At Heritage we aspire for all our students to love school life because they are encouraged and supported to give their best. This is what drives our Senior School staff, from the moment we transition students into Year 7, to the moment we celebrate their accomplishments as they graduate Year 12.
Our learning is guided by two key evidence-based pedagogies: ‘Deep Learning’ and ‘Transformation by Design’. ‘Deep Learning’ involves the attainment and mastery of six significant competencies: Character, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Citizenship, which are all significant attributes required for success in future work, study, and civic life. ‘Transformation by Design’ informs our mission to be a Christian learning community, developing students in not just knowledge but also in faith. We believe that faith and knowledge together develop students who thrive in this world and hold an enduring purpose.
Each of our Senior School students is known well by us, and we tailor our academic, pastoral and co-curricular activities to best develop our students’ capabilities and character. Our students go out from the school as graduates with the skills and desire to serve and enrich their future communities.
Senior School Stages
Year 7 & 8
Year 7 Advisor is Mrs Lestelle Tafai
Year 8 Advisor is Mr Marty Dures
During Stage Four (Years 7 and 8), all subjects are mandatory but include many future elective subjects.
The subjects included in Stage Four are:
| English |
| Science |
| Mathematics |
| History |
| Geography |
| PDHPE |
| Technology Mandatory |
| Spanish |
| Biblical Studies |
Year 9 & 10
Year 9 & 10 Advisor is Mrs Belinda Keast
As they progress into Stage Five (Years 9 and 10), students will have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of elective subjects, dive deeper into God’s Word during Bible Life, and be involved in programs such as The Duke of Edinburgh award scheme.
The subjects included in Stage Five are:
| Core Subjects (mandatory) |
|---|
| English |
| Science |
| Mathematics |
| History |
| Geography |
| PDHPE |
| Bible Studies |
| Elective Subjects (students choose 3) |
|---|
| Child Studies |
| Enterprise |
| Spanish |
| Music |
| Drama |
| Visual Arts |
| PASS |
| Food Technology |
| Enterprise |
| Photography |
| Design & Technology |
Year 11 & 12
Year 11 & 12 Advisor is Mr Paul Beaver
Students tend to be more independent in Stage Six. Mentoring for these students takes place both within allocated Pastoral Care time and within a communal study space. Depending on the type of subjects chosen, at the end of Year 12, students will either receive a Higher School Certificate and an ATAR (for university entry) or a Higher School Certificate on its own.
Subjects offered in Stage Six may include:
| English Studies |
| English Standard |
| English Advanced |
| English Extension (I) |
| Mathematics Standard |
| Mathematics Advanced |
| Mathematics Extension (I) & (II) |
| Business Studies |
| Legal Studies |
| Drama |
| PDHPE |
| Studies of Religion |
| Food Technology |
| Modern History |
| Ancient History |
| Biology |
| Physics |
| Chemistry |
| Community and Family Studies |
| Music (I) & (II) |
| Design and Technology |
| Visual Art |
| Textiles Technology |
| Sports, Recreation and Leisure |
| Geography |
Co-Curricular
Our goal for our students at Heritage is to provide meaningful learning for our students to thrive spiritually and vocationally. We recognise that a key element to this thriving is the provision for identifying a passion and pursuing mastery in that chosen activity. It is for this reason that we run weekly ‘co-curricular’ activities. We also know that activities run alongside the curriculum, but distinct from it, are proven to assist student social networks, increase educational attainment, and reduce disengagement from school community life. Plus, it can simply be a lot of fun to do something that you like doing!
Many of our students love extending their artistic pursuits beyond the curriculum, working with new and various mediums and materials to refine their artistic skills. Many of our student works are submitted to external competitions throughout the year.
‘C21’ is short for ‘Twenty-first Century Skills’. These are skills that recent research promotes as vital for thriving in an evolving digital and vocational world. The Deep Learning Competencies of critical thinking, creativity, communication, citizenship and collaboration are all crucial to success in future work and study for our students. Specific activities such as debating, software and digital design, chess, robotics, and problem solving are all available to students in this activity.
This activity provides opportunities for students to serve in the school community, as well as the wider community, in meaningful and beneficial ways. Heritage partners with a number of local community groups to expose students to needs in the community and guides them as they volunteer acts of service for the benefit of others.
Students in this activity perform and refine their skills with a chosen instrument(s) or vocals. They also collaborate together in bands to rehearse for performance at school events such as Assemblies, end-of-year Celebration, and concerts for our community, as well as external events where they represent the school.
Photography is a growing artistic area that promotes the development of an artistic process in planning, shooting, editing and proofing photos for personal and school-related use. We also enter a range of our student work to external competitions throughout the year.
This is a focused program for students who represent the school in a specific sport, especially those in a team. It provides the time and space to practice with other students, to become teammates and prepare for upcoming competitions.