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Curriculum
Coburg Senior High School offers its students a chance to learn and develop in an adult learning environment. More than just a school, it is workplace of learning where a wide range of academic and vocational pathways are on offer consistent with the frameworks of VCE, VCAL, VET, VELS and ASBAs. (Australian School Based Apprenticeships).The curriculum offered is designed to provide students with engaging topics of study that will assist students to develop clarity of options, pathways with regard to further study, potential employment, and/or further training. VCE subjects at Units 1 & 2 and Units 3 & 4 are on offer to our students. Students complete Maths and English every day. This provides constant exposure in these essential areas. Students are allocated to classes in these two disciplines according to their targetted needs as contained in their Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The electives offered include VCE subjects and Year 10 subjects. Year 10 students currently have the option of completing VCE Unit 1-2 sequences in Biology, Economics, Psychology, Multimedia and Drama. Other electives include subjects such as Visual Arts, Body & Mind and Multimedia. Year 11 students complete a mix of Units 1 & 2 as well as Units 3 & 4 This selection reflects the specialisms of the school in Maths-Science, Learning Technologies and the Performing and Visual Arts, and the accelerated learning program. The innovative "Race Around The World" is an integrated and applied learning subject that allows students to pursue the intricacies of big questions. A mix of highly structured activities as well as open ended tasks, allow for student choice, creating an appropriate mix of teacher directed and student selected tasks. Apple Australia is a key strategic partner that is supporting the learning of students through the provision of technical and professional development elements. Students use the Apple environment to complete much of the online work that is a hallmark of the school. Podcasting, iMovie, iPhoto, iChat, iLife, GarageBand... all these applications and many more are at the core of manner in which students present their work at Coburg Senior. Our relationship with VECCI (Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry) facilitates the provision of an ASBA (Australian School Based Apprenticeship) for select Year 10s as part of their learning. The student spends one day a week in the workforce for which the student is paid approximately $9.34 an hour. This provides each student meaningful experience throughout the year in a field of vocational interest. Successful completion of the requirements for a Certificate III whilst out in the workplace gives the student credit for a VCE subject. Coburg Senior does not offer subjects in "hard" technologies such as woodwork, metalwork or automotive. Students who have an interest in such areas are placed into an ASBA that will provide access and exposure to teh necessary skills and machinery. We are not a techical school and have a focus that is very much about academic excellence. Students who have interests in a vocational pathway may well choose to extend their ASBA based VET Certificate to a higher level post Year 10. Placement in a workplace that is well resourced and that has access to skills, machinery and work opportunities provides learning and experience that the school cannot provide. We are connected to industry and business but our core desire remains the academic development of young adults that will be study ready, life ready and work ready. Our students have been placed in a wide range of employment positions. Some examples of the fields in which we have our students working include: hospitality, marine biology, scientific research, building, auto electrics, graphic design, IT, health care and fitness. These placements include large organisations such as: the Melbourne Aquarium, Bio 21 (the scientific research arm of Melbourne University), Transfield Industries (Yarra Trams, power generation industry, mining interests, water and waste management...) and small business environments such as builders, health services, health and fitness venues and light industry. Students at Coburg Senior can follow pathways into such diverse areas as science, IT, fashion, print making, the performing arts, dance, fitness, health services, nursing, community services, travel & tourism, events management, robotics, and aeronautical engineering Coburg Senior has developed some strong strategic partnerships with industry and tertiary sectors. It has the support of pre-eminent organisations such as the Victorian Employment Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) multi-national company Transfield, plus tertiary sector institutions such as the University of Melbourne and Kangan Batman TAFE. As the strategic partnerships expand between Coburg Senior High School and industry and education sectors, work placement opportunities for students will be significant and form an integral part of the learning about the world of work and study beyond the school. The open learning environment of the Learning Commons, and the adult environment create a high degree of accountability for students and staff. As a workplace of learning, Coburg Senior expects much of its students in terms of behaviour and work ethic. Totally visible to all due to the wide open spaces, students must account for their time to both staff and through the blog that each student creates and has as part of their digital portfolio. |