Year 7 students join Merici from a wide range of primary schools, both from within the ACT and from the surrounding region. The Year 7 curriculum is designed to support students to make the transition from diverse primary settings into secondary education. Parts of the curriculum are integrated to allow students to see connections across traditional subject areas, much the same as they did in primary school. Here, an inquiry approach is used where skills and learning strategies are applied towards common themes that integrate content from the traditional areas. All students are accommodated for in non-streamed classes.
As students progress through their studies, they are given choices about electives while still fulfilling Australian Curriculum requirements. By Year 10, they are also able to take up a wider range of electives, e.g. Sustainability and Engineering Technology, including those that lead to nationally recognised vocational certificates, e.g. Information Technology, Business Administration, Sport and Fitness, and Hospitality.
When students and their families are making subject choices they will be given more information about the elective selection process. Every effort will be made to accommodate student choices, however, there may be limits to some classes due to facilities and class sizes. Classes will run only if selected by a sufficient number of students.
Year 10 is an important preparatory year for the Senior College. Courses provide skills needed for Years 11 and 12 and emphasis is placed on research, interpretation and analysis, essay writing, problem solving and seeing linkages between traditional subject areas. Students begin to have assessment tasks similar in type to those they might expect in the senior years. Our Year 10 students also complete the IB Personal Project, where they work on a passion project in an area of their own choosing with a chosen teacher supervisor.
Full details of the Junior Curriculum can be found in the Junior Handbook at https://www.merici.act.edu.au/my-merici/resources/school-handbooks.
