Welcome to Year 10
Welcome to the Senior School. Year 10 is an important time as your daughter starts to have more choice in the courses that match her future career path. In Year 10, increasing emphasis is placed on developing independence in her learning, leadership capabilities and possible future career directions.
As the Head of the Senior School, it is important to me that your daughter is known, valued and that her academic progress and wellbeing are closely monitored and developed. Whilst the exact nature of the girls’ future lives is hard to pin down, our learning framework seeks to equip our girls with the capacities they will need to thrive in all aspects of their lives in our rapidly changing and complex world.
In the Senior School, it is important that your daughter feels comfortable to make mistakes and is resilient to bounce back from setbacks. Our staff are central to creating a school environment that is conducive to learning and in which ‘aiming high’ is the norm. Unashamedly, we do have a culture of excellence and dedication amongst our girls.
In Year 10, girls will begin their South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) by undertaking Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF). Some girls will also acquire additional credits from their study of SACE Stage 1 course or by completing a Vocational Education and Training (VET) Course.
The Year 10 curriculum is deliberately broad to keep future study options open. I encourage girls to choose courses that they are interested in and which, at the same time, challenge them. All girls will study English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, History and EIF in line with the requirements of the Australian Curriculum and the SACE Certificate. Girls then have a choice of six elective courses (three per semester) in areas of interest. Please take time to read the brief overview of each course, which will provide insight into each course and its relevance to the future of work for your daughter.
Selecting courses for Year 10 is an exciting but sometimes daunting task. This decision is made easier by considering personal strengths and areas of considerable interest and enjoyment. Consideration needs to be given to Stage 1 and 2 courses that may be required for Year 11 and 12.
As always, if you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the School or email me. I look forward to meeting you personally and welcoming your daughter into the Senior School.
Kate Hanson
Head of Senior School
Year 10 Students and Stage 2 Courses
Wilderness School does not support girls in Year 10 undertaking South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) Stage 2 courses with external providers, with the exception of Vocational Education Certificate III courses.
SACE Stage 2 courses are designed for completion after Stage 1 courses at Year 11 to provide an appropriate foundation for higher-level studies at Year 12.
Experience indicates that if girls undertake SACE Stage 2 studies with the equivalent foundation of Year 9, it has a considerable impact on their personal health and wellbeing and influences their commitment to their Year 10 studies. It also affects their ability to be involved in the extensive co-curricular program offered at the School.
Any girl who considers undertaking Stage 2 studies with external providers must understand that Wilderness staff will not be in a position to provide any academic support for these studies due to a conflict of interest. The external school’s assessment plan will be different from the one prepared by the Wilderness staff and approved by the SACE Board. Teachers will also not grant extensions on school-based tasks because of these external studies.
In summary, Wilderness actively discourages and does not support any Year 10 girl undertaking SACE Stage 2 studies unless there are exceptional circumstances that have been negotiated with the Head of Senior School.
Belinda Arnfield
Principal
Semester Only
Compulsory
Students explore a range of key ideas across nine focus areas.
Semester Only
Elective
In Stage 1 of Business Innovation, students cultivate a comprehensive understanding of how to design, and transform businesses in the contemporary world.
Full Year Only
Elective
Students build on their linguistic skills, becoming increasingly confident communicators in Chinese as they develop fluency and accuracy when applying language to spoken and written interactions.
Semester Only
Elective
Students who enrol in Digital Futures will focus on producing projects with a digital communication aspect, which could involve developing apps, websites or video games.
Semester Only
Elective
This subject is a dynamic, interdisciplinary course that prepares students to create innovative, sustainable solutions for real-world challenges. By exploring design features, processes, materials and production techniques, students will learn to apply creative thinking and technological tools in designing and realising entrepreneurial solutions.
Semester or Full Year Option
Elective
Drama, as one of the oldest and most powerful storytelling mediums, asks people to explore and contextualise the human experience. In this subject, students engage in studying, creating and presenting stories through performance, focusing on the influential theatrical movements of Realism, Epic Theatre, Surrealism and Absurdism, which have shaped art and entertainment today.
Full Year Only
Compulsory
In Year 10 English, students engage with a range of texts that endeavours to create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. In this subject, students understand how words can be manipulated to create an impact on readers while also empowering them as authors to shape their perspectives and views of the world.
Semester Only
Compulsory
Exploring Identities and Futures is the SACE revitalisation of the Personal Learning Plan, first piloted in Semester 1, 2022. In Exploring Identities and Futures (EIF), students develop future pathways by exploring who they are and who they want to be.
Full Year Only
Elective
Students build on their linguistic skills, becoming increasingly confident communicators in French as they develop fluency and accuracy when applying language to spoken and written interactions.
Semester Only
Elective
Futures and Foresight offers students an opportunity to explore and understand the dynamics of our rapidly changing world. Through this course, students will develop critical thinking skills and gain insights into anticipating and shaping future outcomes.
Semester or Full Year Option
Elective
In Year 10, Geography is organised into two strands. Environmental Change and Management focuses on investigating environmental geography through a study of Ecological Footprints, Climate Change and Natural Resources.
Full Year Only
Compulsory
Students develop their historical and political understanding through study of the period 1918 to the present, encompassing the Interwar Years, World War II, Civil Rights in the USA and Australia, and the Cold War and Communist Threat.
Full Year Only
Compulsory
In Year 10 Mathematics, immersion in a rigorous curriculum allows the growth of mathematical skills, knowledge, techniques and dispositions.
Semester Only
Elective
The 10A course is designed to complement Pathway 1 at Year 10 and will focus on algebraic techniques and extending student's knowledge of mathematical concepts.
Semester or Full Year Option
Elective
Music in Year 10 expands students’ musicianship skills and provides students with the opportunity to apply their understanding in a variety of musical contexts.
Semester Only
Elective
Students rationally investigate questions about existence, knowledge and ethics, to which there are no simple answers.
Full Year Only
Compulsory
Physical Education aims to provide students with a diverse range of movement experiences to build their confidence, proficiency and enjoyment of lifelong physical activity.
Full Year Only
Compulsory
In Year 10 Science, students cycle through Biological, Chemical and Physical sciences. Students analyse how the periodic table organises elements and use it to make predictions about the properties of elements.
Full Year Only
Elective
Students will be trained in the creation of both film and animated products and this subject will see them collaborating with industry professionals who will help guide them and inspire them.
Full Year Only
Elective
The Certificate III in Sport Coaching in Semester 1 equips girls with foundational knowledge and practical skills in coaching and sport science. This certification prepares them for potential coaching roles and offers opportunities for career advancement in the sports industry.
Semester or Full Year Option
Elective
The Visual Arts course offers students the opportunity to engage in learning through creating and responding to artworks from various perspectives. It helps them develop skills to effectively communicate ideas, observations and imagination about their world.