I am delighted that you have taken the step of opening this booklet to learn a little more about your transition to Senior School in 2025. Most of you reading this page will be coming from Highton or Bellarine campus and you’ll be pleased to know that the Senior Campus is just another part of the same school you are used to – same philosophy, same values, same expectations and, yes, same uniform!
We do also welcome students new to Christian College in Year 10 who wish to complete their secondary school journey with us.
No matter where you are coming from, you will find Senior School a very welcoming place with teachers who care not just about your academic achievement but you as a person. At Senior School, we want to help you grow your passions, know your purpose and explore your pathways.
Whilst many of you will find the transition to Senior School smooth and perhaps even enjoyable, we know that moving campuses or moving schools can be a little daunting at first. New environment, new teachers, new subjects, new friendships and a new timetable. That’s why we’ve put lots of things in place to support you now and well into next year. There’s our Transition Coordinator, Mrs Leanne Doran, plus Heads of House, House Mentors, Chaplains, Careers counsellors, the Learning Support team, a VCE Coordinator and a Vocational Pathways Coordinator. And to help you get a feel for the campus before next year, there’ll be a Subject Information Evening in July, an Orientation Day in November and a Transition Week in December.
There’s much to love about Senior School. We offer a huge selection of subjects to help you explore your pathway options, even if you’re still not sure what that looks like yet. And there’s the incredible House community with a range of lunchtime House activities not to mention House Music, Synchronised Swimming, Wearable Art and so many more fun events that are unique to Senior School.
The transition to Senior School is a process that starts now. So welcome! We’re excited to have you join our community.
Senior Pathways Information Session Wednesday, June 19
Subject Information Evening Wednesday, July 24
Applications close for:
• Our World
• Acceleration
• Year 10 Methods
• Year 10 Thinking and Investigation Friday, August 9
Students notified by email of outcome of all applications Friday, August 23
Online subject selections open Friday, August 23
Online subject selections close Sunday, September 1
CCG VET applications close Sunday, September 1
Students emailed allocated 2025 subjects Friday, September 8
Orientation Day – Get to know the campus and the House system Tuesday, November 5
Transition Week –Get to know your Year 10 timetable, teachers, classrooms and cohort Monday, December 2 to Friday, December 6
Term 1 2025 commences for students Thursday, January 30
Yours faithfully,
Jason O’Loughlin
Head of Campus
Mr Jason O’Loughlin Ja.oloughlin@ccg.vic.edu.au
VCE Coordinator
Mr Daniel Fanning d.fanning@ccg.vic.edu.au
Mr Luke Feldman l.feldman@ccg.vic.edu.au
Vocational Pathways Coordinator
Mrs Kerryn Fearnsides k.fearnsides@ccg.vic.edu.au
Deputy Head of Campus Teaching & Learning
Ms Elissa Huddart e.huddart@ccg.vic.edu.au
Chaplain
Mrs Jen Foord j.foord@ccg.vic.edu.au
Head of Flynn House
Mr Ben Hines b.hines@ccg.vic.edu.au
Pathways Support Officer
Ms Mary Higgins m.higgins@ccg.vic.edu.au
Deputy Head of Campus Pastoral Care & Wellbeing
Mr Paul Breguet p.breguet@ccg.vic.edu.au
Chaplain
Mr Johnathon McPherson j.mcpherson@ccg.vic.edu.au
Head of Penman House
Mrs Kylie O’Brien k.obrien@ccg.vic.edu.au
Careers
Mrs Bec Bromilow careers@ccg.vic.edu.au
Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Mr Antony Benson a.benson@ccg.vic.edu.au
Learning Support Coordinator
Mrs Wendy Smith w.smith@ccg.vic.edu.au
Head of Taylor House
Miss Alice Vincent a.vincent@ccg.vic.edu.au
Careers
Mrs Robyn Smith careers@ccg.vic.edu.au
Transition Coordinator
Mrs Leanne Doran l.doran@ccg.vic.edu.au
Learning Support Coordinator
Dr Sarah Nailer s.nailer@ccg.vic.edu.au
Mrs Cathy Brew senior@ccg.vic.edu.au
Administration
Mrs Elaine Pearson senior@ccg.vic.edu.au
Senior School | 135 Pigdons Rd, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216
At Senior School, the four Houses of Burrows, Flynn, Penman and Taylor play an integral role in the life of all students. The House System provides a framework for your care and wellbeing within the school and fosters a deep sense of connection to one another and the life of the campus.
Your Head of House and House Mentor play a key role in providing opportunities for this connection, they are a consistent daily presence to support you and guide you with a multitude of matters ranging from academic organisation, wellbeing, faith development and leadership aspirations through to upholding uniform and community expectations.
Students begin the day in House Group with their House Mentor. This daily meeting provides a consistent space for the day to commence in a supported environment, including devotional time, opportunities to enhance well-being and fun ways to build strong relationships between students and staff throughout the three-year Senior Campus journey.
Unlike Middle School, students don’t stay with their House Group for any other classes, as your timetable is created based on your unique subject selections. Opportunities for you to connect to your House are many and varied. At Senior School, the program includes, but extends well beyond, the traditional House Sports that may spring to mind, such as athletics, swimming and cross country. You will be encouraged to get involved in a host of activities from Philanthropy to Wearable Art, from Drama to Synchronised Swimming and a whole bunch more!
The Houses offer an array of opportunities for you to contribute, serve, and lead, thus creating a strong sense of belonging and security for each student. We know this to be one of the best protective factors for a student’s mental health and that it also creates an environment for academic success.
We understand there is a lot more to settling in than merely preparing for academic study. To help you with the many new experiences and routines at Senior School, we can reassure you that there are many ways to access a variety of supports throughout your time with us, whether that support is required with personal, academic or careers needs or aspirations.
There is always help available with your study; if you receive Learning Support at Middle School then that continues at Senior School; if you’re used to emailing teachers for help, then you can do that at Senior School too. If you are having a bad day and just need a break, then we care for you in those times too - you have House Mentors, Chaplains and teachers who all want the best for you. We have a canteen three days a week and Cathy in the office who will always be able to find you a sandwich, hair tie, band aid or a bus pass.
And of course, the Careers Development Practitioners, who you have, or will meet, during the Year 9 Transformation program are at Senior School to continue to guide you.
The Christian College Senior School Hub provides students with access to a range of useful resources including: assessment dates, study habit tips, subject information, careers and pathways, and chaplaincy.
This resource can also be used to see policies on phone use and uniform, and VCE acceleration to name a few. As well as being located on SEQTA using this icon, it is also mobile phone friendly, and we strongly encourage all students to download a version to their device. This is your ‘go to’ location to find out all you need to know about how the Senior Campus operates.
Christian College is committed to supporting the wellbeing of all members of the school community. We understand the importance of wellbeing and we are committed to creating an environment in which our students, staff and families can flourish. The development of our Wellbeing Framework helped to clarify that wellbeing is vital, crucial, and fundamental to our very purpose and stated reason for existence.
We recognise that Biblically speaking, we as human beings are created in the image of God, and we exist in three parts –our spiritual, emotional, and physical selves, and therefore we choose to promote human flourishing, purpose and passion.
Flourish sits at the heart of our Wellbeing Framework and we recognise that for each of us to truly flourish it will mean becoming fully engaged in the journey spiritually, emotionally and physically. We have also focused on four key areas which we believe will provide a solid pattern for wellbeing highlighted below and each of the four key focus areas are linked to a series of expressed commitments.
With a unified focus across the College we aim to implement a range of strategies, policies, initiatives and practices designed to demonstrate our commitment to the guiding principles. Whether it is in House Group, in the day-to-day of your classroom learning or through the many and varied opportunities provided at Senior School, your wellbeing and the wellbeing of our community is important to us. Through the strengthening of protective factors, the fostering of respectful and positive relationships, the nurturing of Christian faith and the building of social and emotional skills we aim to strengthen levels of wellbeing and in doing so enhance the capacity of each member of our community to flourish.
At Senior Campus we have two Career Development Practitioners, you may think of them as Future Planning Coaches as they work alongside students and families making important decisions for the future –such as subject selection, VET study, TAFE, University courses, setting goals and the world of work.
It can feel daunting to make decisions about the future. The careers team will encourage you to explore your interests and skills, will help with career research and planning and the development of your self-knowledge to provide you with greater clarity and confidence to face each stage and decision in your Senior School journey. To further assist students and parents alike with the decision-making process we have a Christian College Careers website, available through the Careers tile on SEQTA.
We recognise that a student’s career development is not based on a static decision at a point in time, instead we understand the need to be open to and prepared for change. Rest assured, there will be many opportunities to pivot, change direction and move onto an alternative path through Senior School and beyond. So, parents and students, fear not! You can change your mind, you can try new things, you can explore your options and you can find a path that works for you.
Each year the Senior School Chaplains look forward to meeting those students new to the campus and specifically our new Year 10 cohort. Our Chaplains are here to support you through not just your start here, where you might be wondering about the challenges of meeting new people and making new friends, but all the way through your Senior School journey.
Lots of people ask, “So, what kind of support do the Chaplains offer?” In short, they offer emotional and spiritual support, they are here to listen to whatever it is that you want to share, or might be struggling to navigate through, at any given time in your life. As Christians our Chaplains would love to talk with you about faith, however they understand that not everyone wants to discuss this – so rest assured, they do not push their beliefs on anyone. They are, first and foremost, here to offer support, to listen and, to care for you – it’s that simple. Chaplains can advocate for you in tricky situations and help find other, perhaps external supports, for you if you need it. They love getting to know people and are also just great people to spend some time with. So be encouraged, they are a part of the team here to journey with you.
Options
Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)
• Is based on applied learning principles
• Standalone Foundation Course for Year 11 & 12 students at an Australian Qualifications Framework Level 1
• Pathway to Entry Level VET or Employment
• Minimum of 12 Units
• Can include VCE units, VET and structured workplace learning
• Standards based assessment, no external assessment. No ATAR
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
• The VCE is a senior secondary certificate designed to be completed by students over a minimum of two years.
• Units 1 & 2 and Units 3 & 4 are designed to be taken as a sequence
• Transition into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, employment, or university via alternative pathways VCE VM or directly into university VCE (ATAR).
VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM)
• Students’ study 12 semester length units in Year 11 and 10 units in Year 12 with an applied learning and vocational focus. VET or a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) must be included. Structured workplace learning (SWL) is recommended.
• Outcomes based assessment with no external assessment. No ATAR.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Other VET Certificates
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE, ATAR)
• Students’ study 12 semester length units in Year 11 and 10 semester length units in Year 12. VET is an option.
• Outcomes based assessment with an external examinati on leading to an ATAR for direct university entry.
Year 10 students will undertake 12 units of study across the year (six units of study per semester).
• Each unit consists of five 50-minute periods per week (= 250 minutes).
• All students complete year-long studies of English, Mathematics and Science with the ability to choose from a range of options within these domains.
• Students must also choose at least one unit from each of the Worldview and Experiential domains. These can be studied in semester 1 or 2.
English, Mathematics and Science
It is an Australian government requirement that all students study English, Mathematics and Science up to and including Year 10.
Worldview
Christian College is grounded in the Christian faith as expressed in God’s Word. Christian Education, Geography, History and Our World courses have been designed to provide students with an opportunity to view the world through a Christian Worldview lens, whilst still applying the academic rigour necessary to prepare students for VCE pathways in the respective subjects.
This Christian worldview helps us in our interactions with others, understanding the past and present, caring for our environment and seeking to make a difference in the lives of others.
Experiential
Physical activity and expression enable students to become healthy, resilient, confident and competent individuals. Physical Education, Outdoor Education and Drama courses each provide students with opportunities to experience learning in a practical environment.
These subjects have been designed to support and enhance student wellbeing, as well as develop collaborative skills through small group and team participation.
Subject selection
Students will select units for Semester 1 in the previous year, and semester 2 in May according to the following:
one unit of English from the options available.
one unit of Mathematics from the options available.
Select one unit of Science from the options available.
Select at least one unit from the Worldviews domain. This can be selected in semester 1 or semester 2.
Select at least one unit from the Experiential domain. This can be selected in semester 1 or semester 2.
Select remaining units from one of the previous areas (except Mathematics) Electives or VCE Acceleration (subject to approval).
The following should also be noted when making subject selections:
• With the exception of English and Mathematics, all selections will require students to allocate preferences during the subject selection process. It cannot be guaranteed that students will always get their first preferences.
• All units are dependent on sufficient student numbers in order to run. The College reserves the right to determine which classes will operate based on student numbers and operational needs.
• Please be aware that accelerated pathways require the student to meet certain academic criteria. This process is outlined on page 13.
• Some subjects have associated levies and/or a time impact. These are both described on the next page and should be considered when making subject choices.
Whole-year subjects (one unit per semester)
• English, Mathematics and Science will each count for one unit in each semester.
• Each VCE Unit 1 & 2 subject is a whole-year subject and will count as one unit per semester.
• Japanese or Indonesian – must be taken as a whole-year subject and thus count as one unit per semester.
• Year 10 VET is a whole-year subject and will count as one unit in each semester.
Worldview options
• Students must choose one Worldview unit in Semester 1 or 2
• Students may choose multiple units in the Worldview domain
Experiential options
• Students must choose one Experiential unit in Semester 1 or 2
• Students may choose multiple units in the Experiential domain
Further criteria
• Students cannot choose both a Year 10 unit and its VCE Unit 1 & 2 equivalent. For example: Running a Small Business and VCE Business Management Units 1 & 2 is not valid.
Subjects that have an application process
Several Year 10 subjects require students to submit an application before they will be approved for enrolment. This may be due to a limit on the number of students able to complete that study, or because we want to ensure students are prepared for the high academic demand they will encounter.
The subjects are:
• Mathematical Methods
• Our World: First Nations
• Thinking and Investigation
• VCE acceleration
Application forms will be available on the senior school hub after the subject information evening on Wednesday, July 24. Applications for each of these subjects are due Friday, August 9.
Some subjects have additional costs that are not included in the normal College tuition fees and require upfront payment.
These include:
• Subjects with overnight excursions that involve accommodation expenses and other travel costs.
• Subjects that have significant resource and/or equipment purchases.
• Subjects that require a digital subscription.
Where a student enrols in a subject with a levy amount listed under the unit description, this cost is typically added to College tuition fees at the start of the relevant semester.
Some subjects include excursions that run for a whole day or camps/trips that involve multiple days away from school.
Such experiences provide students with rich learning opportunities beyond the classroom. However, parents and students are encouraged to consider the impact that extended absences can have on learning in other subjects.
For this reason, we have identified those subjects in Year 10 that have a time impact.
Students need to be aware of their responsibility to keep pace with the learning and assessments in those subjects that they will have missed whilst absent from school. Having knowledge of this in advance can assist with student wellbeing and organisational management.
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
The VCE is a two-year senior secondary qualification that provides a pathway to tertiary studies, employment, apprenticeships and TAFE.
The VCE may also be combined with a Vocational Education and Training [VET] course where students will complete an accredited course of study in a vocational area of interest which is credited towards their VCE.
It is possible for Year 10 students to undertake a VCE Unit 1 and 2 subject or VET course as part of their course selections. This may lead to a Unit 3 and 4 study in Year 11, subject to approval.
Students considering an accelerated VCE study should seek advice from their current teachers and consider the criteria for acceleration as described in the next section.
More information regarding the VCE program, the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) can be found in the Senior Subject information Booklet.
A student “accelerates” when they undertake a Unit 1 and 2 VCE subject in Year 10. There are a number of advantages to undertaking an accelerated subject in Year 10 including;
• Helps students gain exposure to the academic expectations of the VCE.
• Provides students with two units that count toward successful completion of VCE.
• Allows for completion of a Unit 3-4 subject in Year 11 which can assist with tertiary entrance requirements (ATAR).
• May lead to an option of completing a University level class in Year 12.
Acceleration may be granted following consideration of a student’s capacity to successfully complete a VCE subject in Year 10, as well as availability of places in classes and timetabling constraints. It is also important that the choice of an accelerated subject fits a student’s current pathway planning. It should be noted that there will be increased demands upon the student in accelerated subjects. To be approved for acceleration, a current Year 9 student will therefore need to demonstrate:
• Attendance rate at 80% or higher.
• High levels of self-management, organisation, timemanagement and self-discipline.
• Consistently high achievement across core studies in the previous year and semester one, this includes an average of B+, 75% or higher across all subjects.
• A mature approach to learning and College life in general.
Acceleration applications require careful consideration from students and families and should be discussed with Careers Development Practitioners, subject teachers and Year 9 Year Level Coordinator. Acceleration subjects can be identified throughout the Year 10 Subject Description booklet as those underlined. Further information regarding subject-specific criteria, application forms and acceleration options, will be made available prior to the Senior School subject information sessions.
Students study 6 units in each semester.
Subjects underlined are VCE acceleration options and would count for 1 unit in each semester These can be found in the Senior Subject Information Booklet.
English
• Core Skills English
• General English
• English Language
• English Literature
Mathematics
• Core Skills Mathematics
• General Mathematics
• General Mathematics (Essentials)
• Mathematical Methods (by application) Science
• Bodies and Motion
• Chemistry of Life
• Ecology, Biodiversity & Fieldwork
• Gene Science
• Mind and Body
• Test Your Metal
• VCE Biology
• VCE Psychology
• VCE Environmental Science
Worldview (1 unit minimum)
• Christian Ed: Reasons for Faith
• Geography
• History
• Politics and Society
• Our World: First Nations (by application)
• Our World: Local Community
• VCE Texts and Traditions
• VCE Geography
• VCE History
Experiential (1 unit minimum)
• Drama
• Outdoor Education
• PE: Sport and Recreation
• PE: Coaching and Officiating
• PE: Sport and Exercise Performance
• VCE Drama
• VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies
• VCE Physical Education
Electives (Whole year)
The following electives must be chosen for Semester 1 and Semester 2.
• Indonesian
• Japanese
• VET (by application to external providers)
Electives (Semester length)
Choose from the following list or additional Worldview or Experiential units for a total of 6 subjects in each semester.
• Art Making and Exhibiting
• Computing
• Drama
• Food Studies
• Healthy Living
• Law and Economics
• Media
• Music: Sound Explorers 1 (offered in Semester 1 only)
• Music: Sound Explorers 2 (offered in Semester 2 only)
• Product Design: Materials
• Product Design: Textiles
• Running a Small Business
• Systems Engineering
• Thinking and Investigation (by application)
• Visual Communication Design
VCE Acceleration (Whole year) - by application
• VCE Accounting
• VCE Applied Computing
• VCE Art Making and Exhibiting
• VCE Biology
• VCE Business Management
• VCE Drama
• VCE Environmental Science
• VCE Food Studies
• VCE Geography
• VCE Health and Human Development
• VCE History
• VCE Indonesian
• VCE Japanese
• VCE Legal Studies
• VCE Media
• VCE Music
• VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies
• VCE Physical Education
• VCE Product Design: Materials or Textiles
• VCE Psychology
• VCE Systems Engineering
• VCE Texts and Traditions
• VCE Visual Communication Design
