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
Years 7 & 8
Stage 4 Advisor is Mrs Lestelle Tafai
Stage 4 is an exciting time for our students as they transition to Senior School and develop the skills necessary to manage their study routine across numerous subject areas. Our priorities for Stage 4 students are that they feel safe and confident at school, develop skills of organisation and routines of revision, and set clear academic goals for themselves.
The subjects included in Stage 4 are:
| Biblical Studies |
| English |
| Geography |
| History |
| Mathematics |
| PDHPE |
| Science |
| Spanish |
| Technology Mandatory |
| Visual Arts |
Years 9 & 10
Stage 5 Advisor is Mrs Cass Cato
Our Stage 5 students continue their academic development with the addition of elective subjects, which allows them to begin tailoring their study routine according to their strengths and passions. Stage 5 students also complete significant programs such as The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award, Work Experience Placements, and Student Mentoring – these are all aimed at preparing them for increasing independence and future decisions for work and study.
The subjects included in Stage 5 are:
| Core Subjects (mandatory) |
|---|
| Biblical Studies |
| English |
| Geography |
| History |
| Mathematics |
| PDHPE |
| Science |
| Elective Subjects (students choose three) |
|---|
| Child Studies |
| Design and Technology |
| Enterprise |
| Food Technology |
| Music |
| Photography |
| Physical Activity and Sports Studies (PASS) |
| Spanish |
| Textiles Technology |
| Visual Arts |
Years 11 & 12
Stage 6 Advisor is Mrs Belinda Keast
Our Stage 6 students demonstrate greater independence and self-regulation in their studies as they complete the Higher School Certificate (HSC). We support our students in successfully achieving their HSC through the provision of quality academic instruction and mentoring as well as a Stage 6 Study Hub that fosters both independent and collaborative study habits. We aspire for all our graduating students to have the best options available to them for future study and work.
Subjects offered in Stage 6 may include:
| Ancient History |
| Biology |
| Business Studies |
| Chemistry |
| Community and Family Studies |
| Design and Technology |
| Drama |
| Economics |
| English Standard |
| English Advanced |
| English Extension 1 & 2 |
| Food Technology |
| Legal Studies |
| Mathematics Standard |
| Mathematics Advanced |
| Mathematics Extension 1 & 2 |
| Modern History |
| Music 1 |
| PDHPE |
| Physics |
| Spanish |
| Sports, Lifestyle and Recreation (SLR) |
| Visual Arts |
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.
Student Leadership in Senior School
There are many ways for our students to display servant leadership in the Senior School.
Our Student Representatives Committee (SRC) is comprised of students from Years 7-12, who contribute much valuable feedback to the school on behalf of students and also run student-focused activities. Our Year 12 Prefects embody the School Values of Honour God, Learn with Courage, Live with Integrity, and Serve in Community; they also often lead formal events and occasions at the school. Finally, our School Captains are exemplary servant leaders, guiding the student body in the day-to-day events of the school, and also representing our school at numerous external events in the community. Our goal is to develop highly capable and collaborative student leaders who give voice to our student body and serve and enrich our school community as a whole.
