Pathway Years

Pathway Years

Years 9 & 10

Table of Contents

 As students move through the Pathway Years, they gain more and more agency in their subject selections. We encourage a broad pathway but for many students, their decision making is based on their own clear picture of the future they envision for themselves.  

The vertical curriculum from Year 9 enables students to choose from the offers at year levels above and below their own year level to create a pathway that is suited to their needs and interests.  We believe students should select subjects based on their personal preferences and strengths.

Year 9

Students at Year 9 make some selections within a core program that ensures they maintain a broad educational platform to enable them to access all senior programs.  Students are able to self-elect into Advanced programs in English, Mathematics and Science and accelerated options in Humanities and the Arts.  

CoreOptions
Religious Education
Wellbeing
English Advanced, Foundation
Mathematics Advanced, Foundation
ScienceAdvanced, Foundation
HumanitiesStudents select one: Commerce, History, Geography or acceleration into Year 10 subjects
Technology1 semester DigiSTEM
The ArtsStudents select one: Studio Arts, Fashion, VisCom, Media, Music, Dance, Drama.
Health/PE1 semester core
LOTE – Indonesian or French or two elective options from other subject areas.
Students with particular talents can accelerate their Year 9 study into VCE studies, eg: Dance, Drama, Environmental Science

Year 10

At Year 10 students have access to the full suite of Year 10 and VCE studies and can undertake units leading to the Victorian Certificate of Education or, alternatively, begin the VCE Vocational Major (VCE-VM) in our PreVOC program.

We have many students accelerated into VCE studies, some undertaking more than one to spread the load of their VCE across three years.

There are many advantages to this load-spreading:

  • Students understand a VCE study and its requirements in stages rather than the heavy loading at Year 11
  • Students can express their individual capabilities
  • Students work with a wider range of students and break down artificial age-barriers
  • Students are often very enthusiastic about advanced studies that they have chosen

Mainstream Year 10 Core studies:

CoreOptions
Religious Education
Wellbeing
English
Mathematics Pre Methods/General/Skills
Science (1 Semester min)Students must take the Year 10 Physics, Chemistry and/or Biology if they intend to take the study in VCE
How to Run a Business, History, Geography or Politics, Legal Studies, Black Tracks
Digital Technology
Arts, Design & Create, VisCom, Creative Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Backstage, Film
Health/PE
LOTE – Indonesian or French
Students can apply to accelerate their Unit 1 & 2 studies. Maximum 2 VCE studies

PreVOC

For students who know they prefer project-based learning, hands-on and real-life experiences, PreVOC is our beginning VCE-VM program.  Students who undertake this course have determined that VCE-VM is right for them and they wish to begin in Year 10. 

Students who undertake this course have core subjects in:

•    Religious Education
•    Wellbeing
•    Personal Development/Work Related Skills
•    Numeracy  

Only PreVOC students can access a VET study.  This has the advantage of enabling students to take more than one VET across the three years of PreVOC – Senior VCE-VM or, in Year 12, complete a school-based apprenticeship, traineeship or access more work placement.  
 
PreVOC students also engage with one elective per semester from the range available at True North.  It must be noted that students undertaking PreVOC move straight to VCE-VM in Years 11 and 12 and that VCE is no longer a pathway option.  Students wishing to take PreVOC undergo an interview with the Assistant Principal (Learning and Teaching) and the VCE-VM Coordinator, student and her parents/guardians to ensure that their decision is right for them.