Life Skills in Stage 6
Updated 02 Apr 2025
NESA has made a number of changes across Life Skills in Stage 6.
Rule 11.2.1 Eligibility to study Stage 6 Life Skills courses
Changes clarify eligibility requirements for students studying Stage 6 Life Skills courses, including for:
- students seeking to continue their study of a particular Stage 6 course after having studied the related course based on Life Skills outcomes and content in Stage 5. (see paragraph 4)
- students seeking to study a combination of Board Developed, Content Endorsed and Board Endorsed courses. (see paragraph 6)
- students commencing the study of HSC Life Skills courses. (see paragraph 8)
Changes to Rule 11.2.1 also include:
- a new exceptional circumstances footnote which outlines NESA contact information for principals who are concerned that a previous decision to place a student into Life Skills was not appropriate. (see paragraph 7)
- new section on adjustments for students with disability studying Stage 6 Life Skills courses. (see paragraphs 9 and 10)
Rule 11.2.2 Entering students in Stage 6 Life Skills courses
Changes clarify the process and timeframe for:
- submitting courses entries for students studying Life Skills in Stage 6. (see paragraph 11)
- entering Life Skills outcomes achieved for individual students. (see paragraph 15)
Rule 11.2.4 HSC requirements for students entered in Stage 6 Life Skills
Changes include a new paragraph reminding schools to check HSC minimum standard exemptions for students entered in Stage 6 Life Skills courses to determine if students are exempt from demonstrating the HSC minimum standard in any domain. (see paragraph 23)
Sections 12, 95 and 95A of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) set out the curriculum requirements and eligibility requirements for the award of the HSC.
Glossary
Actions taken to enable a student with disability to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students, in accordance with the Disability Standards for Education 2005.
An educational program designed to support students to follow the principles and practices of good scholarship before they are entered into Preliminary and/or HSC courses.
HSC results are used by the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) to calculate a rank order of students known as the ATAR. It is a ranking system used to allocate university placements.
A course developed by NESA, that includes general education courses, Life Skills courses and VET Industry Curriculum Framework courses.
A course that caters to the learning needs of students in specific areas of need not served by Board Developed courses. Before they can be taught in NSW schools, they must be endorsed by NESA. These courses count towards the HSC but do not have an HSC exam and do not contribute towards the calculation of the ATAR. There are four types: Content Endorsed courses (CECs), School Developed Board Endorsed courses (SDBECs), University Developed Board Endorsed courses (UDBECs), and VET Board Endorsed courses (VET BECs).
The process to determine the most appropriate curriculum options and adjustments for a student with disability. It should take place within the broader context of personalised planning that includes interventions and other supports to address identified student learning and support needs.
Generic, holistic descriptions of typical performance at each of 5 grade levels that can be used to identify and report student achievement in both primary and junior secondary years in NSW schools.
A course developed by NESA, that caters to the learning needs of students in specific areas of need not served by Board Developed courses.
Awarded to students who meet HSC eligibility and course requirements. Includes an HSC testamur and HSC Record of Achievement.
The foundational literacy (reading and writing) and numeracy skills, set at Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) Level 3, which a student must demonstrate to be eligible for the HSC.
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.
A course designed by school(s) and endorsed by NESA to meet curriculum needs of students that cannot be accommodated by Board Developed courses, or Content Endorsed courses (CECs), or Vocational Education and Training Board Endorsed courses (VET BECs). Once the course proposal is endorsed by NESA, SDBECs count as Board Endorsed unit credit for the HSC but do not contribute towards an ATAR.
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.