Senior School

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Senior Schooling Vision

Senior Schooling at Lowood State High School endorses and celebrates flexible pathways, ensuring all students have a plan for their self-sufficient future. We strive to build in each student the capacity to become proud, productive and active member of society who possess diverse skill sets for the 21^st century. We seek to support the whole person reach their full potential through multiple pathways.

​2023 Data

Senior Schooling at Lowood State High School

In Years 10, 11 and 12 the, Senior Phase of Learning, students have access to a broader range of subjects and can access pathways that are suited to their current and future learning needs. Access to these opportunities encourages students to engage in their education and achieve success which will provide a foundation for their lifelong learning.

It is the expectation at Lowood State High School that all senior schooling students are actively participating in their schooling and that all students will be working towards the attainment of their QCE/QCIA and attain at least one nationally recognised Vocational qualification (VET qualification). Gaining these certificates are an indication that students have developed the skills and practices to transition to further study and/or the workplace after school.

Year 10

Year 10 marks the start of the Senior Phase of Learning and is designed to create solid foundations and prepare students for the transition to Year 11 and 12. During Year 10 it is important that students are fully engaged and demonstrate their commitment to their academic studies as when students undertake their SET (Senior Education and Training) Plan discussions in August, they will be required to meet pre-requisites to enter some subjects/qualifications to ensure that they are prepared and most likely to be successful.

Important events in Year 10 include:

• Career development program (during WEL lessons in Semester 1)
• Building My Future Expo – subject and post school planning  information evening (July)
• SET Plans including subject selections for Years 11 and 12 (August)
• Begin to collect points towards QCE through completion of VET certificate
• Some students my begin a School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship

Year 11 and 12

Senior Subjects

The QCAA develops four types of senior subject syllabuses — General, Applied, Senior External Examinations and Short Courses. Results in General and Applied subjects contribute to the award of a QCE and may contribute to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) calculation, although no more than one result in an Applied subject can be used in the calculation of a student’s ATAR.

Extension subjects are extensions of the related General subjects and are studied either concurrently with, or after, Units 3 and 4 of the General course.

Typically, it is expected that most students will complete these courses across Years 11 and 12. All subjects build on the P–10 Australian Curriculum.

General syllabuses (and Senior External Examinations)

General subjects are suited to students who are interested in pathways beyond senior secondary schooling that lead primarily to tertiary studies and to pathways for vocational education and training and work. General subjects include Extension subjects.

Applied syllabuses

Applied subjects are suited to students who are primarily interested in pathways beyond senior secondary schooling that lead to vocational education and training or work.

Short courses

Short courses are one-unit courses of study that are suited to students who are interested in pathways beyond school that lead to vocational education and training. (These subjects only run for 1 semester).

Underpinning factors

All senior syllabuses are underpinned by:

• literacy — the set of knowledge and skills about language and texts essential for understanding and conveying content
• numeracy — the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students need to use mathematics in a wide range of situations, to recognise and understand the role of mathematics in the world, and to develop the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully.

Vocational education and training (VET)

Students can access VET programs through the school if it:

• is a registered training organisation (RTO)
• has a third-party arrangement with an external provider who is an       RTO

• offers opportunities for students to undertake school-based apprenticeships or traineeships.

Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) eligibility

The calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) will be based on a student’s:

• best five General subject results or
• best results in a combination of four General subject results plus an Applied subject result or a Certificate III or higher VET qualification.

The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) has responsibility for ATAR calculations.

Pathway Options

Students choose a pathway that is right for them where they are able to experience success and attain skills for their next step after school. The two pathways offered are:

Wednesday Program

Lowood State High School has made a commitment to students in years 11 and 12 assist student’s access vocational qualifications offered by external Registered Training Organisations (RTOs). To do this Wednesday runs as a stand-alone all day program. This allows students to attend TAFE, complete qualifications with external RTOs who come to school each week or an internal subject. Each qualification runs for a year so students choose a qualification for year 11 and a different one for year 12.

School-based apprenticeships and traineeships

School-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs) allow high school students, generally in Years 10, 11 or 12, to work for an employer and train towards a recognised qualification, while completing their secondary schooling and studying for their Queensland Certificate of Education.

SATs help young people go places, whether that’s full-time job, a trade career, university, TAFE or other training. (DESBT, 2020).

For more information visit: https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/apprentices/sats

For information about how to go about being signed up for a traineeship while at Lowood State High School, please see the documents section on the senior schooling page (on the top right hand side).

Academic Coaching

All students are supported through an academic coaching program. Students will reflect upon their TrackED profiles with their WEL teachers once per term. We also then operate a tiered system of support where if a student is identified as at risk or needing additional support they will be allocated a senior member of staff to have additional coaching conversations with.

If you have any further questions about Senior Schooling please contact Antonia Forstpointner.​