A message to parents and students
Welcome to this important chapter in your child’s education as they prepare for their senior studies. The Careers (Non-ATAR) Pathway is a supportive route to the Higher School Certificate (HSC) that focuses on practical skills, vocational training and preparation for the workforce or further study at TAFE.
This site has been produced to help both parents and students understand the subjects provided within the Careers Pathway. We encourage you to read it thoroughly and to consult with Academy staff if needed.
We look forward to working with you and your child as they begin this next stage of their schooling, and wish every student success in their senior years.
Mr Husam Al Jabi, HSC/DP Coordinator · Mr Mohammad Akkawy, Deputy Principal
Some important considerations
The Careers (Non-ATAR) Pathway
Students on the Careers Pathway work toward the HSC. Employment opportunities are increasingly found in areas not well served by traditional university preparation — tourism, hospitality and information technology are good examples. Students on this pathway should seriously consider the range of Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses available, and the work placement and TAFE opportunities that come with them.
Non-ATAR rules have changed
English Studies, Mathematics Standard 1, Business Services and Retail Services are Board Developed courses. Visual Design, Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies, Work Studies and Marine Studies are Content Endorsed courses.
Students on the Careers Pathway are not sitting HSC exams in their subjects and are not pursuing an ATAR. This gives more flexibility to undertake work experience during school hours and to enrol in TAFE courses alongside HSC studies.
Moving to university later
Choosing the Careers Pathway does not close the door to university. Many students go on to further study through TAFE-to-university pathways, mature age entry, bridging courses or by building on vocational qualifications. It simply means taking a different route.
Moving to the University (ATAR) Pathway
Students who wish to be considered for the University (ATAR) Pathway may apply based on a review of their Year 10 yearly results — there is no movement between pathways in Year 11 or Year 12. To be considered, a student will need to demonstrate substantial improvement in results, satisfactory results across all courses, and consistent effort and application.
Subjects in the Careers Pathway
English Studies and Mathematics Standard 1 are common to all students. Each student then studies one VET course — Business Services or Retail Services — and three of the four elective courses, for a total of 12 units in Year 11.
| Year 11 (2027) | Units |
|---|---|
| English Studies | 2 |
| Mathematics Standard 1 | 2 |
| Business Services (VET) or Retail Services (VET) | 2 |
| 3 of the following: Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation; Work Studies; Visual Design; Marine Studies | 2 each |
| Total | 12 |
| Year 12 (2028) | Units |
|---|---|
| English Studies | 2 |
| Mathematics Standard 1 | 2 |
| Business Services (VET) or Retail Services (VET) | 2 |
| 2 of the following (one discontinues for all students): Visual Design; Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation; Marine Studies; Work Studies | 2 each |
| Total | 10 |
In Year 12, students are required to study 10 units. This means one course will discontinue for all students on this pathway. The specific course will be determined by the Academy based on school-based factors such as staffing and student numbers.
English Studies
Current syllabus (2024)2unitsCommon to all studentsMathematics Standard 1
Current syllabus (2024)2unitsElective — choose threeWork Studies
Content Endorsed Course2unitsVET course — choose oneBusiness Services (VET)
VET · Certificate III in Business2unitsVET course — choose oneRetail Services (VET)
VET · Certificate III in Retail2unitsElective — choose threeSport, Lifestyle and Recreation Studies
Content Endorsed Course2unitsElective — choose threeVisual Design
Content Endorsed Course2unitsElective — choose threeMarine Studies
Content Endorsed CourseHow composite classes work
The four elective courses — Work Studies, Sport, Lifestyle and Recreation, Visual Design and Marine Studies — are run as composite Year 11/12 classes on a two-year rotation. Year 11 and Year 12 students are taught together, and the class works through one half of the module plan in each year of the rotation, so every student covers the full course across their two years regardless of which year of the rotation they start in.
Compulsory core modules (such as My Working Life in Work Studies and Occupational Health and Safety in Visual Design) are repeated each year for new starters. In the VET courses, work placement hours are tracked individually for each student — typically 35 hours in their own Year 11 and 35 hours in their own Year 12 — regardless of the rotation year the class is running.
Key dates
- Term 2 · Week 5Half-yearly exams
- End of Term 2Pathway communication to students and families
- Term 3, 2026Careers Pathway Information Session
- Term 4, 2026Possible review following yearly exams
- Term 1, 2027Year 11 commences with pathways in place