Experience the possibilities

Thank you for joining us at the Secondary Twilight Tours. To assist you further, we have compiled a summary of our Secondary subject areas and application details, which are provided below.

We look forward to welcoming you to our community.

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Secondary Subjects

Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

At BHCS, student well-being is our foundation. We take a holistic approach to student development where learning and wellbeing are interconnected.

  • Homeroom Connection: Year 7–12 students start each day with devotions led by their homeroom teacher, who is the first point of call for parent and student concerns. In Year 7-10 Core subjects are often taught in these homeroom classes to build strong relationships.
  • Support Network: Each cohort has a Year-Level Coordinator overseeing pastoral and behavioural needs. Our dedicated wellbeing team includes two secondary chaplains, a school counsellor and wellbeing coordinator.
  • Curriculum: Wellbeing classes are integratved directly into the student curriculum and are run by our Head of Student Wellbeing.

Our 7/8 space (affectionately known as “Middle Earth”) is where secondary students begin their high school journey. Year 7 is a significant time of growth, offering a great opportunity to reinvent oneself alongside the jump in personal responsibility (managing laptops, lockers and a varied timetable). Year 8 builds on this and encourages students to build resilience and perseverance through the PUSH program.

  • Core Curriculum: We follow the Australian Curriculum for Maths, English, Humanities, and Science. We use Education Perfect (EP) (Years 7-9) and Essential Assessment (EA) (Years 7-10) to support differentiated learning, allowing students to access work that perfectly matches their current level for both support and extension.
  • Rotations (Compulsory Electives): To give students a taste of everything, they undertake semester-based rotations in subjects like Food Tech, Robotics, Outdoor Ed, Visual Arts, Visual Communication and Design, Wood Technology, Music, and Drama.
  • Academic Extension & Support: For students looking for a challenge, we participate in ICAS competitions, interschool Master Minds and debating.
  • Camps: Year 7s attend Camp Coolamatong at the start of the year to connect immediately, while Year 8s head to a different Coolamatong site and engage in an overnight hike as part of the activities.
  • Peer Mentoring: This year we have introduced a new Peer Mentoring Program, where Year 7 students are paired with Year 10 students to help make the transition into secondary school easier.
  • Year 7 Language Lab (new): A new intervention program providing literacy support (Corrective Reading) for those who need it, and targeted extension for students testing above average.

The PUSH Program (Year 8)

Year 8 students participate in our high-energy PUSH program twice a week.

  • Focus: Physical discipline, mental resilience, and personal growth.
  • Activities: Students rotate through high-intensity sessions like CrossFit, boxing, cross-training, and mountain biking.
  • Outcome: By using physical exertion as a tool, we provide a healthy outlet for adolescent energy and build a “growth mindset” that carries over into their academic subjects.

Year 9 is a pivotal year focused on personal growth, shifting the focus from “self” to “community.” Students attend mainstream classes Monday through Thursday, while Fridays are entirely dedicated to experiential learning.

From Year 9, students choose their elective subjects (2 per semester) and are encouraged to select these based on passion, as well as pathways. Electives include, but are not limited to Drama, Music, Technologies – Food and Wood specialisations, French, Visual arts, Visual Communication and Design, Outdoor Education and Robotics.

The Friday “Year 9 Program”

By removing the standard 50-minute lesson bell, Fridays offer uninterrupted, multi-disciplinary, hands-on learning outside the traditional classroom:

  • Term 1 – The Challenge (Surf Experience): Building physical resilience and teamwork through surfing, sailing, and paddle boarding in a safe environment, culminating in a camp at Anglesea.
  • Term 2 – Personal Development: Focused on building self-esteem, navigating adolescence, and preparing for the responsibilities of young adulthood.
  • Term 3 – Community & Service: Students engage in local community projects, putting the school’s values of “Love and Service” into action.
  • Term 4 – Our City, Melbourne: Students learn to navigate the CBD and public transport, exploring the city’s offerings and social issues (like homelessness), culminating in a City Camp.

Year 9 & 10 Mathematics Extension

For students showing a strong aptitude for maths, streamed mathematics classes builds a concrete bridge to VCE/VCE VM mathematics subjects. From Year 9, students can select a General Maths pathway or an Extension Maths pathway. Students don’t just do more math; they do deeper math, developing the algebraic fluency and resilience needed for heavy VCE workloads. Typically, an extension maths pathway feeds in Math Methods in VCE.

Year 10: Vocation & Pathways

Year 10 shifts focus toward the future, emphasising work experience, pathways and specialised choices.

  • Electives: Students can choose 3 electives per semester (e.g., Agricultural Science, STEM, Hospitality, Business Management, Legal Studies to name a few).
  • Acceleration: Students ready for a challenge can accelerate by beginning a VCE subject early.
  • Camp: Our Year 10 students attend the challenging and rewarding Summit Camp.
  • Work Experience: Students complete one week of work experience at the end of Term 2.
  • Careers Support: Students work closely with the careers team and VCE team to ensure their choice of subjects align with their preferred pathways.
  • Leadership opportunities: Students also step into more leadership opportunities, like the Year 7 peer mentoring program.
  • VCE & VCE-VM Pathways
  • VCE (Victorian Certificate of Education): The traditional academic pathway for students, giving options of both an unscored or scored VCE. We offer a vast array of subjects, including English/English Language, French, General Maths, Maths Methods, Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Psychology), Humanities, and the Arts. Students can also take university subjects to contribute to their ATAR.
  • VCE-VM (Vocational Major): For students interested in hands-on learning and trades. This includes literacy, numeracy, structured workplace and project-based learning, and School-Based Apprenticeships.
  • On-Site VET Courses: We offer Gravitate (Year 11 only), Cookery, and Sport & Recreation on campus.
  • Rally Days: Year 11 and 12’s participate in sports rally days with other schools.
  • Charity Social: Year 11 students plan, organise and run a charity social in Term 3.
  • Graduating Year: Our Year 12 cohort enjoy a ‘welcome back’ day at Gumbaya World, and have many special opportunities throughout the year, including dress up days, special breakfasts, staff vs student sporting events and their final celebration day and valedictory dinner.

Visual Arts & Technology

  • Facilities: Students enjoy dedicated Art and Technology buildings, and can use the art room and gallery space during lunch and study periods.
  • Progression: Following Year 7/8 rotations, Years 9 and 10 offer specialised electives like Textiles, Ceramics, Graphic Design, Wood Tech, and Architecture.
  • VCE: Students can pursue Art Creative Practice and Visual Communication Design (VCD). We showcase student talent at an annual art exhibition.

Performing Arts & Music

Our music rooms are always humming. Following Year 7 & 8 rotations, Music and Drama become popular electives at Year 9 & 10.

  • Performances: Full-scale secondary musicals (last year was Mary Poppins) alternate annually with a senior play (this year the play ‘Clue’).
  • Ensembles: We offer student worship bands, intermediate bands, rock bands, choirs, and a senior jazz band (Note: extension band participation requires before-school practice).
  • Students have the option to rehearse for and participate in the Generations in Jazz festival at the beginning of May, as well as CSEN cultural days such as Play in a Day and Theatre Sports.
  • VCE: Depending on student interest, we offer VCE Music and Drama.

Science

  • Science: Years 7-10 study General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, etc.). Extracurriculars include the Year 8 STEM Day, Year 9 STEM Challenge at Deakin, Year 10 Astronomy Day, and Lego competitions.

French

  • French: A core subject in Years 7 & 8 (accommodating beginners and returning students), becoming an elective from Year 9 through to VCE. A biennial trip to New Caledonia offers incredible cultural immersion.

Sport, PE & Outdoor Education

  • Core PE: Students undertake PE, Sport, and Health classes as part of their curriculum. Year 7 & 8 students participate in Wednesday afternoon sport on-site.
  • BHCS Sport: Our school hosts three major whole-school carnivals — Athletics, Swimming, and Cross Country — alongside lunchtime House Sport and year-level sport days throughout the year. These events foster participation, healthy competition, and student leadership, with standout performers able to trial for representative opportunities like the Gold Coast sports tour.
  • Inter-School Sport: BHCS competes through the Christian Schools Events Network (CSEN), fielding teams in basketball, soccer, AFL, netball, and volleyball across Years 7–12 against Christian schools state-wide. Year 7 & 8 students compete in fortnightly semester sport, while senior teams contest major CSEN carnivals in Swimming, Athletics, and Cross Country. CSEN also runs academy days for various sports and international sports tours.
  • Pathways & Opportunities: High-performing students can progress to elite-level competition through CSEN pathways including VSAC Swimming and Athletics, Herald Sun Shield (AFL), Football Victoria Premier Schools (Soccer), SSAV Golf, and SSAV Tennis. BHCS also competes in Basketball Victoria tournaments, ensuring athletes across multiple sports have clear routes to higher-level play.
  • Outdoor Ed: Following Year 7 & 8 rotations, this becomes a popular elective in Years 9 and 10, featuring dedicated camps that test grit and leadership while enjoying the outdoors. Outdoor Ed is also offered as a VCE subject.

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