The HSC We Almost Didn’t Have

The Year 12 academic and pastoral staff were nothing short of selfless. While having to navigate the complex terrain of remote teaching, a blend of remote and classroom teaching, and additional HSC support, they were remarkable.”

- Claudia McCalman, Senior Years Coordinator

If there’s a year group that should be congratulated for showing resilience in the face of adversity, it’s the Class of 2021.

Following a year of disrupted learning, in August 2021, Year 12 students were told their HSC exams would be postponed by a month and may even be held online.

McCalman, said everyone’s health was the top priority for HSC organisers at the time, with COVID-19 still prevalent.

“There were ongoing concerns about the safety of students and invigilators all congregating in one place while the pandemic was still virulent and the efficacy of delivering exams online if they couldn’t congregate,” she said.

In the end, it was decided that HSC exams due to begin on 7 October would be pushed back by a month to 9 November, which meant revision and the stress of exams would continue for Year 12 students until the exams ended on 1 December.

These changes also required staff to implement measures that would ensure students were appropriately supported while learning from home, at a time when they would usually have already left school.

“As well as our ongoing support remotely on Microsoft Teams with practice papers and revision opportunities, we delivered workshops and one-on-one meetings for students who wanted additional support,” Mrs McCalman said.

“Pastorally, Year 12 mentors met with their students at least twice per week, either remotely or in the Derek Pigot Auditorium (DPA); school psychologists reached out to students who may have been vulnerable due to their remoteness and there was daily monitoring of the students in the DPA study hall. There was also constant wellbeing interaction on Teams.”

The HSC study centre established in the DPA - where exams would eventually take place - provided a highly supported, dynamic study area for students to work independently on timed practice papers or collaboratively on worksheets and learning objectives. It was also a space for Year 12 students to meet with staff and attend workshops.

Mrs McCalman said staff went above and beyond to help Year 12 students navigate their tricky exam period.

“The Year 12 academic and pastoral staff were nothing short of selfless. While having to navigate the complex terrain of remote teaching, a blend of remote and classroom teaching, and additional HSC support, they were remarkable. I actually don’t know how they coped, except to say they all extended themselves past expectations,” she said.

Some students, such as elite athlete Phoebe Litchfield, also had to juggle the rigours and pressures of training, competing and performing in their chosen sports with their academic responsibilities.

“To be perfectly honest, last year was a challenge for me,” said Phoebe. “I tried to stay on top of cricket and school, but the HSC year was a step above. Having completed my HSC on the road, it was extra complicated and stressful. I definitely relied on emails and video chats with teachers to get me through. I guess the biggest challenge in 2021 was missing face-to-face learning. However, my teachers and peers were so supportive, and it definitely made the year easier having them only a few clicks away!”

Mrs McCalman said she was extremely proud of how Year 12 coped amid added pressures, during what’s already considered a challenging period.

“There are many students who struggled against personal hardships, yet managed to overcome terrible obstacles and hurdles to sit their HSC. And any rural students who had to deal with wifi issues, are to be commended for their perseverance!” she said.

And in the spirit of maintaining a positive attitude, there was one small silver lining to postponing the HSC that Year 12 students were grateful for.

“The best thing to come out of the changes was the extra month that allowed students to revise and study on campus with support. This definitely helped their preparation,” Mrs McCalman said.

Some of the changes implemented to provide additional support to Year 12 in 2021 will also continue to benefit students preparing for the HSC in the future.

“I love Teams for both academic and pastoral care. I believe some of our teaching patterns remain, especially recording classes and having central areas for keeping resources online,” Mrs McCalman said.