English is the only mandatory subject in high school, and one of the most rigorous.
The SSE aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and tools for success in both standard and advanced HSC English.
In this course, students come to understand the complexities of meaning to respond to and compose their own texts with regard to purpose, audience and context. They reflect on their own reading and study to evaluate the personal, historical, social, and cultural contexts, which shape these processes.
The SSE syllabus is designed to develop the ability of seeing the world from a variety of perspectives. This necessitates a multicultural, multidimensional approach and a multimodal delivery of course materials.
The new Australian syllabus places some emphasis on the recognition of intertextuality, for example, often in the form of a comparative essay to address this notion.
Thus, The SSE teaches the skill of writing by comparing such texts as Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby with the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
An end of term assessment and report will be provided using the NSW Common Grade Scale.
By engaging with the SSE’s thoroughly developed program, students are able to gain success in HSC English and are ready to ‘Rise to the Challenge’ of the next stage of their lives.