Curriculum in South Australian schools

Curriculum describes the core knowledge, understanding, skills and capabilities students should learn as they progress through school.

Teachers use curriculum to:

plan student learning
monitor and assess student progress
report student progress to parents
support student wellbeing.

Reception to year 10

The Australian Curriculum is taught in government schools for reception to Year 10 subjects. The curriculum learning areas are:

Elective for year 9 and year 10 students:

Work Studies

Years 10 to 12

Years 10 to 12 students study towards the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE). Students can choose to incorporate SACE studies with:

a school based apprenticeship or traineeship
an Industry Pathway Program
a flexible learning option (FLO).

SACE

Students working towards the SACE study SACE subjects and other learning recognised by the SACE.

SACE provides pathways to work and further education with some subjects counting towards higher qualifications offered through vocational education and university.

School based apprenticeships and traineeships

Senior secondary students may incorporate a school based apprenticeship or traineeship in their final years of schooling, while studying towards their SACE.

Flexible learning options (FLO)

FLO is a student enrolment strategy aimed to assist schools and the wider community in supporting successful engagement and retention of young people in secondary schools identified at significant risk of disengaging from a mainstream school based learning program. The program is available in all areas of the state.

An FLO enrolment involves:

the undertaking of appropriate learning programs (SACE, Australian Curriculum, VET)
having a school managed Flexible Learning and Transition Portfolio (FLTP) in place
the provision of individual case management.

Vocational pathways in schools

The vocational education and training (VET) pathways offered at schools encourage students to work towards completing VET qualifications while undertaking the SACE.

To arrange VET training, talk to the VET coordinator, career advisor or equivalent at your school.

VET in schools

VET pathways in schools allow students in years 10-12 to:

develop skills for the workforce
develop an understanding of the workforce
get training in industry specific skills
gain credit towards a nationally recognised qualification such as a certificate, diploma or advanced diploma while undertaking their SACE.

Doing VET in school may improve admission scores for those planning further study with a training provider or university.

Participating in VET

To arrange VET training, talk to the career advisor or equivalent within your school. Students who want to do VET can:

select VET pathways offered at school
do a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship
participate in an Industry Pathway Program
attend classes or courses at TAFE SA or other registered training organisations.

VET qualifications and SACE

Five SACE credits are awarded for successful completion of 35 hours of VET. Up to 150 of the 200 credits required for SACE can be earned through VET. The VET Recognition Register lists the credits that apply to VET qualifications commonly recognised in the SACE.

Choosing an industry

Students should find out about different industries before choosing a VET course. The WorkReady website provides information on a variety of industries, including:

skills needed in South Australia
a search careers and industries tool
training pathways
occupations available in the industry.

Industry pathway programs

Industry Pathway Programs allow students to combine secondary school studies with vocational education and training (VET) to achieve a nationally accredited vocational qualification and the SACE at the same time.

Benefits

These programs may give students an advantage when seeking employment or applying for further study:

students can continue their training after leaving school through an apprenticeship or traineeship
students can continue their training by studying at TAFE or with a registered training provider
subjects completed at school count towards entry level qualifications of the industry in which they wish to work, or for certificate level courses at TAFE.

Choosing a program

Programs are currently offered in:

automotive
business services
civil construction
community services
construction
digital media
electro-technology
engineering
food processing and production
health
manufacturing
plumbing
primary industries.

For more information contact the VET coordinator, career adviser or similar at your school.