The BHGHS Junior Curriculum System - UVISS Explained
What is UVISS? Choosing a Subject
Levels of Study Specialisation or Broad Study?
Curriculum Maps Specific Requirements for the School Certificate
Terms you need to know Unit Specification table
Choosing your future Completing the Eligibility Slip
Summary

 

The Curriculum Pathways booklet contains all you need to know about the system of curriculum organisation used at Beverly Hills Girls High School. This system is known as UVISS.

 

WHAT IS UVISS?

In 2006 the subjects you will study will be chosen within a system called UVISS (Unitised Vertically Integrated Semester System). This means that you will choose your subjects at the end of each semester i.e. Term II and Term IV rather than each year. The subjects you choose will be packaged in Units of Study (a Unit is studied for two hours per week for 20 weeks i.e. one 75 minute period and one 45 minute period each week for 2 terms). You must take 13 Units of Study to fill your timetable for the week.

You will have more variety in your study because you will be able to choose an individual pattern of study based on your own interests and abilities.

Although you will have a good deal of choice in what you study, there are some
restrictions imposed by the Education system.

The Board of Studies, which issues the School Certificate and Higher School Certificate, states the number of hours and patterns of study you must undertake in eight Key
Learning Areas (KLAs).

You must take:

English

Maths

Science

PD/Health/PE and

Sport

You must also study a certain number of hours in

Languages Other Than English (LOTE)
Arabic, French, Modern Greek, Italian, Chinese

Human Society And Its Environment (HSIE)
History, Geography, Commerce

Technology and Applied Studies (TAS)
Technology, Food Technology, Textiles Technology,
Information & Software Technology

Creative Arts
Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Drama

The Unit Specification Table on Page 8 tells you how many Units of each you have to study in Years 7 - 10.

You can choose other Units of Study from any of these Key Learning Areas (KLAs) to help improve your skills, broaden your knowledge or accelerate through a course.

Top

CHOOSING A SUBJECT

At Beverly Hills Girls High School, we will provide you with a great deal more flexibility in your pattern of study so you will take more responsibility for your own education.

All students do the same course in Year 7, but after that you will be able to make choices about what you should study in consultation with your teachers and parents.

Under the old system, everyone was expected to progress at the same rate. This meant some students moved on to the next year before they were ready. Under UVISS you can spend more time at a level in a subject in order to increase your skills, or you can move quickly through a Unit of Study if you have mastered it.

UVISS is built on the understanding that you are individuals who learn at different rates and have different interests and capabilities. UVISS does not force everybody to do the same course at the same time. But it does allow you to take more Units in a subject you are interested in or need more time to cope with.

Top

At Beverly Hills Girls High School study is organized into Levels 1-6 rather than Years 7-10.

You will advance from one level to the next when you have achieved the outcomes set for that level. There is provision for you to do another Unit at that level if you need more time to achieve the outcomes. This is different from before when you automatically moved through school in year groups regardless of your success in individual subjects.

The year will be divided into two semesters of 20 weeks each. This means that in your first four years of high school there are 8 semesters. Every semester you will take 13 Units of Study. You must attempt a number of compulsory Units to satisfy the Board of Studies' requirements. Outside of this you are free to choose Units of Study on the basis of interest. These Units may cover a range of different levels, for example you may be studying English at Level 3. Maths at Level 2 and Music at Level 5, depending on your
interests, talents or successes in the previous semesters.

Within each KLA the Units you choose will be arranged in various ways to make up a course, for example . . .

OR

As in the following . . .

 

In this example the student does all the Core Units—the compulsory ones—but also chooses to do some Elective Units.

Top

UVISS allows you to make decisions about how much depth you want to go to in your studies. Because every level you go up is more advanced, you may decide to specialise in some subjects by taking Units at a higher and higher level.

In this example the student wants to specialise in guitar and so chooses three Guitar Units of increasing difficulty culminating in the Rock Band.

OR

You could decide to study widely, not specialising in any one thing.

 

 In this example the student does not want to specialise in any one area but prefers to do a range of Music Units at the one level.

Whether you keep going up levels or not, you will be eligible for the School Certificate in your fourth year of high school and for the HSC in your sixth year of high school. It is possible that if you have accelerated through the levels you may be eligible to sit for an HSC subject in your fifth year or earlier.

Top

Curriculum maps have been prepared to help you plan your pattern of study. These maps set out all the Units of Study at each level and help you choose the Units of Study most suitable for you.

Next to the map is a description of each of the Units of Study telling you what it is all about.

Core Units are always shown as ovals and Elective Units are always shown as rectangles on the maps and in the Unit Descriptions.

 

To satisfy the Board of Studies specifications for the award of the School Certificate the requirements listed on the following page must be met.

Top

  1. ENGLISH, MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE—must be studied throughout all eight semesters. A minimum of 13 Units of each must be studied.
  2. HUMAN SOCIETY AND ITS ENVIRONMENT—must be studied throughout all eight semesters. The study of Australian History is compulsory for 3 Units over Years 9 and 10 and the study of Australian Geography is compulsory for 3 Units over Years 9 and 10.
  3. CREATIVE ARTS—By the end of Year 8 you must have completed 3 Unit of Music and 3 Units of Visual Arts.
  4. LOTE—1 Unit each semester must be studied in Years 7 and 8.
  5. TAS - Technology (Mandatory)—By the end of Year 8 you must have completed the 6 Units available.
  6. PD/HEALTH/PE—1 unit each semester must be studied.
  7. ELECTIVES—At least one elective subject must be studied continuously over Years 9 and 10 for at least 5 Units from any of these subject areas:

Arabic
Chinese
Commerce
Dance
Drama
Food Technology
French
Geography
History
Information & Software Technology
Italian
Modern Greek
Music
PD/Health/PE
Textiles Technology
Visual Arts

The Board of Studies’ requirements having been met, you are free to choose other Units of Study from any of the KLAs.

Top

Let’s look at the terms you will need to know before you can understand the maps and descriptions.

UNIT TITLE Every Unit of Study has both a code number, e.g. CM 32 and a name, e.g. Guitar 2.

PRE-REQUISITE This refers to any special Units of Study that must be
satisfactorily studied BEFORE beginning the Unit of Study under consideration OR it may show certain standards or levels that you must meet before enrolling in that Unit.

CO-REQUISITE This refers to any special Units of Study that must be studied at the same time. In Mathematics, for example, some of the Units of Study are run in pairs e.g. MA 34 must be studied with MA 32.

COURSE A course is a combination of a number of Units within a subject
e.g. LM 41—LM 43 Modern Greek 4.

DURATION In LOTE, Units are arranged in Courses. ‘Duration” refers to the number of Units you must do in that Course if you wish to study that language.

DESCRIPTION This section tells what the Unit si about. It includes what the Unit is aiming to achieve, the subject matter it deals with and the students most likely to benefit from the study.

COST Units will involve a cost from time to time such as excursions and books, but many of the Units of Study also require the supply of materials not available to the School under normal funding. A fee therefore has to be charged to provide for such materials. You will only be allowed to select a unit with a fee attached, if you agree to pay that fee before you begin the unit (or make some other arrangement with the School).

WORK REQUIRED/ASSESSMENT In order to complete a Unit of Study, you must have reached a satisfactory level of achievement/performance. This section outlines the work that must be completed and other aspects of the Unit that will be tested or judged.

A summary of the whole UVISS organisation is provided in the last section of the book.

Top

N B « « 1. Minimum of 1 Unit per semester.
      } 2. Minimum of 3 Units per year.

       t 5 of these Units must be allocated to continuous study
              of one elective course (200 hours)

             You may choose to complete more than one 200 hour
              course.

UNIT SPECIFICATION TABLE

YEAR

7

8

9

10

11

12

KLA

MAND. HOURS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

ENGLISH

500

2

2

« «

3

« «

3

2

1

2

2

2

2

MATHS

500

2

2

« «

3

« «

3

2

1

SCIENCE

500

2

2

« «

3

« «

3

2

1

HSIE

400

2

1

« «

3

« «

3

« «

3

LOTE

100

1

1

1

1

TAS

200

1

1

2

2

CREATIVE ARTS

200

1

2

« «

3

PD/H/PE

300

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

SPORT

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

SPECIFIED UNITS

13

13

12

12

8

8

9

7

3

3

2

2

OPTIONAL UNITS

0

0

1

1

5t

5t

5t

5t

10

10

11

11

Top

CHOOSING YOUR FUTURE BY BUILDING THE PATH

In the latter part of each semester everyone will have an opportunity to select 13 Units of study for the next semester. This section of your Curriculum Pathways book tells you how to make those selections. In some cases your selections will be limited and mostly restricted to internal choices (Which English Units? Which Science option?). As you move through the School, though, your choices will become wider.

What should you do first?

READ UNDERSTAND

ASK DISCUSS

RESEARCH CONSIDER

PLAN CHOOSE

 

  • READ the information in this book carefully.
  • UNDERSTAND the requirements for each Unit you choose to count as part of your complete program, the pre-requisite Units for particular Units and any co-requisite Units which you must study at the same time. Confused? Consult Page 7 of the Introduction for an explanation.
  • ASK your Teachers, Head Teachers of the KLAs, Head of Heads of House or other staff for explanations and advice on what you are able or allowed to do in the next semester. You will be given time to do this in class.
  • DISCUSS your ideas with your parents to find out their opinions and to let them know what you’re thinking.
  • RESEARCH the requirements which jobs and further study (TAFE, University) place on your subject choices. Talk to the Careers Adviser, read pamphlets on careers which interest you, talk to employers.
  • CONSIDER your options care fully; check your choices honestly against your ability.
  • PLAN ahead. Look to see where your education is leading you and be sure that that is where you want to go. Read each Curriculum Map closely.
  • CHOOSE your units sensibly; gather the required Eligibility Signatures and fill out the Summary Sheet by following the instructions.

Top

This slip is to be filled in for each Key learning Area (KLA). You will need to collect signatures for 13 Units.

STEP 1: Talk to your teacher about the Units for next semester which you would like to take in this KLA.

STEP 2: List the names and numbers of these Units in the columns provided.

STEP 3: Have your teacher sign that you are eligible to do these Units (that you have completed Units which are pre-requisites or co-requisites for the new Unit where this necessary)

(If your teacher cannot help you, you will need to see the Head Teacher concerned)

Some hints on what NOT to do:

  • DO NOT choose Units to avoid work
  • DO NOT choose Units because you like the teacher
  • DO NOT choose Units because your friends have chosen them

Top

  • A Unit is 2 hours per week for 20 weeks. The 2 hours is made up of one 45 minute period and one 75 minute period.
  • A Semester is 20 weeks or 2 terms.
  • Levels replace years in the academic parts of your schooling. You will begin at Level 1 in Year 7 (in most subjects) and progress at your own pace going up levels when you are ready or when you make your choices.
  • You choose your subjects twice a year i.e. every semester.
  • Girls of different ages will study Units at the same level depending on what they choose to study or on how well they cope with the work..
  • Every semester you so 13 Units to make up your timetable. One of those Units is Sport.
  • Your choice is as wide as we can make it but to qualify for the School Certificate you have to do certain numbers of Units in certain subjects.
  • Once you have chosen the Units you have to do to qualify for the School Certificate you are free to choose your other Units according to your preferences or needs.
  • Core Units are Units you must do and are always shown as ovals. Elective Units are Units you may choose to do and are always shown as rectangles.
  • Some Units have pre-requisites, i.e. before you can do them you have to have some other Unit to qualify.
  • In LOTE (Languages Other Than English) you have to do a number of Units strung together to make up a course to qualify you for the School Certificate.
  • Although you can do Units in a subject at a level below the level you have achieved, you can not do a Unit at a level higher than the level you have achieved. e.g. a student who is at Level 4 in English can choose to do a Level 3 English Unit but she cannot do an English Unit at Level 5.
  • The concept of Years will not be abolished. You will still be a Year 7 student or a Year 8 student or a Year 9 student or a Year 10 student but there will be no such thing as Year 8 English or Year 9 Science. Level 3 English or Level 4 Science will be attempted by those students who are at that ability level regardless of their Year grouping.

Top