Our Secondary School program is for students aged 12-18.

Students partake in a range of academic programs and educational experiences.

Our Secondary School Curriculum is based on the Victorian Curriculum A-10 and the VCE program - Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC). Each student is provided with an Individual Education Program. Each class has a Literacy block each day and one of Mathematics. Humanities, Science, Geography, History, Civics, and Citizenship are incorporated into thematic units.  Regular excursions, using the school bus or public transport, enrich these themes.

Weekly sessions are also held in Living Skills, Art, Physical Education, Health, Music, Drama, Library, and Sport. Secondary students are also part of a weekly Electives program, which offers additional learning experiences in areas such as photography, drama, dance, science, social media, and games.

Our secondary students are encouraged to reach their fullest potential and become independent in a caring, supportive environment. They are prepared to progress to the next exciting educational level: post-compulsory education, which includes VCAL and pre-VCAL programs.

Four of the key learning areas in our Secondary School are:

English

The English program aims to develop the students’ ability to read, write, speak and listen.  Students are presented with opportunities to develop further speaking and listening skills that focus on the protocols of formal presentation skills, and the use of evidence to support an argument/debate and to differentiate between fact and opinion. The reading program focuses on introducing students to a range of texts, including stories, poems, plays, novels, reference materials, advertising, magazines, and newspapers. They complete reading and writing activities that focus on the generic structures of different types of texts, including multimodal and online texts. When reading, comprehension skills are further developed with a continuing focus on higher-order skills, including critical interpretations, identification of stereotypes, and figurative and symbolic language. Students continue to develop individual reading behaviours to read, interpret, and respond to a wide range of literary, everyday, and media texts. The writing focus encourages the development of writing skills and the ability to present individual thoughts in a written form.

Mathematics

The mathematical areas of Number, Money and Time have been identified as the major areas of focus. When studying numbers, students learn to identify order and model the counting of numbers up to 1000. They create number patterns mentally, by hand and with the use of calculators. Students may work with all four processes: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, using numbers to 100 and beyond. When studying Money, students apply number skills to everyday contexts such as shopping. Students recognize the notes of our currency, make amounts of money to $100, and give appropriate change for amounts to $100. They begin to work with and create budgets. When studying Time, students interpret timetables and calendars in relation to familiar events. They read analogue and digital clocks to 5 minute intervals.

Abilities in a range of areas are also recognised and further developed to ensure all students are being extended in their learning, this may include higher level mathematics including algebra, geometry, statistics, probability and problem solving.

Interpersonal Development

Interpersonal Development involves supporting the student to initiate, maintain and manage positive social relationships with a range of people in a range of contexts. There is particular focus on developing the capacity to work cooperatively as part of a team as this is widely acknowledged as being a core requirement for success in the workplace and in the community. It is through the development of positive social relationships that individuals become linked to society, develop a sense of belonging and learn to live and work with others. The program is adapted to meet the requirements of individual students. In a highly interconnected and interdependent world students must learn to work with others by: building positive social relationships, working in teams and managing and resolving conflicts.

Personal Learning

Personal learning focuses on providing students with the knowledge, skills and behaviours to be successful, positive learners both at school and throughout their lives. Students need to understand what it means to learn, who they are as learners and how emotions affect learning. They also need to develop skills in planning, monitoring and revising their work, and reflecting on and modifying their learning practices. As students progress through school they will be encouraged and supported to take greater responsibility for their own learning, their participation in learning activities and the quality of their learning outcomes. They will begin to develop a sense of themselves as learners and build up the knowledge and skills to manage their own learning and emotions. As they do this, they move from being supported learners to independent learners.

Post Compulsory

Towards Independence:

The students are involved in a range of opportunities to build their academic capabilities and real-life skills, with authentic learning as the focus. This includes opportunities for students to transfer the knowledge and skills they have developed at Rosamond into a community context.

Its focus is on developing the student's independence. It covers modules ranging from 'meal preparation and cooking' to 'out in the community'. Literacy and Numeracy form the foundation of the Towards Independence course, which offers many opportunities for the students to be out in the community and understand how to communicate their wants and needs.

This course is offered over two years, and students get credit for completing units with the necessary level of support. The international body moderates all work submitted, and individuals are awarded a certificate indicating all the modules they have completed at the end of their course.

Structure:

Core Areas: Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development, Citizenship, Independent Living, Life Skills, Leisure, Recreation and Sport, Creative studies, World of work.

Example: Communication commences at Sensory level skills through to Introductory level, and then Progression level.

Examples of topic areas: Speaking and listening in my school, speaking and listening to greet a visitor, speaking and listening while shopping, speaking and listening – preparing for an interview, speaking and listening – taking part in a new activity, reading books, reading newspapers and TV guides, reading – personal timetable, reading in the community- reading food labels and packaging, reading – eating out, writing – everyday writing, writing – word processing, writing – writing a book, and communication project.

To complete the study area, students must complete six sections. All students do not have to do the same, but they must do at least one from Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing.

Similar breakdowns are available for the other areas of study, and each has a to-do list that students work through and collect evidence of their completion at their level of support.

Vocational Education & Training (VET):

One day of the week is spent in this area, with all students having the chance to participate. The aim is not necessarily to complete a certificate but to get hours that can be carried forward beyond school to study further. Rosamond staff completed their Cert IV in Training and Assessment to enable them to deliver training packages for our students. There are no prerequisites for enrolment in the VET courses, and they are arranged according to the student's preferences.

The following VET courses are offered to our students and are auspiced by the Registered Training Organisations (RTO) listed in brackets:

• AHC20422 Certificate II in Horticulture  [AIET (121314)]
• SHB20121 Certificate II in Retail Cosmetics  [AIET (121314)]
• SIT20322 Certificate II in Hospitality  [AIET (121314)]
• CUA20720 Certificate II in Visual Arts  [COSAMP (41549)]
• ICT20120 Certificate II in Applied Digital Technologies   [RipponLea Institute (21230)]

The qualifications are completed over two years and are completed via Face-To-Face instruction at Rosamond School, presented by our trained staff in each of the certificate areas.

WORK & PATHWAYS:  Including work placement (supported and independent) and Pathways experiences – Visits to TAFE, UNI, jobs. Running school activities, such as:  – Graduation, Senior Secondary jackets/hoodies, Footy Colours Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.