Brisbane Water Secondary College - Woy Woy Campus

Respect - Commitment - Relationships

Telephone02 4341 1600

Emailwoywoy-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Minimum Standards

What are the HSC Minimum Standards?

Students need reading, writing and numeracy for everyday life after school. This is why students in NSW are being supported to meet a minimum standard of literacy and numeracy to receive the HSC from 2020.

Together with the NSW Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, the HSC minimum standard is part of an effort to improve the literacy and numeracy outcomes for students.

2022 Key Dates:

17th February - 30th November (on school days)
BWSC students will be notified during roll call and class time regarding the specific timing for their testing windows.

30th November

Deadline to sit each test and receive the HSC credential by results day.

What happens if a student doesn’t meet the HSC Minimum Standard?

From 2020, only students who meet the HSC Minimum Standard will receive a HSC credential.

Students do not need to meet the HSC Minimum Standards to:

  • Study HSC courses
  • Sit HSC exams
  • Receive HSC assessment and exam results
  • Receive an ATAR
  • Receive a Records of School Achievement (RoSA)

Student Support for HSC Minimum Standards

The goal of BWSC Woy Woy is to ensure all students feel supported throughout the Minimum Standards process.

Since the inception of the Minimum Standards Tests, our school has trialled and refined a range of strategies designed to best support students in developing their literacy and numeracy skills in order to meet the Minimum Standard in Numeracy, Reading and Writing. It is important to note that the literacy and numeracy skills these tests measure are based on benchmarks set by the Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

The tests themselves are targeted at Level 3 of the Australian Core Skills Framework. These identified skills are considered necessary to support students as they navigate their lives beyond high school.

The expectation is that these standards are to be achieved by the end of Year 12 and so, it is natural that there are students in Year 10 who do not yet demonstrate the benchmark in one or more skill areas.

In good news, students have 4 opportunities per academic year to sit each test (Reading, Writing and Numeracy) to achieve Minimum Standards. Throughout Year 10 students will receive opportunities within their timetabled lessons to sit a test for Reading, Writing and Numeracy. After the initial round of testing, selected students identified as working toward Minimum Standards will be supported via a range of differentiated in-school activities designed specifically to assist in reaching this necessary benchmark. In 2022, due to the impacts of COVID, we are lucky to have been provided with funding from the government to support Individualised Learning through small group tuition.

Strategies include, but are not limited to:

  • Extraction from class for small group literacy and/or numeracy support with a Tutor.
  • Literacy workshops hosted by ILSP Tutors and Head Teacher Learning and Engagement.
  • Numeracy workshops hosted by ILSP Tutors and Head Teacher Learning and Engagement.
  • Variation to routine: timetable adjustments for students to partake in small group adjusted activities

Disability provisions:

Some students with disability and those studying Life Skills courses may be exempt from meeting the minimum standard to receive their HSC credential. Our school will communicate in a personal manner with students and the parents of students regarding these considerations.

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/disability-provisions

Accessing Results

Students need to use their NESA students online accounts. To have demonstrated the Minimum Standard, students need to have reached a Level 3 or 4.
Students can log in at: https://studentsonline.nesa.nsw.edu.au/

Understanding Results

A sample report with a breakdown of how to interpret the information on the Students Online portal is provided in an attachment below.

Details on the tests themselves:

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard/online-tests

Information regarding the level of skill required:

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard/online-tests

NESA website:

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/hsc-minimum-standard