Dear Parents and Year 11 and 12 Students,

We have received notification from the VCAA about the changes that will be implemented given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Term 2.

In regards to current notifications about the delivery of VCE and VCAL, the following has been communicated:

• The GAT test will move from June to October or November for VCE students.
• End-of-year exams will be postponed until at least December.
• School-based assessment tasks will be reduced where possible to relieve some pressure on students as they move to remote and flexible learning arrangements.
• Universities will be asked to delay the start of the 2021 university year to account for impacts of coronavirus on senior secondary students.
• VCAL students will have more time to complete their courses and this will be consistent with the revised dates for the VCE.

Additionally, the VCAA has been asked to consider a compressed end-of-year exam schedule in recognition of the disruption caused by the pandemic. These potential changes to the examination schedule are still under discussion.

For Unit 3 of Year 12 subjects, the following has been communicated:

• As Unit 3 is in the process of delivery there will be no changes to the teaching and assessment program as outlined in the Study Design.
• Teachers will proceed with their current teaching and learning programs to allow Unit 3 to be completed as designed.
• The VCAA will provide more information to schools in the week commencing 20 April 2020 on which Unit 3 school based assessments can be completed remotely, and those needing to be completed on site.
• On-site assessments will need to be prioritised with appropriate timetabling and arrangements to ensure adherence to social distancing measures.

In regards to VCE Unit 4, the VCAA are:

• Currently reviewing all VCE Study Designs, with a particular focus to reduce, where possible, school-based assessment tasks to relieve some pressure.
• Reviewing the small number of studies where the assessment item is across both Unit 3 and Unit 4, as there may need to be adjustment to both.

In regards to VCAL:

• There will be no change to VCAL content or assessment, except in relation to the mandatory VET requirements.

Currently, the College is focusing on working on the content for the Year 12 VCE subjects being completed online and will implement assessment and communicate further with both our senior students and families when we receive further clarification from the VCAA.

I understand that this situation will be creating some stress and concern for students, but we will ensure that our online programs are strong, and that we will be following the advice of the VCAA to maximise student engagement and adherence to VCE and VCAL requirements.

If you require any further clarification, do not hesitate to contact me at the College.

Yours sincerely,

Tim Hogan
Principal