From the Chief Executive

Dear Colleague

Here we are again in the final term of another extraordinary academic year, one filled with many challenges and opportunities.

The start of the exam season sees the culmination of the year’s work for many Year 12 students, and I know how hard you have been working to support them every step of the way. 

Your encouragement at this time will certainly help to manage students’ stress levels. They have done all the hard work, and now it is time for them to step up and use this opportunity to show us what they know and how they can apply that learning.

There have been recent reports in the media suggesting that SACE results may somehow be compromised this year. I am sorry for any additional disquiet this unwarranted media attention may have caused your students. 

Scaremongering at this time of year is disrespectful to students, who have worked so hard to achieve their SACE with the support of their families and teachers.

Be assured that delivering accurate and timely results is my first priority and I am confident that we will do so, as are the Board and SATAC. The professional staff at the SACE Board are committed to making sure this occurs.

I want to acknowledge and sincerely thank all of the thousands of markers and moderators who undertake the lion’s share of work at this time of year. Even now, the first round of investigation marking has already been completed, as have all of the languages oral examinations (over 1,000 of them in total).

This has been another unusual year where the threat of COVID has impacted on both students’ and teachers’ wellbeing and motivation, so the successes and achievements made under these conditions will be that much more impressive. School communities can be even more proud this year of their students’ resilience and the dedication of their teachers.

In order to help pursue the SACE Board’s purpose of shaping education so that students thrive, you will see a number of new roles advertised in the press including for Education Consultants and project-based Education Innovators. I know you’ll want to keep hold of your good people (!) but I also know that you are committed to their career development. Please do bring these positions to the attention of those who might benefit from a period of time working at a system-level at the SACE Board and be able to effectively contribute to our work. 

All best wishes to you for a smooth and successful exam period. 
 

Yours ever

Martin Westwell

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Key dates

Heading into a busy time of the year, you can use our online calendar to get up-to-date information on the operations schedule for the SACE.

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Last preparation steps for e-exams

Schools should be taking their final readiness steps ahead of next November e-exams.

SACE Coordinators are encouraged to confirm their technical readiness with their school’s ICT leaders and ensure that participating school personnel have completed the relevant training in their respective roles.

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Results release date

The 2021 SACE results will be available in Students Online from 8.30 am on Monday 13 December 2021.

Students can expect to receive hard copy documentation from this date onwards, in accordance with local, national and international postal schedules. Find out more about preparing for end of year results below.

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Preparation for end of year results

On results release day, the homepage of the SACE website will direct students to check their results. Prior to that, we need to make sure they can log in (and that their personal details are correct).

SACE Coordinators should

1. Run the Schools Online report to monitor that all students have activated their Students Online accounts.
2. Work with their ICT staff to ensure that student’s school email addresses are not set to expire before a minimum of two months after results release to ensure students can continue to access their results.
3. Help us to make sure all SACE students can easily log into Students Online. Due to privacy restrictions we're unable to contact students directly.

Our What is Students Online? web page will be helpful for relevant SACE students at your school.

Students who have trouble logging in can contact the askSACE Team on +61 8 8115 7412 or via email. 

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Online submission of assessment material

In 2021, external investigations and school assessment materials for all Stage 2 subjects will be submitted via Schools Online. For the first time, teachers of Community Studies will also submit school assessment materials online.

Stage 2 teachers of online subjects will receive targeted communication from the SACE Board about online submission, the Sandpit and key dates.

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Prescient's final Term 4 event

Tickets are selling fast for the final professional learning event for 2021: Maximising challenge and active learning.

This full-day, face-to-face workshop is a highly interactive and engaging session where participants will develop their knowledge and skills in using technology for mastery learning. Book your ticket today!

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Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning

Stage 1 and Stage 2 Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning will be taught for the first time in 2022.

Learning is designed using ‘big ideas’ to frame inquiry questions; to explore issues, concepts, and ideas through the lens of one or more spiritualities and/or religions. This is a significant shift in pedagogy from Religion Studies, which this subject will replace from 2023.

A short video introducing this new subject is now available on the Religion Studies subject area of our website (also below). A PLATO Implementation course and a subject area on the for Stage 1 Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning are scheduled to be launched in November 2021.

The subject was approved by the Board for teaching in 2022 following extensive consultation with Stage 1 and Stage 2 Religion Studies teachers, leaders and religious education experts from schools, universities and other educational institutions.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 Religion Studies will be available for teaching for the last time in 2022.

The Board-accredited Stage 1 and Stage 2 Spiritualities, Religion, and Meaning subject outlines can be downloaded from the Religion Studies subject area of our website as a PDF.

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Governor of South Australia Commendations

Presented at the annual SACE Merit Ceremony, the SACE Board publicly acknowledges students' meritorious achievements in the SACE by awarding commendations, subject merits, and prizes. Nominations for Governor of South Australia Commendations are now open, and will close on Friday 12 November 2021.

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Removal of paper resources for e-exams

2021 will be the last year for paper resources in e-exams for Tourism, Modern History and English Literary Studies.

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