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Special Education Needs – Years 7–10

• School Certificate Requirements
• Frequently asked questions
• School Certificate Credentials and the Profile of Student Achievement

What are Life Skills outcomes and content?

Life Skills outcomes and content provide a curriculum option for the small percentage of students with special education needs for whom the regular outcomes and content are not appropriate. Life Skills outcomes and content may provide a more relevant, accessible and meaningful option for these students.

Who can access Life Skills outcomes and content?

The Board expects that the majority of students who will access Life Skills outcomes and content will have an intellectual disability. Life Skills outcomes and content are for the small percentage of students who cannot access the regular outcomes and content, even with adjustments to teaching, learning and assessment.

Where can I find the Life Skills outcomes and content for Years 7–10 courses?

Each Years 7–10 syllabus developed by the Board includes Life Skills outcomes and content.

Where can I find additional information about programming and assessment for students undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content in Years 7–10?

The support document Life Skills Years 7–10: Advice on Planning, Programming and Assessment (PDF, 248 pages, 1.38 MB) was developed to assist teachers to understand key aspects of the Life Skills outcomes and content.

Section 3 of the ACE Manual provides information on the provisions of the School Certificate for students undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content.

If a student is not coping in a course, are Life Skills outcomes and content an appropriate option?

Before deciding that a student should undertake a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content, consideration should be given to other ways of assisting students to engage with the regular outcomes and content. This assistance may include adjustments at the school level for course work and/or assessment tasks and/or disability provisions for School Certificate Tests.

For more information on eligibility to undertake courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, see ACE Manual, section 3.2.

All decisions about curriculum options for students with special education needs should be made in the context of collaborative curriculum planning with the student, parent/ carer and any other significant individuals in the student's life.

For more information on the collaborative curriculum planning process, see ACE Manual, section 3.4 and Life Skills Years 7–10: Advice on Planning, Programming and Assessment (PDF, 248 pages, 1.38 MB) section 2.2.

What types of adjustments can I make for a student with special education needs?

The types of adjustments made will vary according to the needs of the individual student. For examples of curriculum adjustments to teaching and learning and assessment, see Life Skills Years 7–10: Advice on Planning, Programming and Assessment (PDF, 248pages, 1.38 MB), section 2.3.

How should courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content be implemented?

Decisions on the best way to deliver a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content for a student or students should be made at the school level. For more information on school planning, see ACE Manual, section 3.5.

For further information, refer to Life Skills Years 7–10: Advice on Planning, Programming and Assessment (PDF, 248 pages, 1.38 MB).

Do students need to address all of the Life Skills outcomes and content in a course to satisfactorily complete it?

No, students don't have to achieve all Life Skills outcomes or address all of the content to complete it satisfactorily. Life Skills outcomes and content should be selected based on the needs of the individual student as part of the collaborative curriculum planning process.

I want to enrol a Year 10 student in one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content. How do I go about it?

The school enters the student in the appropriate course(s) via Schools Online, at the time School Certificate entries are made. Any mandatory curriculum requirements that have been satisfactorily undertaken and any School Certificate tests to be undertaken should also be entered through Schools Online at the time of School Certificate entries.

What are the study requirements for the School Certificate for a student undertaking one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content?

Students who undertake one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content must study the mandatory curriculum in each key learning area. To be eligible for the credential of the School Certificate, students must also satisfy the course completion criteria (see ACE Manual, section 4.3.1).

The hours of study for the School Certificate are indicative. For a student undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content it may be necessary to vary the amount of time allocated for study of the course. The Principal should ensure that appropriate time is allocated across the key learning areas.

For more information regarding mandatory curriculum requirements for the School Certificate, see ACE Manual, section 4.2.1.

How long can a student with special education needs take to complete their School Certificate?

There is no time restriction on accumulation of courses towards the School Certificate. Students who are accumulating courses will receive a cumulative Record of Achievement for each calendar year of study. This lists all courses satisfactorily completed at the time of issue.

Students undertaking one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content towards the School Certificate should also receive a Profile of Student Achievement for each calendar year of study, indicating the Life Skills outcomes achieved for courses undertaken in that year. Schools will need to generate and issue the Profile of Student Achievement.

More information on accumulation of courses towards the School Certificate can be found in the ACE Manual, section 4.2.9.

Do students with special education needs have to undertake a language course in Years 7–10?

Yes, all students need to undertake study in each key learning area. The study of a language may be undertaken at any time over one continuous 12-month period in Years 7–10, but preferably in Years 7–8. There are 17 Languages syllabuses. Students with special education needs may require adjustments to meet the outcomes of the selected Languages course. If it is appropriate, students may access Life Skills outcomes and content within a language course. Teachers should select those Life Skills outcomes and content from the Languages syllabus that are appropriate to the needs and abilities of the individual student.

A sample unit for Languages for a student undertaking Life Skills is in section 12 of the Life Skills Years 7–10: Advice on Planning, Programming and Assessment (PDF, 248 pages, 1.38 MB).

How should I assess students undertaking a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content?

Students undertaking courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content should be assessed on outcomes identified in the planning process.

Students can demonstrate achievement of Life Skills outcomes in a number of ways and across a range of environments (eg school, home, community). Evidence of achievement can be based on assessment for learning (such as observation during teaching and learning or work samples) or assessment of learning (assessment tasks specifically designed to assess achievement at particular points).

For more information, see Life Skills Years 7–10: Advice on Planning, Programming and Assessment (PDF, 248 pages, 1.38 MB).

Do students undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content need to be reported on an A–E scale?

This is a school/sector issue. Sectors may determine that students undertaking courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content are outside the A–E reporting requirement.

For some students it may be more appropriate to report against their Individual Education Plan. For more information on A-E reporting see the Assessment Resource Centre website.

What credentials do students undertaking one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content receive for the School Certificate?

Students undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content will be eligible for the following credentials: the School Certificate Testamur, the School Certificate Record of Achievement and a Profile of Student Achievement. The Testamur and Record of Achievement are issued by the Board of Studies, NSW. Schools are required to print the Profile of Student Achievement through Schools Online and issue this along with the student’s School Certificate credentials.

To view a sample School Certificate credential, including a Record of Achievement and Profile of Student Achievement for a student undertaking courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, see the School Certificate Credential page on the Board’s website.

Do students with special education needs undertaking courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content have to sit the School Certificate tests?

No. Students who undertake courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content in English and/or Mathematics and/or Science and/or Human Society and Its Environment in Stage 5 are not required to sit for the corresponding School Certificate test(s) in English-literacy and/or Mathematics and/or Science and/or Australian History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship.

Are students undertaking one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content required to undertake the Computing Skills Test?

No, the Computing Skills Test is optional for students undertaking one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content in Stage 5.

Are special provisions available to students with special education needs for the NAPLAN tests?

Yes, special provisions are available to meet the needs of individual students with special education needs for the NAPLAN tests.

The NAPLAN tests for secondary school students are conducted in Years 7 and 9, and are coordinated by NSW Test Administration Authorities. For more information about special provisions for the NAPLAN tests, contact the appropriate Test Administration Authority.

School Certificate Credentials and the Profile of Student Achievement

Introduction

Students who undertake Life Skills outcomes and content and satisfactorily complete all mandatory School Certificate courses are eligible for the following credentials:

• the School Certificate Testamur
• the School Certificate Record of Achievement
• a Profile of Student Achievement.

The Testamur and Record of Achievement are issued by the Board of Studies NSW. Schools are required to produce the Profile of Student Achievement through Schools Online and issue this along with the student’s School Certificate credentials.

To view a sample School Certificate credential, including a Record of Achievement and Profile of Student Achievement for a student undertaking courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content, see the School Certificate Credential page on the Board’s website.

Record of Achievement

Courses studied in Years 9 and 10 based on Life Skills outcomes and content and for which the student has met the course completion criteria (see ACE Manual, section 4.3.1) are reported on the Record of Achievement as 'Completed', with the quotation ‘See Profile of Student Achievement’. This includes any additional or elective courses studied by the student.

All students must be entered for the mandatory curriculum requirements to be eligible for the School Certificate. The mandatory curriculum requirements listed on the Record of Achievement for all students are Languages, Technology, Music, Visual Arts and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education. It would normally be the case that the mandatory curriculum requirements of Languages, Technology, Music and Visual Arts are met by students during Years 7 and 8.

For more information regarding mandatory curriculum requirements for the School Certificate, see ACE Manual, section 4.2.1.

Profile of Student Achievement

The Profile of Student Achievement provides details of the specific syllabus outcomes achieved by a student undertaking one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content. The school records these outcomes via Schools Online at the time of the collection of School Certificate grades. The Profile of Student Achievement is intended to be a permanent record of all the syllabus outcomes achieved by a student undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content in one or more courses in Years 9 and 10.

The Profile is generated by the school and is issued to the student with the School Certificate credentials.

How the Profile is produced

The Profile of Student Achievement is issued to each student who satisfactorily completes one or more courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content in Years 9 and 10. The Profile is generated using the Life Skills outcomes recorded by the school as achieved at the time of entry of School Certificate grades in Schools Online.

The Profile should provide the most complete picture of the student's achievement in all courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content that have been satisfactorily completed at the end of Stage 5. For this reason, schools may record outcomes achieved in Years 7 and 8 for courses that are further studied in Years 9 and 10.

Teachers can collect data to inform this reporting process by downloading the individual Life Skills Outcomes Worksheet for each course where students are undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content. Personalised versions of the Life Skills Outcomes Worksheets for each student can also be downloaded from Schools Online. Schools can access these personalised worksheets at any time during the school year. For further information regarding accessing the personalised Worksheets, refer to Generating a Profile of Student Achievement for the School Certificate.

When Schools Online is open for submission of Life Skills outcomes (refer to the School Certificate Events Timetable), schools will need to indicate those outcomes that have been achieved by the student, either independently or with support, for each course in which the student is undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content. The Profile of Student Achievement will then be generated by the school, through the My Reports function on Schools Online, and provided to the student along with the student’s School Certificate credentials. Further instructions on how to do this can be found in Generating a Profile of Student Achievement for the School Certificate.

For more information about entering data for the Profile in Schools Online, see Entering data for the Profile of Student Achievement.

Life Skills Outcomes Worksheets

The Life Skills Outcomes Worksheets have been provided to assist schools in collecting information on the Life Skills outcomes that a student has achieved before recording them in Schools Online.

Worksheets listing the Life Skills outcomes for each Years 7-10 syllabus are available with the Years 7-10 syllabus support materials. Personalised versions of Life Skills Outcomes Worksheets for individual students can also be downloaded from Schools Online. Schools can access these personalised worksheets at any time during the year. Refer to Generating a Profile of Student Achievement for the School Certificate for instructions on accessing personalised Worksheets.

Individual syllabus outcomes in the Profile of Student Achievement

Only schools can enter outcomes achieved in Schools Online. However, parents, carers, workplace supervisors and other community personnel may provide valuable evidence concerning the student's ability to generalise their knowledge, skills and understanding in a range of contexts.

Where students have achieved Life Skills outcomes drawn from additional syllabuses to supplement courses the student is enrolled in, these should also be recorded and appear on the School Certificate Profile of Student Achievement. For further information regarding how to do this, refer to Generating a Profile of Student Achievement for the School Certificate.

Entering data for the Profile of Student Achievement

When entering data related to Life Skills outcomes for the Profile of Student Achievement, schools should:

• select the outcomes achieved from the syllabus for each course based on Life Skills outcomes and content for which the student has been entered
• select any Life Skills outcomes achieved from additional syllabuses
• for each outcome achieved, indicate whether the outcome was achieved with support.

Outcomes achieved will be indicated in the Achieved column next to the outcome.

An outcome should be considered as ‘achieved’ if there is evidence that a student can demonstrate the achievement of an outcome either:

• without adjustments or
• with the adjustments that enable the student to access course work and/or demonstrate achievement during assessment opportunities on the same basis as their peers. These adjustments will have been determined through the collaborative curriculum planning process.

Examples of such adjustments might include:

• the positioning of a student in a classroom
• additional time to communicate
• use of assistive technology
• provision of alternate formats, eg large print or Braille
• provision of a reader or writer.

Some students will only be able to demonstrate achievement if they are provided with additional support. Support is provided when a student requires assistance to demonstrate the achievement of an outcome. When an outcome has been achieved with support, both the Achieved and the Achieved with Support columns will be ticked.

Examples of additional support include:

• visual and/or verbal prompts to assist the student’s understanding of the outcome
• physical prompts and/or physical assistance to assist the student to respond to an activity
• provision of partial responses to assist the student to demonstrate understanding of an outcome.

The teacher may wish to keep a record of the types of support necessary for the student to demonstrate achievement of the outcomes.

For further information relating to entering data for the Profile of Student Achievement, refer to Generating a Profile of Student Achievement for the School Certificate.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the limit of outcomes that can be entered for a student undertaking a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content?

A: There is no limit. Schools should enter all the outcomes the student has achieved in courses studied in Years 9 and 10. At least one outcome should be entered as ‘achieved’ (either independently or with support) for each course based on Life Skills outcomes and content.

Q: How would the study of Italian based on Life Skills outcomes and content in Year 8 be recorded for the School Certificate?

A: As with all students, the study of Italian in Year 8 meets the mandatory curriculum requirement for the study of a language. The mandatory curriculum requirement of Languages will appear as 'Completed' on the Record of Achievement. Outcomes would not be recorded on the Profile of Student Achievement as the course was studied in Year 8, but not in Years 9 and 10.

Q: The student has been undertaking Life Skills outcomes and content for English since Year 7. The student demonstrated the achievement of some of the English outcomes in Years 7 and 8. Should these be entered on the Profile of Student Achievement?

A: Yes, outcomes achieved for courses studied in Years 9 and 10 should be recorded regardless of when they were achieved. The Profile should give the most complete picture of outcomes demonstrated for courses studied in Years 9 and 10.

Q: The Mathematics (Life Skills) program for a particular student in Year 10 was supplemented with some Life Skills outcomes from the Commerce syllabus for a unit of work on money. The student has achieved two Life Skills outcomes from the Commerce syllabus. Should these be recorded on the Profile of Student Achievement, even though the student is not entered in Commerce (Life Skills) for the School Certificate?

A: Yes, the relevant Commerce (Life Skills) outcomes should be selected and will appear under the heading 'Commerce (Life Skills)' on the Profile of Student Achievement. However, the course will not appear as a course completed on the student’s Record of Achievement.

Q: A student is studying a combination of courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content and courses based on regular outcomes and content. How is this recorded on the Profile of Student Achievement?

A: Only outcomes achieved for the courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content are recorded on the Profile of Student Achievement. The other courses will be reported with a grade on the Record of Achievement.

Q: Can a student be entered for both Science and Science based on Life Skills outcomes and content?

A: No, where a student is entered for a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content from one or more syllabuses, the student cannot be entered for any other courses drawn from the same syllabus(es).