1. Assessment of HSC courses will commence on the first day of Term 4 in the year prior to a student sitting for their HSC exam.
2. Schools may follow the assessment program provided by NESA, but have the authority to determine the number, type and weighting of assessment tasks.
3. Grouping of students for assessment:
a) Assessment of all students studying a course will be based on common assessment tasks. When there is more than one class studying the same course the faculty Head Teacher must ensure that:
The same assessment task is used for all classes.
The assessment conditions are the same for all classes.
All groups complete the task as close in time as the timetable allows.
All tasks are marked to the same common standard.
b) Extension students will be assessed with the 2 Unit students as a single group on the common components of the courses. The additional components of the extension course will be assessed without reference to other courses in the subject.
c) Students accumulating their HSC (either enrolled part time or concurrently studying Preliminary and HSC course) are expected to meet all assessment requirements in the same way as all other students.
d) Students accelerating in a particular course are expected to complete all assessment requirements in that course, in the same way as all other students.
4. Assessment tasks:
a) Each student, including late enrolments and partial enrolments, will receive a copy of the Assessment Information Booklet and they must sign a register to acknowledge receipt of the booklet. This register is to be maintained by the Head Teacher Teaching and Learning.
b) The actual weighting for each task in each course is shown in the course-specific assessment schedules included in this document.
c) Teachers will issue an Assessment Task notification to each student in the course, typically 14 calendar days, prior to the date of an assessment task. This notification will clearly describe:
The weighting of the task.
The syllabus outcomes assessed.
The type of assessment task.
The scheduled date and time for attempting or submitting the task.
The marking criteria (where appropriate).
5. For a formal assessment task with more than one part, the task notification must detail the requirements for each part, including that all parts are to be submitted and/or completed together.
6. Students must submit tasks by the due date, during their normal lesson time. The task should be submitted online through Turnitin, unless specified by their class teacher. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange an early submission of a task in the event of a planned absence.
7. In the event that the class teacher is absent on the day an in-class task is due, the faculty Head Teacher will make alternative arrangements to receive the students’ work.
8. In the event that the class teacher is absent on the day a task is to be completed, the assessment should go ahead as planned. If this is not possible, the task should be rescheduled at the earliest appropriate date.
9. If a task proves to be invalid or fails to discriminate, the faculty involved may deem it necessary to set a replacement task. It may also be necessary to reschedule a task from the published date. In these circumstances, the following steps should be taken by the teacher(s) involved:
Consult with the group(s) involved to find a suitable alternative time for the task.
Ensure the change does not grossly advantage or disadvantage any student.
Communicate changes to the published schedule in writing to the affected students, faculty Head Teacher and the Principal.
Ensure adequate notice, usually two weeks, is given.
10. In the case of major examinations (Trial HSC), students should be aware that achievement may be assessed in relation to all of the outcomes covered by that point in the course. The timing of the major examination period is outlined in this Assessment Information Booklet and will be highlighted via the School Newsletter.
11. The timetable for major examination periods will be published and a copy issued to each student. The teacher in charge of senior exams will prepare the timetable and distribute it to each student.
12. In a standards-referenced approach to assessment:
Tasks are designed to focus on outcomes.
The types of assessment tasks are appropriate for the outcomes being assessed.
Tasks reflect the weightings and components specified in the relevant syllabus documents.
Students know the assessment criteria before they begin a task.
Students get meaningful feedback about what they are able to do and what they need to do in order to improve their level of performance.
Students will be assessed according to their achievements against course standards.
Measures that reflect a student’s conduct and behaviour are not included.
13. For each assessment task, each student will be given a mark and meaningful feedback on the task. Students will be kept informed of their progressive rank via their academic school reports.
14. Students who transfer to South Grafton High School will be ranked in their courses using the tasks completed at South Grafton High School and the teacher’s professional judgement. Rankings from other schools are of little significance, as they do not reflect the student’s relative position within the South Grafton High School cohort.
15. For students who transfer to another school and the school requests assessment information, all available assessment information will be forwarded to their new school.
16. Academic School Reports:
a) Students will be issued with a Mid-Course Report in Term 2 and a Final HSC Report in Term 3.
b) For the purpose of reporting (and ranking for HSC) a student studying an extension course will be regarded as studying two separate courses; a 2 Unit course and an extension course in that subject. 7
c) Positions in a 2 Unit course will include all extension students studying that subject. SGHS 2026 Yr11 Assessment Book
d) Presentation Day awards are based on a student’s performance over the whole year. Their overall assessment mark will be used to rank students in each course. Students who place first in a course will receive an award to acknowledge their academic achievement at the Presentation Day Awards Assembly.
e) To be eligible for the Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence, students must have been consistently ranked in the top five places of the courses they have studied. Points are then allocated as follows and totalled to give an aggregate score.
Students with the highest aggregate scores will receive the Principal’s Award for Academic Excellence at the Presentation Day Assembly at the end of each year.
17. Disability Provisions
a) Students with special education needs work towards syllabus outcomes identified through a collaborative curriculum planning process. They will be given a range of opportunities to demonstrate achievement of these outcomes. Some students with special education needs will require adjustments to assessment activities to enable them to complete the task. This will ensure they have an equitable opportunity to demonstrate what they know and what they can do.
b) Adjustments enable a student with special education needs to attempt syllabus outcomes and content on the same basis as their peers. They are intended to provide equitable opportunities for students with special education needs rather than confer an advantage. The types of adjustments made will vary according to the needs of the individual student.
c) Adjustments can include practical arrangements to help students with special education needs complete Preliminary and HSC examinations. These practical arrangements are known as disability provisions. To access adjustments for the HSC examinations, an application for disability provisions must be submitted to NESA. Schools are responsible for any decisions about adjustments to coursework and formal school- based assessment tasks throughout Years 11 and 12. There is no guarantee that the disability provisions granted at school for coursework and assessment tasks, will also be granted for the HSC examinations.
d) In order to access adjustments (for example, small group supervision, a reader, a writer, diabetic provisions, etc.) for the HSC examinations please see one of the Learning and Support Teachers (LaST) in the Library who can explain the process which needs to be followed and the paperwork which needs to be submitted to NESA. This process needs to begin in Term 4 of Year 11 and the LaST will help you with the NESA application.
