Please note: we are undergoing a transition to the new syllabus in 2024 and 2025.
All students are required to complete 2 units of English in Year 11 and 12 for their Higher School Certificate (HSC). Students have a choice of the following options:
- English Studies
- English Standard
- English Advanced
- English Advanced + English Extension 1 (3 units)
- English Advanced + English Extension 1 + Eng Ext 2 (4 units)
English Studies
What students learn
- compose and respond to a variety of written, spoken and visual texts, both literary and everyday
- read widely as a means of understanding.
Task requirements
- writing portfolios
- roleplay interviews
- oral presentations
- excursions
- extended creative compositions and literary responses, including such forms as essays, narratives, and interview transcripts.
Successful completion requirements
- the ability to read and view a variety of texts
- the ability to work independently and as part of a group.
Preliminary (Year 11)
What students study
Mandatory study:
- achieving through English: English and the worlds of education, careers and community.
3 to 5 modules from:
- telling us all about it — English and the media
- digital worlds — English for the web
- playing the game — English in sport
- on the road — English and teh experience of travel
- landscapes of the mind — English and the creative arts.
School assessment
- career portfolio
- research assignment
- oral presentation/report
- viewing/listening task
- multiple choice, short answer and extended response tests.
HSC (Year 12)
What students study
Mandatory study:
- we are Australians - English in citizenship, community and cultural identity.
3 to 5 modules from:
- the way we worked - English for exploring the past through industrial events in Australia
- in the marketplace - English and the world of business
- discovery and investigation - English and the sciences
- part of the family - English and family life
- the big screen - English in film-making.
School assessment
- writing portfolio
- research assignment
- oral presentation/report
- viewing/listening task
- multiple choice, short answer and extended response tests.
English Standard
What students learn
- compose and respond to a variety of written, spoken and visual texts
- read and view at least four types of texts
- read widely as a means of understanding.
Task requirements
- short responses to both seen and unseen texts
- extended creative compositions and literacy responses, including forms as essays, narratives, and interview transcripts
- oral presentations as part of both formal and information assessment
- dramatic representations of texts studied.
Successful completion requirements
- the ability to read and view texts of varying levels of complexity
- the ability to work independently and as part of a group
- the willingness to work independently
- commitment to achieving your personal best in a challenging course.
Preliminary (Year 11)
Area of study
- Common Module: Reading to Write - Transition to Senior English
- Module A: Contemporary Possibilities
- Module B: Close Study of Literature
Special requirements of the course is that at least four texts must be studied, one from each of the following:
- prose fiction
- drama
- poetry
- one drawn from non-fiction, film, media or multimedia texts.
HSC (Year 12)
Area of study
- Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences
- Module A: Language, Identity and Culture
- Module B: Close Study of Literature
- Module C: The Craft of Writing.
Special requirements of the course is that at least four texts must be studied, one from each of the following:
- prose fiction
- drama
- poetry
- one drawn from non-fiction, film, media or multimedia texts.
Examination
A written examination paper consisting of:
- area of study (common course content) - 40%
- three modules - 60%.
English Advanced
What students learn
- compose and respond to a variety of complex written, spoken and visual texts
- read and view a variety of complex texts including at least one Shakespeare text
- read widely as a means of increasing understanding in the Area of Study and electives.
Task requirements
- short responses to both seen and unseen texts
- extended creative compositions and literacy responses. These may include such forms as essays, narratives, interview transcripts, and wiki discussions
- oral presentations, including podcasts, as part of both formal and informal assessment
- dramatic representations of texts studied.
Successful completion requirements
- high level of competence in reading and viewing texts of varying levels of complexity
- ability to work independently and as part of a group to increase understanding of written, spoken and visual texts
- the ability to compose increasingly complex texts in a variety of forms and for different audiences and purposes
- the ability to work independently as part of both internal and external assessment
- commitment to achieving your personal best in a demanding course.
Preliminary (Year 11)
Area of study
- Common Module: Reading to Write - Transition to Senior English
- Module A: Narratives that Shape our World
- Module B: Critical Study of Literature.
Special requirements of the course is that at five texts must be studied:
- Shakespearean drama
- prose fiction
- drama or film
- poetry
- one drawn from non-fiction, media or multi-media texts.
HSC (Year 12)
Area of study
One elective from each of the following modules:
- Common Module: Texts and Human Experiences
- Module A: Textual Conversations
- Module B: Critical Study of Literature
- Module C: The Craft of Writing.
Special requirements of the course is that five of the following texts must be studied:
- Shakespearean drama
- prose fiction
- drama or film
- poetry
- one drawn from non-fiction, film, media or multimedia texts.
Examination
A written examination paper consisting of:
- area of study (common course content) - 40%
- three modules - 60%.
English Extension 1
What students learn
- compose and respond to a variety of complex written, spoken and visual texts
- read and view a variety of complex texts to refine understanding and appreciation of the cultural roles and significance of texts
- read widely as a means of exploring multiple meanings and relative values of texts.
Task requirements
- extended creative compositions and literary responses. These may include such forms as essays, narratives, tutorial presentations and wiki discussions
- orals presentations, including podcasts, as part of both formal and informal assessment
- reflection statement
- journal.
Successful completion requirements
- high level of competence in reading and viewing texts of varying levels of complexity
- the ability to work independently and as part of a group to increase understanding of written, spoken and visual texts
- the ability to compose sustained texts in a variety of forms and for different audiences and purposes
- the ability to work independently as part of both internal and external assessment
- commitment to achieving your personal best in a demanding course.
Preliminary (Year 11)
- introduction to literary theory
- module: texts, culture and value
- independent investigation
Special requirements of the course
- students will be expected to complete an independent investigation of texts and produce a writing portfolio as an extension of the knowledge, skills and understanding developed in their English courses.
School assessment
- podcast
- In-class essay
- writing portfolio
- yearly examination.