Curriculum
Early English Booklist for 2023
Please click on the following link to view the St Patrick’s College Ballarat Early English VCE 2023 Booklist
Teaching and learning at St Patrick’s uses a schools-based model to deliver its curriculum. The three schools, Junior, Middle and Senior, were established in recognition of the different and changing learning needs of each boy as he moves through his secondary schooling years. The schools model provides students with teaching and learning experiences and opportunities that are consistent with their level of development. The structure challenges each boy to pursue and achieve excellence in a range of exciting curricular and co-curricular areas.
Religious Education is the most important element of the curriculum. This reflects the distinctively Catholic nature of the school and the Mission Statement that affirms: “We believe that Religious Education has, and must retain, the primary curriculum position”. Therefore it is taught at all year levels and underpins the manner in which all subjects are delivered.
The Junior School – Years 7 and 8
A broad and comprehensive curriculum is emphasised in Years 7 and 8. The Junior School structure is designed to enable boys to make an effective and enjoyable transition into secondary school.
Year 7 subjects:
Religious Education, English, Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Health, Physical Education, Japanese, Technology, Art, Drama, Multimedia and Information Technology, Music, Pastoral Care.
The classroom Music program is complemented by Ensemble Music where each Year 7 student is allocated and learns a concert band instrument. Year 7 students with identified literacy needs will study a literacy intervention subject called Literacy Support instead of Japanese.
Year 8 subjects:
Religious Education, English, Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Health, Physical Education, Japanese, Technology (including Food), Art, Drama, Multimedia and Information Technology, Music, Pastoral Care.
Year 8 students will continue with Japanese or those identified as requiring further literacy intervention will study Literacy Support.
All Years 7 and 8 boys participate in the Wide Interest Reading English Development (WIRED) program as a part of the English curriculum. The goal of this program is to enhance the literacy skills of students and to encourage them to discover reading as a worthy pastime that can support each boy to become a lifelong learner.
The Middle School – Year 9
Research indicates that in Year 9 boys are faced with a range of challenges that could impact upon their performance at school. The aim of the Year 9 program is to engage students in a range of educational experiences that will ensure they remain focused upon their schooling.
Research highlights that at this stage of the learning journey, boys need practically focused activities that provide them with challenges and effectively link up different parts of the curriculum. Students in the Middle School continue to build numeracy and literacy skills whilst being involved in a range of experiential learning experiences.
The Year 9 program consists of core subjects (compulsory for all), and elective subjects.
Core:
Religious Education, English (including WIRED), Humanities, Mathematics, Physical Education, Science, Literacy Program (including the VET Certificate II in Applied Languages – Japanese option), Pastoral Care
Electives:
The Year 9 elective offerings come from four disciplines – Computing, Health and Physical Education, Technology and The Arts. Each elective is allocated eight periods per fortnight.
For more details on the Year 9 subjects please see the Year 9 subject selection page here.
The Senior School – Years 10, 11 and 12
The Senior School program strives to prepare boys to achieve personal excellence in all areas of school life and to see each take his place in the wider community in the spirit of Edmund Rice.
The Senior School offers a broad range of subject choices that will equip students to confront the challenges of an ever changing world. The Senior School has developed programs to provide boys with opportunities to perform to an excellent standard in many fields of endeavour. We also aim to recognise and build on the work of the Middle School in providing the opportunity for each boy to become an independent and active learner through rich and challenging curriculum.
Blocking of the timetable in the Senior School enables students to undertake VCE Units, VETiS certificates and School Based Apprenticeships or traineeships (SBAT) from the beginning of Year 10, opening up a wide range of subject choices for students.
Year 10
The Year 10 program consists of core subjects (compulsory for all), and elective subjects.
Core:
Religious Education – Six periods per fortnight for the whole year. Two alternatives offered.
English – Ten periods per fortnight for the whole year. Three alternatives offered
Mathematics – Ten periods per fortnight for the whole year. Three alternatives offered
Science – Ten periods per fortnight for one semester. Five alternatives offered.
Humanities – Ten periods per fortnight for one semester. Four alternatives offered.
Sport – Four periods per fortnight for the whole year
Pastoral Care – One period per fortnight for the whole year
Electives:
Year 10 students participate in three elective subjects each week. Each elective is allocated 10 periods per fortnight.
For more details on the Year 10 subjects please see the Year 10 subject selection page here.
Years 11 and 12
St Patrick’s recognise that as a boy moves into Years 11 and 12 he will choose more specialised subjects to help him prepare for the particular directions he wishes to pursue beyond secondary school. Year 11 and 12 boys have access to a broad range of subjects offered through VCE, VETiS with Year 11 boys typically studying Units 1/2 level studies and Year 12 boys completing Units 3/4 studies.
