HSC
Frequently Asked Questions
- Education for life Hide
The senior school at St Paul’s is committed to educating students for life. We are about the whole person and encourage all our students, both IB and HSC, through classes, the tutor system and out of class activities to be reflective about themselves as learners, but more importantly as people living in this global village. The key values of St Paul’s reflect the Christian thinking, focus and mission of the school and the senior school endeavours to help students develop this understanding for themselves. The focus on leadership and service are key to the senior school as we believe both are vital for life. Students are involved in a number of service projects ranging from involvement of students in a service trip to Tanzania, the support of orphans in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the homework mentoring program for some local primary schools, to name a few.
- The HSC teaching staff Hide
The staff at St Paul’s are well experienced in teaching the HSC and many are HSC markers or senior markers and have been part of a Board of Studies syllabus committee. This strengthens the senior classroom experience for our students and ensures the curriculum is updated each year, delivering best practice for the HSC. Our results in extension courses remain extremely pleasing, particularly English Extension 2, History Extension and Mathematics Extension 1 and 2 and each year there are very pleasing results for students both in individual subjects as well as across the board.
- The Christian perspective Hide
At St Paul’s students studying the HSC undertake either the Board-endorsed 1 unit Studies of Religion or the school’s developed Christian Studies program. The former gives opportunity for students to develop an academic understanding of the place of religion in society through a comparative religion study whilst Christian Studies allows for further academic understanding of the scriptures. Many students find the Studies of Religion unit to be among their best scoring units.
- Subjects offered in the HSC Hide
The HSC offers a wide range of subjects across academic disciplines including excellent extension courses in English, Mathematics, History, Music and Languages. Extension courses mean that students have even greater opportunity to specialise in these areas. Completing extension courses has the advantage of further preparing students for the necessary independent learning for university study. Students are also able to specialise in the sciences, the arts or social sciences through choosing two or more subjects in those areas. However, the diversity of the HSC also allows for students to take Vocational Educational courses through TAFE, qualified teachers at the school who are able to deliver courses on the school site or another accredited institution giving them a Certificate qualification at the completion of their study as well as contributing to their HSC.
- Why students choose the HSC Hide
Over half the cohort of the senior school at St Paul’s elect to study the HSC. Students choose the HSC for a variety of reasons but essentially it is because of the rich diversity the HSC offers and/or because of the ability to specialise in a particular area of study.
