Why are you renewing subjects?

Young people are learning throughout their lives. Transferring what they know and can do across subjects, beyond school and in different environments means they are preparing for a future they will define and lead.  

School is their stepping stone for continuous growth and subject learning an important enabler for young people. Subject Renewal is one key initiative of Passport to Thrive – the SACE Board’s Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 that sets out to promote deeper, real-world learning, disciplinary knowledge, and embedded capabilities. 

The Subject Renewal program will focus on five areas that have emerged in recent years as the most important: 

• Student agency – Students are proactive in the co-creation of their learning pathway and influence how they undertake, demonstrate and action their learning.
• Deep authentic learning – Students discuss and apply learning from familiar and unfamiliar situations across a range of meaningful and relevant real-world situations
• Natural evidence of learning – NEoL captures the diverse authentic forms of students’ demonstration of learning and achievement, better reflecting what students know and can do.
• Metacognition – Students understand and evaluate their thinking to regulate the way they learn. 
• SACE Capabilities – Are complex competencies: a mixture of elements including attitudes, skills, values, knowledge and beliefs that are developed directly and indirectly through learning and assessment design. The capabilities valued by the SACE Board include: Collective engagement, Personal enterprise, Principled action, Quality thinking and Self-motivated learning.

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How did you come up with the updated Subject Renewal roadmap?

The updated Subject Renewal roadmap outlines two different pathways towards renewal for SACE subjects. This approach allows benefits to be delivered sooner while maintaining a sustainable pace of change.

Renewal priorities and sequencing have been informed by factors including progress already made by Subject Renewal Groups, readiness for accreditation, the length of time since a subject was last renewed, alignment with the key drivers of subject renewal, and the need to maintain a balanced spread of discipline areas across the program.

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Will my subject still have an exam?

As part of the Full Renewal renewal process, there will be consideration of all assessment types, including their mode and focus.  

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How are you renewing subjects?

The updated Subject Renewal roadmap outlines two different pathways towards renewal for SACE subjects.

• Staged Renewal - subjects that will benefit from targeted renewal activities and enhancements before progressing to full renewal.
• Full Renewal - subjects that will progress through comprehensive renewal, including deeper changes to subject design, learning outcomes, assessment types and performance standards.

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How did you decide which subjects are renewed first?

Renewal priorities and sequencing have been informed by factors including progress already made by Subject Renewal Groups, readiness for accreditation, the length of time since a subject was last renewed, alignment with the key drivers of subject renewal, and the need to maintain a balanced spread of discipline areas across the program.

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Will subjects that are part of Staged Renewal also undergo Full Renewal?

Yes. Staged Renewal is a pathway towards Full Renewal. It allows targeted enhancements to be introduced sooner while maintaining progress towards the longer-term goal of a fully renewed suite of SACE subjects. 

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With the updated subject renewal roadmap, what is changing and what is staying the same?

The approach to renewal has changed, but the vision has not. 

The SACE Board remains committed to renewing all subjects over time, guided by the key drivers of Subject Renewal and our new Curriculum and Assessment approach. The updated roadmap introduces two pathways, Staged Renewal and Full Renewal, to provide a more sustainable and achievable pace of change while allowing benefits to be delivered sooner.  

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When will my subject undertake Full Renewal?

The current roadmap provides planned activity for 2027 and 2028. 

Subjects undertaking Staged Renewal will transition to Full Renewal in future phases. Schools and teachers will be advised in advance when their subject is scheduled to enter Full Renewal and implementation readiness activities. 

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What does implementation readiness mean?

Implementation readiness refers to the work that occurs before a renewed subject is first taught in schools. 

This may include developing support materials, providing professional learning, updating systems and resources, and working with subject communities to build understanding and confidence. The process may vary across subjects and school contexts, but its purpose is to help ensure schools are prepared for implementation. 

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When will the renewed subjects be implemented across the system?

Following public consultation on draft subject outlines, subjects are formally approved by our governing Board and committees, confirming they meet required standards and are ready for publication and implementation planning. Following this process is a period of Implementation and support where the SACE Board will offer professional learning, support materials and PLATO resources before the subjects are first taught in schools.

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Will you have ways for people not on SRGs to connect/learn?

To ensure that the broader subject community are kept informed of Subject Renewal progress and the activities of SRGs, the SACE Board will provide opportunities for active engagement and regular communication including: 

• sector-wide conferences 
• scheduled opportunities to connect and work with subject renewal groups 
• regular communications and progress updates.

Each subject will publish their draft subject outline on the SACE website for public consultation, prior to accreditation.

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Can I join a Subject Renewal Group? How do I express interest?

There may be opportunities to join a Subject Renewal Group. If we are recruiting, we will announce when expressions of interest will be open.  

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Support

If you have any questions or inquiries about our Subject Renewal program, our askSACE team can assist.
Please phone 1300 322 920 or email askSACE@sa.gov.au. 

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