Students in Senior School are encouraged to push boundaries, grow in selfconfidence and improve their performance whilst working collaboratively to create a strong community. They are required to make significant choices and decisions regarding their academic programs, participate in co-curricular activities and
demonstrate leadership within their House group as well as throughout the wider school community.

The support and opportunities necessary to achieve such individual growth are provided through both their academic
and pastoral contexts.

Years 9 and 10

MLC follows the curriculum prescribed by the NSW Board of Studies and offers the following subjects and electives in Years 9 and 10. To receive the School Certificate, Years 9 and 10 students study the core curriculum comprising of:

In Year 9 three electives are chosen from:

In Year 10 students continue with two of these electives. one elective must be a Language other than English.

Class organisation

In Years 9 and 10, class groups in the core subjects, English, Mathematics and Science, are organized on the basis of demonstrated ability and performance. For Year 9, a range of measures – OLSAT scores, Year 8 ELLA and SNAP, performance in Year 8 common assessment tasks and off-level testing for some students – are used to identify and group students accordingly. Class groupings are reviewed throughout the year to ensure that students are appropriately placed. the needs of gifted and talented students and of students with specific learning difficulties are addressed through correct identification and coordination by specialist staff. Acceleration, individual programs, enrichment and remediation are part of the repertoire of responses to meet the needs of individual students

Course and Subject Selection Process

We offer two pathways to matriculation at MLC School, the NSW Higher School Certificate and the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Students are guided and counselled in their choice of pathway. The increasing range of options available for the completion of the NSW Higher School Certificate has MLC offer students Pathways, Acceleration and Vocational Education and Training (VET) Courses as options to complete their high school qualification. Each year some MLC students in Years 11 and 12 select the Pathways option of extending their HSC by more than two years to accommodate their demanding commitments in extra curricular activities or to provide, in special circumstances, flexible program delivery over a longer period of time.

Acceleration is available for those very capable students who sit an HSC course in conjunction with Preliminary
courses (in Year 11) or even in Year 10.

In order that MLC girls are well able to make appropriate and varied choices in their career paths, the process of ensuring the prerequisites are met while still offering the breadth and choice in educational experiences, begins early on.

In Year 10, students undertake extensive Careers Assessment Testing, the results of which provided the basis for individual interviews of girls and parents. The tests enhance each student's self-knowledge by providing valuable information about learning and personality styles as well as about verbal, numerical, abstract, mechanical, spatial and reasoning aptitudes. Students also complete a week of work experience. The careers education program helps inform students' subject choices for Years 11 and 12.

Students are further assisted in their course and subject selection through specific information sessions for parents and students, online information and interviews with a teacher who acts as their academic support within their particular House.

Assessment and Reporting

Improved assessment and reporting practices are a major focus of the entire school. Professional literature on ‘School Improvement’ continues to cite effective assessment and appropriate feedback as pivotal to improved student outcomes. Recognising this, the Assessment and Reporting Committee, (the three Heads of School, the Directors of Studies, the Director of Pastoral Care, IB Coordinator and Director of Online Learning) met regularly throughout the year to monitor the consistency of school grading on reports. Regular professional development is designed to build a shared understanding of grading. Part of this professional development includes consultancy with the Board of Studies Liaison Officer. The new online reporting system, SOAR (Student Online Assessment and Reporting) means that each student’s report in Years 6 - 12 contains the following:

• a context statement for each subject outlining the content and skills for the semester
• outcome statements that are accompanied by three possible levels of achievement – High, Satisfactory and Developing
• course mark that indicates results in common assessment tasks and a distribution graph that indicates the performance of the student in relation to her cohort
• assessment of a student’s work practices
• teacher comment about the strengths of the student as well as areas of improvement
• pastoral care outcomes assessed by the student’s tutor
• self-reflection by the student about her achievement and her developing understanding of herself as a learner.
  

Ordering Books for the new Academic Year

Campion Bellbird Books (incorporating Pronin's Book Service) are the preferred book supplier for MLC School. Orders must be prepaid by credit card or cheque. If you require books please contact Bellbird Books directly on 9460 7133. Orders can be faxed or posted directly to Bellbird Books, Locked Bag 250, Artarmon, NSW, 1570 or order on line.

Click here to order online from Campion Bellbird Books.