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Achieving the RoSA

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Updated 02 Apr 2025

NESA has made changes to Rule 1.1.1. These changes outline:

  • procedures for nominating eligible students for the RoSA (paragraph 8)
  • procedures for schools with students who complete outstanding requirements for the RoSA in Stage 6 (paragraph 12)
  • procedures for students going on overseas exchange (paragraph 20)
View all changes

Section 94 of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) sets out the eligibility requirements for the award of the Record of School Achievement (RoSA).

About the RoSA

  1. The RoSA provides information on a student’s performance throughout Stage 5 and Stage 6, up to a student’s completion of HSC requirements.
  2. Mandatory curriculum requirements are listed on the RoSA under a separate heading with the annotation ‘Completed’.
  3. Students studying courses based on Life Skills outcomes and content in Stage 5 and/or Stage 6 may be eligible to receive a Loading  at the time of leaving school with the RoSA or Transcript of Study, as applicable.
  4. Schools must nominate school-leavers for the RoSA by the due date outlined in the Loading .
  5. Students who leave school before the completion of Year 10 are not eligible for the RoSA or Transcript of Study.
  6. From the end of Year 10, students can access their cumulative results and the courses they are enrolled in by downloading their eRecord in Students Online. The Student eRecord is an interim report, not a formal credential.

Categories

K–10Life SkillsRoSA

Eligibility requirements

  1. To be eligible for the RoSA, a student who leaves school at or after the completion of Year 10, but before completing the HSC, must have:
    1. attended a government school, an accredited non-government school, a school outside NSW recognised by NESA or a TAFE NSW institute, and
    2. participated in, and satisfactorily completed the mandatory curriculum requirements for Years 7–10, and
    3. complied with any other regulations or requirements mandated by the Minister or NESA.
  2. Schools must nominate eligible school leavers for the RoSA in Loading  or by emailing NESA at records@nesa.nsw.edu.au, as applicable.

Meeting outstanding requirements for the completion of Year 10 in Stage 6

  1. Principals may determine a student, who was ineligible for the RoSA at the end of Year 101, to be retrospectively eligible for the RoSA at the time of leaving school in Year 11 or Year 12 if the student was able to complete the outstanding requirements2 during their enrolment in Stage 6. Schools must nominate eligible students for the RoSA at the time of the student leaving school.
  2. Students completing outstanding requirements may accumulate courses while undertaking Stage 6 courses or until the date they leave school.
  3. Principals must:
    1. inform Student Records if a student leaving in Year 11 or Year 12 is eligible for the RoSA at the time the student leaves school by emailing records@nesa.nsw.edu.au, and
    2. provide all outstanding data to NESA.3
  4. For students who are not school leavers but complete outstanding requirements while undertaking Stage 6 courses, principals must:
    1. inform Student Records of the retrospective completion of outstanding requirements, by emailing records@nesa.nsw.edu.au, and
    2. provide all outstanding data to NESA.4

Students not eligible for the RoSA

  1. Schools may nominate students leaving school after Year 10 who are ineligible for the award of the RoSA, for a Transcript of Study.
  2. Nominated students may download a Transcript of Study in Students Online from the end of Year 10. 
  3. The Transcript of Study outlines a student’s:
    1. completed 7–10 mandatory curriculum requirements
    2. results for completed Stage 5 and/or Stage 6 courses, and
    3. current enrolments in courses not yet completed.

Eligibility requirements for a Transcript of Study

  1. To be eligible for a Transcript of Study, a student must:
    1. have completed a minimum of one course of study, and
    2. be nominated as a school leaver after Year 10.

Restrictions on reporting student achievement

  1. Schools must not:
    1. disclose submitted Stage 5 (Year 10) course grades or Life Skills outcomes achieved to students until NESA releases final grades to schools on the Year 10 Results Release date outlined in the Loading , and
    2. issue reports or other documents that have the title ‘Record of School Achievement’.

NSW students on overseas exchange

  1. Students on overseas exchange5 should not be penalised in terms of eligibility for the completion of Year 10 by undertaking educational experiences in another country.
  2. Students who are absent due to participation in an exchange program during Year 10 may be eligible for the RoSA if they decide to leave school and meet all requirements for the completion of Year 10.
  3. Students intending to go on overseas exchange:
    1. must seek permission from their principal beforehand, and
    2. are responsible for completing any compensatory work and assessment tasks as agreed with their principal. 

Students returning to school from an overseas exchange program before the last day of Year 10

  1. Principals must:
    1. ensure the student meets all 7–10 mandatory curriculum requirements
    2. ensure the student attends school until the final day of Year 10, and
    3. award grades that represent the student’s achievement in all satisfactorily completed Stage 5 courses.

Students returning to school from an overseas exchange program after the last day of Year 10

  1. Schools with students returning to NSW from an overseas exchange program after the last day of Year 10 may retrospectively apply for satisfaction of eligibility requirements for the completion of Year 10 based on their studies while overseas.
  2. Students must provide the details of the content of courses studied overseas to their principal upon returning to NSW.
  3. Principals must:
    1. obtain certification from the overseas school that the student has satisfactorily studied the equivalent Year 10 courses during the period of absence from NSW, and
    2. inform Student Records that the student has retrospectively satisfied eligibility requirements for Year 10 by emailing records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.
  4. NESA will consider applications for retrospective satisfaction of eligibility requirements for the completion of Year 10 based on:
    1. the comparability of the courses studied overseas to those studied for the mandatory 7–10 curriculum requirements
    2. whether the details of the content of courses studied overseas are made available to the principal, and
    3. the evidence from the overseas school that the student has satisfactorily studied the equivalent Year 10 courses during the period of absence from NSW.

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For enquiries about retrospective satisfaction of eligibility requirements for Year 10 or the RoSA, please contact Student Records on (02) 9367 8001 or by email at records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

For enquiries about appealing NESA’s decision to withhold the RoSA, please contact Student Support on (02) 9367 8117 or by email at studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. For example, not studying NSW curriculum in Year 10; or an ‘N’ determination for one or more courses.

  2. Mandatory curriculum requirements for Years 7-10 and/or Stage 5 courses.

  3. This typically includes the courses studied by the student, grades and/or Life Skills outcomes.

  4. This typically includes the courses studied by the student, grades and/or Life Skills outcomes.

  5. An overseas exchange includes school-approved student exchange programs and endorsed exchange programs.

Categories

RoSA

Appealing NESA’s decision to withhold the RoSA

  1. Students wishing to appeal against NESA’s decision to withhold the RoSA should email Student Support at studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.
  2. NESA’s decision regarding any appeal is final.

For further information

For enquiries about appealing NESA’s decision to withhold the RoSA, please contact Student Support on (02) 9367 8117 or by email at studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

accumulate

When a student satisfactorily completes and accrues one or more courses over a period of time. For example, a student completes HSC courses over more than one year.

endorsed exchange program

Registered organisations permitted to offer student exchange programs to/from NSW. Programs offered must meet the enrolment requirements of the NSW Secondary Student Exchange Program. For example, Rotary International.

eRecord

An electronic record of student results, including information regarding Life Skills outcomes achieved, where applicable. It is not a formal NESA credential.

Profile of Student Achievement

A cumulative record of the student’s achievement of Life Skills outcomes for any course satisfactorily completed in Stage 5, Year 11 or Year 12. It provides the details of the specific Life Skills syllabus outcomes achieved by students undertaking courses.

school-approved student exchange program

Schools providing overseas exchange programs for students enrolled in the NSW school.

Transcript of Study

A list of courses and, where applicable, results for students who completed at least one Stage 5 course, but are not eligible for a RoSA. It lists all mandatory and additional Stage 5 courses and, where applicable, Stage 6 courses completed by the student, along with the grade/mark awarded. It also lists any courses commenced but not completed, and the date of leaving school.