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The Standard | Term 4 2025

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Message from the Chief Executive

Dear colleague, 

As another school year nears its end, we are once again getting ready for end-of-year results release – this year, on 15 December. This will mark the culmination of 13 years of education for thousands of SACE students, as they embark on the next stage of their journey equipped with the skills and capabilities to thrive in whichever pathway they choose to pursue beyond school. 

Getting to this point – for the students and for the SACE Board – would not be possible without the hard work, dedication, and partnership of educators across the sectors. Not only have you supported your students’ learning and wellbeing throughout their senior secondary studies, your efforts with the final submission of student work, marking, and moderation are crucial to the successful processing and release of results. 

I am very proud of our progress and accomplishments this year, and am thrilled to announce a new milestone in our work to develop and recognise students’ capabilities alongside their subject skills and knowledge. This work is driven by our focus on amplifying students’ growth and development of capabilities, and the belief that this is the entitlement of every student in order to thrive in an ever-changing world. Our Capabilities and Learner Profile program, which has just completed its fourth pilot, was developed to explore how this might be possible. Recently, the Board, as our governing body, has reaffirmed its commitment to the purpose and intended impact of this work, and has endorsed moving it beyond piloting and into the next phase of commencing Capabilities within the SACE – A Feasibility Program (2026-27) in the new year.  

It has been through the commitment and collaboration of teachers, school leaders, students, and the industry and tertiary education sectors, that we have now matured this program enough to proceed into this new phase in 2026. We are indebted to everyone who has contributed to this program so far, as these insights have helped us understand not only what is possible, but also the challenges that remain. This program is complex, and we are committed to working in partnership as we navigate these complexities. You will read more about the work we have done to date, and what we will be doing next, further on in The Standard. 

A highlight of 2025 was the implementation of the Recognition of Aboriginal Cultural Knowledge and Learning program, a world-leading initiative which formally recognises the breadth and depth of Aboriginal students’ cultural education as part of their SACE qualification. This program was spurred by the SACE Aboriginal Education Allyship, comprising Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members from across South Australia and the Northern Territory. This committee provides advice to the Chief Executive and Board to support Aboriginal young people to connect with their culture and feel a strong sense of belonging. Aboriginal communities across South Australia and the Northern Territory, schools and students were pivotal in the co-design of this program. 

We also made great strides in our Subject Renewal program – a cornerstone of the SACE Board’s Passport to Thrive strategy, and designed to modernise curriculum, deepen disciplinary learning, and embed capabilities that prepare students for their future. Subjects across all three groups have continued to progress through the renewal phases, supported by the significant contributions of our Subject Renewal Groups, as well as the inputs and perspectives of representatives from the broader system. 

2025 was also the final year of delivering the Research Project, with Activating Identities and Futures (AIF) replacing it entirely from 2026. AIF was designed following feedback received from schools and the community in response to the 2018 SACE Stage 2 Review. It allows students to be more proactive and reflective in their learning and to develop and use a broad set of transferable learning strategies. A range of resources is available on our website to support teachers to deliver AIF, as well as a community of practice via PLATO Connect for teachers to collaborate, access resources, and build confidence in delivering AIF. 

We also made improvements to enhance the experience of assessment panel members, informed by their feedback. Key initiatives in 2025 included a new PLATO onboarding module, and pilot in-person moderation training. These improvements received strong positive feedback, and we look forward to keeping panelists informed as we look ahead to further developments in 2026. 

You will learn more about these projects and initiatives as you read through The Standard, as well as what is on the horizon for 2026. Once again, thank you for your continued partnership and leadership – both in your school and beyond. For now, I wish you and your school community all the best for the end of the 2025 school year, and a well-deserved and restful summer holiday. 

Warm regards, 

Michaela Bensley
Chief Executive
SACE Board of South Australia

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Subject Renewal

Subject Renewal, a cornerstone of the SACE Board’s Passport to Thrive strategy, and designed to modernise curriculum, deepen disciplinary knowledge, and embed capabilities that prepare students to thrive, has made significant progress in term 4. 

Our sincerest thanks to the schools and Subject Renewal Group (SRG) members who have partnered with us in the co-design process, especially group 1 subject teachers and students who participated in testing, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to learning about the impact of this program. 

Our journey toward new subjects has involved co-developing subject vision statements, subject blueprints, and prototypes. Our group 1 subjects are at various stages of internal checks. We are excited to provide the latest update on where each of these subjects is up to:  

On 15 October, we brought together group 1 subject teachers, students, Lead Practitioners, subject associations, and other education leaders for a Learning Event to reflect on the impact of Stage 1 learning and assessment prototypes and how the Subject Renewal key drivers are coming to life in the classroom. Evaluation findings and plans for how group 1 subjects will progress next year will be shared early in 2026. 

Meanwhile, group 2 subjects have published vision statements on their respective subject pages and continue to refine their subject blueprints to map out a conceptual plan to materialise the key drivers of Subject Renewal. 

Finally, group 3 subjects have been engaging with students to learn about their experiences to understand how these might be incorporated into the co-design of the renewed subject. 

Early next year, we will share our learnings from the evaluation of the 2025 program, and our plans for subject renewal in 2026, including how subjects will progress to the next phase. 

Learn more about Subject Renewal on our website or contact askSACE with any inquiries on 1300 322 920 or askSACE@sa.gov.au. 

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Capabilities within the SACE – Feasibility Program (2026-27)

Our ambition is for the SACE to continue to be an innovative qualification which equips students with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to thrive in a rapidly changing world. 

Over the last four years, the SACE Board has piloted the Capabilities and Learner Profile program with over 50 schools, more than 4,000 students, and 626 teachers. This is a program we are incredibly excited about, designed to develop and recognise students' capabilities alongside their subject skills and knowledge. 

Over four pilots, the 50 schools we have collaborated with have shown us that: 

  • students deeply value the ability to demonstrate their capabilities 
  • teachers are able to make valid and reliable judgements of student capabilities 
  • school leaders, and the industry and tertiary sectors value student capability development 

The progress we have made in this innovative program would not have been possible without the commitment and continued contribution of our many partners – education leaders, industry bodies, tertiary institutions and, most importantly, the teachers and students who have participated in the pilot program. We are grateful for their willingness to engage with this important work so that young people can have a better understanding of what they know and can do. Their insights and leadership have helped us mature the program to the point that we are now progressing past piloting and moving into the next phase – Capabilities within the SACE – Feasibility Program (2026-27). 

Building on the expertise and experience of our continuing schools, in 2026 we will expand the program to targeted schools which will bring greater diversity of representation and new perspectives from across the system. We are committed to a controlled and thoughtful approach, ensuring broader engagement while maintaining adequate support for participating schools. 

As we move into this next phase with more schools, we acknowledge that there remain challenging elements of the program that we need to continue to test and explore. We want to assure you that we are listening to the system, as well as addressing risks such as teacher manageability and students’ equitable access to capability development opportunities. These are complex areas to navigate, but we are committed to doing so in partnership with schools across the sectors. 

There will be opportunities for the wider education community, beyond the participating schools, to learn more about the program and engage with aspects of it. We look forward to sharing more information in early term 1 about how you can get involved. 

Learn more about Capabilities within the SACE – Feasibility Program (2026-27). 

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Governor’s Commendations and Merit Ceremony 2026

The outstanding academic achievements of South Australia's Year 12 students are recognised every year at the SACE Governor’s Commendations and Merit Ceremony. The event has been held annually since 1989 and is hosted by the Governor of South Australia at Government House. 

The ceremony to celebrate the class of 2025 will be held on 11 February 2026. 

Whilst for the last few years, this ceremony has been held across two days with the Governor’s Commendations and multiple merits awarded at the final session, 2026 will see us return to the one-day format that many of you will be familiar with. 

To ensure that we are delivering a more streamlined event, minimising risks associated with extreme weather, and improving accessibility and inclusivity at the event, the 2026 Governor’s Commendations and Merit Ceremony will take place on one day, commencing at 9:00 am and concluding at 12:30 pm. The event will begin with the Governor’s Commendation and multiple merit presentations, followed by the presentation of single merits concurrently in separate marquees. 

We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the class of 2025. 

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Engine Room

As we near the end of 2025, preparations and processes are nearing completion for the release of end-of-year results at 8:30 am on Monday, 15 December.  

Since October, over 13,000 SACE students have completed examinations across 69 examined subjects in oral, electronic and paper format, as well as more than 57,000 investigations. This marks the culmination of a 13-year educational journey for SACE students and gives them the opportunity to demonstrate their learning. 

On results release day students will be able to access their SACE Record of Achievement (ROA) and SATAC Tertiary Entrance Statement (TES) digitally via their Students Online account. 

End-of-year results release is a significant milestone in the SACE Board calendar and would not be possible without the contribution and collaboration of over 3,000 assessment panel members. From development of exams, to marking them and investigations, to moderating school assessment tasks, our supervisors, markers and moderators ensure that our rigorous quality assurance standards are consistently applied across SACE assessment tasks.  

We would like to thank all teachers and school staff for the very important work you do to support students’ learning and wellbeing throughout the year, as well as your significant contribution to end-of-year resulting activities. 

This is also a reminder that our askSACE team is here to provide support and respond to any enquiries you may have. You can contact us at askSACE@sa.gov.au or 1300 322 920. 

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SACE International

Introducing Communities of Practice for the SACE International school network 

The SACE International team is excited to introduce Communities of Practice (CoPs), a new initiative designed to strengthen professional collaboration and knowledge sharing across the SACE International school network. 

The CoP pilot was first introduced to SACE International teachers and SACE Coordinators during the Changzhou Professional Learning Workshop in August this year. Through CoPs, valuable classroom insights and strategies developed by teachers can now be shared and applied across schools in the network, enriching learning for SACE International students.  

Hosted on PLATO Connect, the SACE International CoPs are online spaces where teachers collaborate, share ideas, and explore new approaches to teaching and learning. There is no hierarchy - teachers choose the discussion topics that matter most to them, supported by community facilitators. Each community features discussion forums, resource libraries, and curated playlists, helping teachers connect with peers from around the world. 

By building these communities, we are fostering collective efficacy, ensuring that great teaching ideas are shared, refined, and put into practice across the network of SACE International schools. 

SACE International at AIEC 2025 

 SACE International was delighted to take part in the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC 2025) held in Canberra from 14 to 17 October under the theme Navigating Change. The conference brought together educators and leaders from across Australia and around the world to share ideas and insights about the future of international education. 

From the SACE Board, Jason Bobis and Virginia Steele presented on “Cultivating the conditions internationally to support system change in schools,” exploring how SACE International schools foster change through collaboration and shared practices. 

We were also pleased to see strong representation from SACE International school network, including Renee Coventry, International Principal, Haileybury International School Tianjin in China, Dr. Kelly Sharp, CEO of Scotch International Education and Chair of Scotch AGS Academic Committee representing Scotch AGS Vietnam, and Ha Pham, Founder & Director, SACE College Vietnam and Co-founder & Vice Chairwoman, Hanoi Adelaide School. Their sessions offered valuable perspectives on the opportunities and experiences of delivering Australian senior secondary education offshore. 

The conference was a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections and share our experience with peers across the sector. Our participation not only deepened collaboration with global educators but also helped to enhance the visibility and influence of the SACE International brand on a global stage. 

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