VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate Provision

Guidance

Integrating senior secondary pathways into School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans

As part of the school improvement cycle, school leaders may decide to implement the senior secondary pathways reforms within their School Strategic Plan (SSP) or Annual Implementation Plan (AIP).

To support schools in doing this, the following guidance provides:

• sources of evidence for the pre-review self-evaluation to help assess outcomes (for schools participating in a school review or reviewing their annual performance)
• example goals, targets, key improvement strategies (KIS) and AIP actions (for school leaders developing the SSP or AIP).

Examples are aligned with the FISO 2.0 Illustrations of practice and draw on actions and strategies from the VCAA VCE Vocational Major and VPC Implementation Continua of Practice and those shared by schools.

A printable version of the guidance can be found on the Resources tab. Refer to: Support with School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans (DOCX) (staff login required).

Sources of evidence for pre-review self-evaluation

Key sources of evidence

Certificate enrolments, completions and achievement

• Enrolments in the VCE, VCE Vocational Major (VM) and Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Completions (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Median VCE Study Scores (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Percentage of Vocational Education and Training (VET) units of competency completed (source: Senior Secondary Completion and Achievement Information)

Post-school destinations

• Exit destinations from Year 12 (source: Panorama Dashboards)

Attendance, absences, exemptions, retention, early exit, risk of leaving school early

• Attendance (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Absences (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Exemptions (source: schools’ own records)
• Retention (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Students at risk of early leaving (source: Panorama Home Page)
• Early exit destinations from Years 9 to 11 (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Early exit destinations from Year 12 (source: Panorama Dashboards)

VET delivered to school students, School-based apprenticeships and traineeships and career education

• VET delivered to school students (VDSS) enrolments (source: school’s own records or your VASS administrator)
• School-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs) commencements (source: school’s Head Start hub or Jobs, Skills and Pathways Manager)
• Career education insights, such as:
  • number of students with completed career action plans
  • content of students’ career action plans
  • participation in the My Career Insights (Morrisby) online diagnostic and career counselling session (source: school Career Practitioner, school Morrisby completion report)

Other data

• Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) factors (particularly Transition to adult life) (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Opinion Survey factors (for example, positive transitions) (source: Panorama Dashboards)
• School Staff Survey factors (for example, focus learning on real-life problems, parent and community involvement) (source: Panorama Dashboards)

When drawing on evidence from Panorama, most reports provide options to view results by various student characteristics, including gender, Aboriginal status, disadvantage status, EAL status.

For detailed guidance on measures and data sources to assist schools when conducting their pre-review self-evaluation, refer to: Understanding secondary outcomes (DOCX) (staff login required).

Example questions to help make sense of the data

• What are the trends for student outcomes (for example, certificate completions, exemptions, retention and/or exit destinations) for our students enrolled in the VCE, VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)?
• Where are our early exit students going? Where could we adjust our offering to better meet students’ needs?
• What are the trends in our Year 12 students’ post-school destinations, and do we need to adjust our learning programs to better prepare them for these destinations?
• How are exits to unemployment or unknown destinations trending over time?
• How are destinations for exempted students trending over time?
• What are the trends in our priority cohort students’ outcomes (for example, certificate completions, exemptions, retention and/or exit destinations)? Does this indicate we might need to provide more targeted support to any of these students?
• What are our career education insights telling us about which learning programs we need to provide for our students?

Other tools available to support your self-evaluation activities

• VCE VM and VPC Continua of Practice
• Career Education Planning and Improvement (CEPI) Tool

Schools can also engage students and families/carers in the evaluation process to hear how they experience the school’s vocational and applied learning programs and preparation for post-school life.

Examples for School Strategic Plans and Annual Implementation Plans

Select or adapt the example goals, targets, key improvement strategies and AIP actions below as appropriate to your context.

Example SSP goal

Improve student retention, completion and post-school destinations.

Example SSP targets

School leaders can select or adapt the targets below as appropriate for their context and the goals articulated in their SSP. The recommendation is to develop 2 to 4 targets for each goal.

• By 2027, increase the retention rate for [X year level] from X% to X% (Year 7 to 12, or as relevant for your school).
• By 2027, increase completion rates for the VCE (including VCE VM) and VPC from X% to X%.
• By 2027, increase the proportion of post Year 12 exits into full-time further education, training and/or employment (ideally, this includes further training/qualifications) from X% to X%.
• By 2027, decrease the proportion of student exemptions and/or early exits into post-school destinations of 'unemployment' and 'unknown' from X% to X%.
• By 2027, increase the percentage of positive responses on Attitudes to School Survey factor ‘Transition to adult life’ for Years 10 to 12 (also called ‘School Stage Transitions (Year 10 to 12)) from X% to X%.

Example SSP key improvement strategies

School leaders can select or adapt the key improvement strategies below as appropriate for their context and the goals articulated in their SSP. The recommendation is to develop 2 to 4 for each goal.

• Develop and embed an inclusive school culture which celebrates diverse pathways and post-school destinations.
• Strengthen student access to a range of pathways and experiences through secondary school (including the VCE, VCE VM, VPC, VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeships (SBATs) and work experience).
• Strengthen curriculum and applied learning pedagogical practice for all certificate programs in secondary schooling.
• Develop and implement a whole-school plan for student self-knowledge and career education, including work experience.
• Review and strengthen the school’s funding, staffing and supports for vocational and applied learning, Year 7 to 12 career education and pathways support.

Example AIP actions and activities

School leaders can select or adapt the AIP actions below as appropriate for their context, with consideration of how these align with the key improvement strategies articulated in their SSP. The recommendation is to develop 1 to 3 actions for each key improvement strategy selected for focus in that school year.

The example actions and activities below are also available in Example Careers and Pathways Practices for School Improvement (DOCX) (staff login required) for ease of use.

Key improvement strategy: Develop and embed an inclusive school culture that celebrates diverse pathways and post-school destinations.

Action: Strengthen understanding and awareness of current secondary outcomes and possible post-school pathways across the school.

Supporting activities:

• Use broad datasets to understand secondary outcomes, including senior secondary completions, exit destinations and student responses in the Attitudes to School Survey about feeling prepared for post-school life, alongside more standard measures such as VCE scores.
• Communicate a clear vision with staff, students and the school community for vocational and applied learning within the school’s secondary offering, including the VCE VM and VPC, career education, VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), vocational and tertiary taster programs, and work-based learning such as work experience, structured workplace learning or school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs). For example:
  • vocational and applied learning engages students in learning experiences that bring theoretical information to life in a real-world context. This enhances student learning because they can see how it relates to their day-to-day life and their possible future career
  • we strive to support every student’s learning and wellbeing on whatever pathway is best suited to their needs and interests.

Action: Strengthen the balanced and equal communication about secondary pathways and post-school destinations.

Supporting activities:

• Schedule a series of leadership meetings to reflect on how our school communicates and celebrates different secondary pathways and post-school destinations using this checklist and discussion guide and develop a plan for improvement.
• Highlight various pathways equally with students and the school community at assemblies, on display boards and cabinets, in newsletters, student handbooks, social media and websites, messages to families, parent council meetings, and events.
• Use language that highlights student’s choices, agency and growth rather than their challenges (to avoid reinforcing the perception that certain learning programs are only for those with challenges).
• Engage with VET providers and/or our VET Cluster, employers and Head Start to identify student achievements that have happened outside school grounds and recognise achievement on learning that is less visible and/or for which assessment is unscored (for example, VDSS, SWL and SBATs).

Action: Strengthen the role and visibility of career education in supporting transitions to post-school destinations.

Supporting activities:

• Position careers and pathways resources centrally/visibly in the school.
• Include school leaders alongside career practitioners in course and pathways counselling to signal the importance of post-school preparation.

Key improvement strategy: Strengthening curriculum and applied learning pedagogical practice for all certificate programs in secondary schooling

Action: Develop and document a whole-school program that outlines learning opportunities and engagements across each year level for career education, vocational and tertiary taster programs, work-based learning such as work experience, structured workplace learning or school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBATs), VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS), and senior secondary certificate options.

Supporting activities:

• Schedule a series of meetings to examine current documentation and practices for career education and vocational and applied learning and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Systematically examine student measures in Years 7 to 10, such as attendance and learning support, to inform additional needs going into senior secondary.
• Schedule time for year level coordinators to link students’ career counselling and My Career Insights (Morrisby) results to inform which learning programs will match their strengths and interests, such as VDSS, work experience and an SBAT.
• Document our use of applied learning pedagogy throughout F–10 and secondary curricula and a process for regular review and adjustment.

Action: Strengthen teacher knowledge and understanding of how to deliver all certificate programs.

Supporting activities:

• Audit our professional learning needs and develop a plan for building capability in:
  • applied learning (for school leaders and teachers in person or through the VCAA online platform)
  • career education (for career practitioners and other school staff)
  • VDSS (for school leaders, teachers and other school staff, including through our VET Cluster)
  • industry currency activities and professional development (for VDSS teachers and trainers).
• Plan and implement support (for example, time release) for teachers to join:
  • VCE VM and VPC Communities of Practice (to build shared understanding of applied learning pedagogical practice)
  • Career Education Collaboration Networks and other relevant career practitioner networks
  • VET Clusters and other relevant VDSS networks or Communities of Practice.

Key improvement strategy: Developing and implementing a whole-school plan for student self-knowledge and career education, including work experience

Action: Identify opportunities to strengthen our career education program.

Supporting activities:

• Use the Career Education Planning and Improvement Tool to assess our current performance.
• Adapt our delivery of the key career education activities funded through our Career Education Funding where opportunities for improvement have been identified.
• Strengthen the career education content in our curriculum with reference to the following supporting resources:
  • VCAA guides to incorporate career education content into learning areas or capabilities in the Victorian Curriculum F–10 curriculum
  • department resources, worksheets and lesson plans and/or resources available through myfuture to help deliver specific career education program content across the year levels
  • department resources and the Inclusive Careers Benchmarking Tool and Guide to provide additional support or a modified approach to career education for students who need it.

Key improvement strategy: Strengthen the school’s funding, staffing and supports for vocational and applied learning, Year 7 to 12 career education and pathways support

Action: Assess funding, staffing and support needs for vocational and applied learning, Year 7 to 12 career education and pathways support.

Supporting activities:

• Review the budget and ensure allocations to VCE VM and VPC studies, VDSS, career education and related programs reflect the school context, cohort needs and size.
• Consider the allocation of teaching staff to ensure that staff allocated to the VCE VM and VPC have the capabilities, pedagogical knowledge and motivation to meet students’ needs.

Action: Identify and address any timetabling / scheduling issues for vocational and applied learning.

Supporting activities:

• Review timetabling to ensure flexibility for students accessing VDSS, SBATs and work-based learning.
• Consult with the area’s Job’s Skills and Pathways team, VET Cluster coordinator or schools in our network to understand different approaches to timetabling that accommodate vocational and applied learning options.
• Review the timing of career education activities to make sure they provide students with enough input, time and support to make decisions about enrolment and course applications before they are due.

Action: Establish leadership and team structures that strengthen support for delivering a diverse range of secondary pathways.

Supporting activities:

• Bring student management, wellbeing, career education and pathways teams together to identify and integrate the learning pathways and supports.
• Establish a Senior Secondary School Improvement Team to lead and monitor performance.
• Include VCE VM and VPC leading teachers, VDSS coordinators and Career Practitioners/Pathways staff in school leadership structures to ensure their input into goals and plans.
• Document staff roles and responsibilities for vocational and applied learning, pathways and career education and establish and update reference to these within relevant school policies.

Key improvement strategy: Strengthen student access to a range of pathways and experiences through secondary school

Action: Develop supporting partnerships for delivery of a diverse range of pathways.

Supporting activities:

• Regularly engage with parents, carers, community organisations and employers to identify learning pathways and supports tailored to individual students’ needs.
• Increase participation in our VET Cluster, including by creating roles for school leaders and VET coordinators, to ensure student access to VET certificates.
• Develop a strategy for engaging employers, community organisations, universities, TAFEs and other education/training providers to provide students with a range of experiences such as work experience, Structured Workplace Learning, incursions, excursions, mentoring and mock interviews.
• Engage with the School to Work program to access quality workplace learning opportunities with employers.
• Engage Head Start hubs to maximise SBAT opportunities.
• Assess and plan our approach to accessing local Tech School programs to provide engaging STEM education opportunities.

Example measures of progress and impact

The examples below may be useful measures of progress and impact to consider as part of your regular planning processes. These may be used in addition to the sources of evidence listed above.

VET Delivered to School Students (VDSS)

• Number of certificates our students have access to from each of the government’s priority industry areas aligned to high workforce and skills demand (source: school’s own records)
• Number of certificates our students have access to from other industry areas with local community demand, including student interest (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students able to access preferred VET certificate/s (source: school's own records)
• Student VET certificate enrolment by VCE, VCE VM and VPC (source: school’s own records)

School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs)

• Number of SBAT training contracts commenced by certificate programs VCE, VCE VM and VPC (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of SBAT students retained in training contract 12 months post-commencement (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of SBAT students progressing from Year 10 to 11, Year 11 to 12, and Year 12 to successful certificate completion (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of SBAT students that exit school prior to completing Year 12 by exit destination (source: school’s own records)

Career education, Structured Workplace Learning and work experience

• Proportion of students completing a work experience placement (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students completing Structured Workplace Learning as part of their certificate (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students who feel prepared for and supported during and after their work experience placement (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students who agree a work experience placement helped them understand more about what they want to do when they finish school (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of students who agree they will be more focused on schoolwork as a result of completing a work experience placement (source: school’s own records)

Student attitudes to school (Student voice and agency)

• Percentage student positive responses to questions about teacher-student relations (source: Panorama Dashboards)

Teacher/trainer professional learning

• Proportion of staff who have completed a Graduate Certificate of Applied Learning (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of staff delivering career education with a Graduate Certificate in Career Education/Career Development (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of relevant school staff (for example, school leaders, VDSS teachers and trainers, and other relevant staff, such as VET coordinators) who have completed VDSS professional learning, such as understanding Certificate IV Training and Assessment requirements (source: school’s own records)
• Proportion of VDSS teachers and trainers who have been supported (time release) to participate and complete professional learning and industry currency activities (source: school’s own records)