Curriculum
St Joseph’s College honours its commitment to quality Catholic education through its provision of high quality educational programs that enable students to achieve to their potential. The college offers a comprehensive curriculum that caters for the learning needs of all students from Years 7 through to 12.
Innovative learning model
St Joseph’s College has crated an innovative timetable allowing the best use of the College’s new facilities, with a ten day cycle which includes a FLEXI-Learning block each Wednesday morning. During FLEXI students are given the opportunity to select from a wide range of activities including: Archery, Musical Theatre, Gym & Fitness, Yoga, Dance, Drama, Art for the Soul, Cooking on a Budget, School Beautification, and a large range of summer and winter sports.
Students also participate in three x 20 minute sessions per week with their Learning Mentor – our three Pillars of Strength, Faith and Hope under pin these sessions each week.
Weekly Formal Fridays where students are expected to be in full formal school uniform as our JAG sessions – Josephite Assembly Groups operate. These may be formal assemblies, year group assemblies, focus groups.
Learning Support
The Learning Support Team
The Learning Support Faculty implement a wide variety of strategies to support students with their learning, as well as any barriers to their learning, encouraging them to achieve their potential. Collaborating with families, staff members and outside agencies is critical to the effectiveness of the support provided by the Learning Support staff to the students.
Personalised Plans are developed for all students by adopting a collaborative approach. Furthermore, students requiring additional assistance with their transition to the College are catered for by arranging additional transition visits, meetings with families and communication with previous schools.
The College has a dedicated Learning Support Centre which provides a space for students to seek assistance with their classwork or assessment tasks, a calm and quiet space for students requiring a ‘time out’ area, delivers various literacy and numeracy programs and is available for Disability Provisions for examinations. Furthermore, Learning Support Aides are in mainstream classes for further support for students with learning needs.
Students receiving Learning Support assistance may be studying a Life Skills program, have a disability or generalised learning difficulty, have difficulties with maintaining attention and/or may have mental health concerns such as anxiety. These students are integrated into mainstream classes with the necessary support.
Aboriginal Education - Yalawa Centre
St Joseph’s College is committed to providing the highest standard of education for all students and welcomes people from a diversity of cultures and nations. In particular, we are committed to supporting a connection to our First people and as such have established the Yalawa Centre.
Yalawa is a cultural hub that brings together Aboriginal & Torres Strait students from all year groups and differing Aboriginal nations from across Australia. Yalawa, meaning ‘stay and rest’ provides a dedicated space, where students can gather, seek support for their academic studies and wellbeing, discuss career pathway options, engage in cultural awareness activities and deepen their understanding of country and identity.
The Yalawa Centre is a place where students can continue to build their capacity; a place where they can gather as one and gain the confidence to be people of strength, faith and hope Originally part of the Tenison Education Centre which was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph, the Yalawa Centre draws our contemporary Josephite community together. The building and concept evokes the legacy of care for Indigenous people and country that the Sisters of St Joseph Lochinvar have nurtured and lived. This is a legacy that we, the students and staff of St Joseph’s College will strive to uphold and deepen as we meet the needs of 21st Century learners and families.
Programs of Study
St Joseph’s offers a complete set of study areas to its students. For more information, click on the areas listed:
Stage 4
- Religious Studies
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- History
- Geography
- LOTE
- PDHPE
- Music
- Technology Mandatory
- Visual Arts
Stage 5
- Religious Studies
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- History
- Geography
- PDHPE
Two electives from the below list*:
- NESA developed courses
- Drama
- Commerce
- Food Technology
- Industrial Technology – Metal
- Industrial Technology – Timber
- Industrial Technology – Electronics
- Agriculture
- Japanese
- Music
- Physical Activity and Sports Studies
- Textiles Technology
- Visual Arts
- Visual Design
Stage 6
Religious Studies
STUDIES IN CATHOLIC THOUGHT (1 unit)
STUDIES of RELIGION I (SOR I)
STUDIES of RELIGION II (SOR II)
English & LOTE
ENGLISH ADVANCED
ENGLISH STANDARD
ENGLISH STUDIES
ENGLISH EXTENSION 1
Creative Arts
DRAMA
MUSIC 1
VISUAL ARTS
VISUAL DESIGN (1 unit)
Human Society & Its Environment
ANCIENT HISTORY
BUSINESS STUDIES
GEOGRAPHY
LEGAL STUDIES
MODERN HISTORY
SOCIETY & CULTURE
Mathematics
MATHEMATICS – ADVANCED
MATHEMATICS EXTENSION 1
MATHEMATICS STANDARD
NUMERACY
Personal Development, Health & Physical Education
COMMUNITY & FAMILY STUDIES
EXPLORING EARLY CHILDHOOD (1 unit)
PDHPE
SPORT, LIFESTYLE & RECREATION (1 unit)
Science
BIOLOGY
CHEMISTRY
PHYSICS
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Technology & Applied Studies
INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY – Timber Products & Furniture Technologies
Vocational Education Training (VET)
BUSINESS SERVICES – VET
CONSTRUCTION – VET
ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY – VET
HOSPITALITY – VET
PRIMARY INDUSTRIES – VET