motivation to succeed born out of interest or enjoyment.

Unit 1&2 VCE subjects on offer for Year 10 students in 2021 (subject to class sizes) are:

  • Biology
  • Food Studies
  • History
  • Media
  • Computing
  • Health & Human Development
  • Business Management
  • Studio Art
  • Theatre Studies
  • Legal Studies
  • Accounting
  • Psychology
  • PE
  • Japanese

Overview of Programs For Year 10

  • Swimming Carnival
  • Mockjob Interview Program
  • Athletics Carnival
  • Year 10 Camp
  • Course Counselling
  • Cross Country
  • Careers Fast-track program
  • Careers Information Night
  • Preparation for Work Experience
  • End of Year Exams
  • Headstart Program
  • Work Experience
  • Year 10 Parent Information Evening
  • Presentation Ball

VCE – Victorian Certificate Of Education

The VCE is a senior secondary certificate of education recognised within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). It is designed to be completed over a minimum of two years and includes general education curriculum components (VCE studies) and programs from Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications. It is internationally recognised and is used by universities and other tertiary institutions to determine eligibility for entry into their courses.

Melton Christian College offers a great range of subjects. Students will take a minimum of 18 units within their VCE program (one unit is one semester’s work). Students have the option of taking two units in Year 10; they take ten units in Year 11 and eight to ten units in Year 12. Normally, there are four units of work for each subject.

Most students will study 20 units over the three years; in addition, they also take the core Melton Christian College subjects of Bible, Careers and Sport, and attend regular chapel services.

Overview of Programs For Year 11 & 12

  • VCE Success Strategies
  • Year 12 Aspire Retreat
  • Year 11 Formal
  • Year 12 Valedictory Dinner
  • Year 12 Graduation
  • Resilience Project Presentation
  • Study Skills
  • Exam Preparation Presentations

A schedule of whole school assemblies, year level assemblies, house assemblies and wellbeing sessions provide opportunities for student leadership and involvement in school decision-making. Meetings are often organised and run by students as part of an extensive whole school student participation program. This is further encouraged through opportunities for students to stand for election as School Captains, Vice Captains, House Captains and SRC representatives, and there is also scope for membership of many committees and working groups.