NORTHERN TERRITORY BOARD OF STUDIES
POLICY
CURRICULUM, ASSESSMENT, REPORTING AND CERTIFICATION
POLICY: YEARS 10-12
Responsibility of: Northern Territory Board of Studies
Effective Date:
2013
Next Review Date: 2016
School Leaders, Teacher, Parents and the
Target Audience:
Community of Year 10-12 students
:
Version Number
1
This document should be read in conjunction with the Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting and
Certification Guidelines: Years 10-12.
1. POLICY
This policy details the curriculum, assessment, reporting and certification requirements of all Northern
Territory schools (government and non-government) for students in Years 10-12. It replaces all previous
curriculum and assessment statements published. Northern Territory Board of Studies (NTBOS)
Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting and Certification Guidelines: Years 10-12 has been developed to
support teachers in implementing the requirements outlined in this policy statement.
1.1
Curriculum
Year 101
All Year 10 students are to study:
 Australian Curriculum compulsory learning areas and subjects and address the requirements of
content descriptions, general capabilities, cross-curriculum priorities and achievement standards
of each subject. Compulsory Australian Curriculum learning areas and subjects to be studied in
Year 10 are English, Mathematics, Science, History and Health and Physical Education
 other Australian Curriculum learning areas and subjects offered as elective subjects when they
are endorsed by the NTBOS. Prior to this the Northern Territory Curriculum Framework (NTCF)
will be taught
 the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) Stage 1 Personal Learning
Plan (PLP).2
Schools may offer Vocational Education and Training (VET).
Schools3 have the capacity to offer NTCET subjects and/or NTBOS approved alternative curriculum in
consultation with parents and students – for example, NT Year 10 Literacy and Numeracy subjects.
Year 11 (usually Stage 1) and Year 12 (usually Stage 2)
Year 11 and 12 students enrol in the NTCET. The NTCET is an internationally recognised qualification,
designed to recognise the knowledge and skills that have been acquired through formal education and
training.
1
Unless delivering alternative curriculum as approved by ACARA.
A requirement of NTCET completion however can be studied at Year 10, 11 or 12.
3 Schools with a SACE Board provider number can offer SACE/NTCET subjects.
2
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The NTCET provides students with access to flexible learning arrangements where students have
increased opportunities to develop the academic, interpersonal and employment-related skills needed for
the future.
In order to gain an NTCET, students are required to complete 200 credits, which include:
 20 credits of literacy, 10 credits of numeracy (can be gained at Stage 1 or 2), 10 credits of the
Stage 1 Personal Learning Plan (PLP) (the PLP is usually studied at Year 10) – all at a C grade
or above
 60 credits of Stage 2 subjects at a C- grade or above (this can include Vocational Education and
Training (VET) that is recognised at Stage 2 level)
 140 credits at a C grade or above.
VET is recognised within the NTCET as are other community developed programs (for example, Duke of
Edinburgh’s Award, Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB) music exams) and community
learning. Students who enter the NTCET from interstate, overseas, with International Baccalaureate
Diploma Program (IB) grades or as an adult student can apply to have their previous study recognised.
Modified subjects can be offered to students with significant intellectual disabilities. Students are eligible
to enrol in modified subjects if they have identified intellectual disabilities and will not be able to reach the
performance standards in mainstream subjects because of their intellectual functioning and adaptive
behaviour.
When Australian Curriculum learning areas for senior secondary curriculum are developed by the
Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and endorsed for publication by
education ministers, the NTBOS will endorse the implementation timeline for NT schools.
Time Allocation
Year 10
All Year 10 students in NT schools should have access to the minimum time recommended to meet the
achievement standards for each compulsory learning area in the Australian Curriculum and the NTCET
Stage 1 Personal Learning Plan.
Systems, sectors and schools can specify more teaching time. Indicative times are provided in the
Guidelines for compulsory and optional Year 10 subjects.
Year 11 and 12 (Stage 1 and 2)
Schools should allocate sufficient tuition time in all subjects so that students can successfully meet the
requirements of the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training. Schools should allocate a
minimum of 60 hours for tuition for semester length subjects and 120 hours for year-long subjects.
1.2
Pedagogy
Teachers will choose evidence-based pedagogical practices and approaches, based on research on
how students best acquire knowledge, understanding and skills.
1.3
Assessment
For Australian Curriculum learning areas and subjects and for NTCET subjects, teachers are to:
 develop and submit learning and assessment plans (LAP) for approval to either the NT
Curriculum, Assessment and Certification 10-12 Team (Year 10 and Stage 1) or the SACE Board
(Stage 2)
 use Year 10 subject specific performance standards (aligned to the Year 10 Australian
Curriculum achievement standards) for Year 10 subjects studied to evaluate student learning
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
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1.4
use NTCET subject specific performance standards for Stage 1 and Stage 2 subjects to evaluate
student learning
allocate grades A to E (Year 10 and Stage 1) and grades A+ to E- (Stage 2) based on the
descriptors of the subject specific performance standards.
Reporting
Teachers will use the subject specific performance standard to report an A to E grade (Year 10 and
Stage 1) and report an A+ to E- grade (Stage 2). Year 10 grades and comments are recorded at the
school level. Stage 1 and 2 grades are recorded in school and then transferred to DATEX Online.
NTCET Modified subjects are reported as either completed or not completed.
Where students undertake NT Year 10 Literacy or Numeracy, grades will be assigned utilising the
performance standards of NT Year 10 Literacy and NT Year 10 Numeracy. These are not necessarily
aligned to the Year 10 Australian Curriculum achievement standards. A statement will be added to the
student’s report stating that the grade has not been assessed against the Year 10 Australian Curriculum
achievement standards.
A Record of Achievement is provided to Year 10 (if enrolled in an NTCET subject) and Stage 1 students
in August and the following February. Stage 2 students receive a Record of Achievement as part of their
NTCET results package. The Record of Achievement lists a student’s grades achieved for the subjects
studied towards an NTCET.
1.5
Certification
The Northern Territory Board of Studies is the credentialing authority for the Northern Territory Certificate
of Education and Training. NTCET certificates and a Record of Achievement which lists the grades
awarded for subjects that contributed to a student’s qualification are provided to NTCET completers in
December of each school year.
A Tertiary Entrance Statement is provided to students who have completed the NTCET and qualify for a
university aggregate and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
To obtain a university aggregate and an ATAR students must:
 qualify for an NTCET
 comply with the rules regarding precluded combinations and counting restrictions, and
 complete at least 80 credits of study at Stage 2, of which 60 credits of study must be 20 credits
Tertiary Admission Subjects (TAS) from a maximum of three attempts which need not be in
consecutive years (new rules will be implemented from 2015 in which university aggregate is
calculated from 90 credits – (see SATAC website).
The university aggregate is calculated from scaled scores. The university aggregate is converted to an
ATAR. The ATAR is how well a particular student has performed relative to other students in that school
year. The university aggregate is reported to students on a score range of 0 - 80.0 with intervals of 0.1.
The ATAR is reported to students on a percentile scale, i.e. on a range of 0 - 99.95 with intervals of 0.05.
The South Australian Tertiary Admission Centre (SATAC) calculates the university aggregate and ATAR
on behalf of the NTBOS. Further information can be found in the SATAC Tertiary Entrance booklet,
published annually.
1.6
Student Diversity
Schools are required to ensure all learners are catered for in their programs. It is therefore necessary to
differentiate the curriculum to cater for student diversity. Modified programs are offered under the
NTCET for students with significant intellectual disability.
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2. BUSINESS NEED
This policy statement has been developed in response to the introduction of the Australian Curriculum to
NT schools in 2012. The Australian Curriculum describes the learning entitlement of students, what all
young Australians are to be taught and the expected standards of achievement as they progress through
schooling. It sets out the core content, understanding, skills and general capabilities important for all
Australian students.
3. SCOPE
This policy covers Northern Territory Board of Studies endorsed curriculum only.
4. DEFINITIONS
ACARA
ATAR
DATEX Online
LAP
NTBOS
NTCET
PLP
VET
SACE Board
SATAC
TAS
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank
the SACE Board’s enrolment and assessment database
Learning and Assessment Plan
Northern Territory Board of Studies
Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training
Personal Learning Plan
Vocational Education and Training
South Australian Certificate of Education Board of South Australia
South Australian Tertiary Admission Centre
Tertiary Admission Subject
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The NTBOS will
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ensure the policy is current and accords with development of the Australian Curriculum
account for any other Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood (SCSEEC)
directives in curriculum, assessment, reporting and certification for Year 10-12 students
 consider any changes to SACE Board policy and align this policy with aspects of those changes
the Board has endorsed.
NT school systems and sectors will ensure
 all schools and relevant office and regional personnel are aware of and have access to the policy
and guidelines
 principals oversee the implementation of the policy and guidelines in schools
 the provision of accurate, effective and timely advice and support to schools implementing the
NTBOS Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Policy and Guidelines: Years 10 - 12.
NT principals will ensure
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teachers are aware of and have access to the NTBOS Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting and
Certification Policy and Guidelines: Years 10 - 12
teachers design and deliver learning and assessment plans in accordance with the policy and
guidelines
the school meets all other requirements outlined in the policy including those for time allocation,
assessment and reporting.
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6. RELATED POLICY, LEGISLATION AND DOCUMENTS

SACE Policy Framework, including the three central policies that define the SACE, which are the
 SACE Accreditation, Recognition, and Certification Policy
 SACE Learning and Assessment Design Policy
 SACE Assuring Assessment Integrity Policy.
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Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians 2008.
Disability Standards for Education 2005.
Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Catholic Education Northern Territory Students with Disabilities Policy 2012.
Northern Territory Department of Education and Children’s Services Students with Disabilities
Policy 2012.
SACE Board, South Australian Certificate of Education Website.
ACARA, the Australian Curriculum.
NTBOS, Northern Territory Curriculum Framework.
NTCET Assessment Responsibilities: SACE Board and NT Schools Code of Practice.
NTBOS, Results Release Policy.
NTBOS, Senior Secondary Data Release policy and guidelines.
7. EVALUATION
As the Australian Curriculum is introduced across all learning areas the policy will be updated to reflect
these changes. Changes to SACE Board policies and processes may also require this policy to be
updated. A formal review will be undertaken three years after policy endorsement.
8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This policy has been written in conjunction with the three Northern Territory school sectors.
The SACE Board of South Australia website and many documents and policies are referred to in this
policy.
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