Compressed curriculum HSC delivery model

ACE 8050

Last Updated: 13 July 2017

What is a compressed curriculum delivery model?

A compressed curriculum delivery model allows completion of Stage 6 Preliminary and HSC courses including the HSC examination(s) in approximately one calendar year instead of two years.

Early commencement

Compressed curriculum delivery may start before Day 1 Term 1 of Year 11 provided that approval from the NESA has been granted and the following criteria are met:

• The delivery model does not give students any time advantage for the study of the courses
• Teaching of Preliminary courses does not commence before Week 6, Term 4 of Year 10.

Notifying NESA

Schools currently implementing a compressed curriculum delivery model are required to annually notify NESA through Schools Online by the end of Week 5, Term 3 that they intend to continue to do so the following year.

Schools intending to implement a compressed curriculum delivery model for the first time are required to apply to NESA through Schools Online by the end of Week 5, Term 3 of the year of early commencement.

Visit Schools Online > Administration Functions > School Settings to find the relevant section.

Meeting NESA requirements

Schools must follow NESA curriculum and assessment requirements, policies and procedures detailed in ACE when delivering a compressed curriculum model including, but not limited to, the following requirements.

Eligibility requirements for entry into Preliminary courses

Students must comply with eligibility requirements for entry into Preliminary courses including completion of Record of School Achievement requirements.

Indicative time

A unit of study comprises 60 hours indicative time in each of the Preliminary and HSC courses.

Submission of student data

Entries for Preliminary and HSC courses delivered via a compressed curriculum delivery model in the same calendar year must be undertaken in Schools Online concurrently. To confirm Schools Online deadlines for entry and course enrolment, please refer to the NESA Timetable of Actions for Secondary Schools available on the NESA website.

Preliminary grades and related non-completion ‘N’ determinations

Preliminary grades for students undertaking compressed curriculum delivery model must be submitted in the period detailed in the NESA Timetable of Actions for Secondary Schools.

Where it is considered necessary to issue an ‘N’ determination warning letter in relation to a Preliminary course, sufficient time should be given to the student to satisfactorily fulfil course requirements. A decision to issue an ‘N’ determination should also allow sufficient time for an in-school appeal process to take place.

If an ‘N’ determination is issued mid-year for a Preliminary course and the student wishes to appeal the decision, they should first appeal to the school. If the student then wishes to appeal the school’s decision, the principal should contact NESA as soon as possible. NESA will convene a panel to process the appeal. If an ‘N’ determination is issued mid-year and the student does not wish to appeal the school’s decision, the corresponding HSC entry should be withdrawn through Schools Online and the Preliminary ‘N’ determination should be entered during online grade collection.

Principals may allow a student who has received an ‘N’ determination in a Preliminary course to proceed to the HSC course provisionally, while concurrently satisfying any outstanding Preliminary requirements.

HSC assessments and related non-completion ‘N’ determinations

HSC assessment marks and other HSC results data for students undertaking compressed  curriculum delivery model must be submitted in the period detailed in the  NESA Timetable of Actions for Secondary Schools.

For HSC assessment purposes, all students undertaking the same HSC course in the same year must be assessed and their assessment marks reported as a single group. 

Where it is considered necessary to issue an ‘N’ determination warning letter and/or an ‘N’ determination in relation to a HSC course, the process as outlined in the  NESA Timetable of Actions for Secondary Schools is to be followed.