Sydney High offers subject acceleration as an elective option for Year 10. Students in Year 9 who desire, qualify and are selected for subject acceleration will be offered that Preliminary (Year 11) level subject as an elective in Year 10. Additional periods will be allocated to the acceleration elective in lieu of Character Education classes. Students will still be required to take two other elective subjects as usual. Students will only be able to undertake one acceleration subject as an elective in Year 10.

Is subject acceleration right for me/my son?

The below documents are the compiled responses to and results of an interview program with students who had been involved in subject acceleration at schools across the state. The varying responses given (see the responses document) and the frequency of the responses plus other statistical information about the nature of subject acceleration (see the analysis document) may help you and your son decide if subject acceleration is an appropriate avenue to pursue.

Subject Acceleration - Student Interview Responses Summary
Subject Acceleration - Student Interview Analysis

In addition, the school holds an information evening for parents to provide information about how subject acceleration and the pros and cons of their sons being accelerated in a subject. The presentation documents from this evening are available on this page, below. For each subject offered for acceleration, a policy exists to monitor the progress of accelerated students. Students who are unable to attain the necessary level of achievement in an accelerated subject may be prevented from continuing in the subject. For more detailed information, refer to the Subject Acceleration Policy document or the presentations for each of the subjects offered for acceleration:

Business Studies & Geography
Creative Arts - Music 
Creative Arts - Visual Art 
History 
Languages other than English
Mathematics 
PD/H/PE

Individual Learning Plan

In order to undertake an accelerated subject, each student must complete an Individual Learning Plan. This document is a commitment statement that presents why the applicant student wants to study the accelerated subject, that they understand the aims and benefits of the Subject Acceleration programme and that they undertake to complete the work necessary for the Preliminary and HSC courses in their accelerated subject.

Individual Learning Plan Presentation
Individual Learning Plan Form