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ACE Rules

Clarified ACE Rules came into effect on 14 October 2024. These rules apply to students commencing HSC courses from Term 4 2024, for students sitting for HSC exams in 2025, and for students receiving the RoSA from October 2024.

For students sitting for HSC exams in 2024, the previous ACE Online rules continue to apply.

To learn more about how NESA has clarified the ACE Rules, refer to the information sheets.

Study with an outside tutor

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NESA is authorised under sections 20A(2), 94 and 95 of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) to exercise functions in connection with the school curriculum and the RoSA and the HSC, including:

  • determining whether students have satisfactorily participated in and satisfactorily completed courses of study, developed or endorsed by the NESA Board
  • entering students into courses of study
  • making decisions in relation to student eligibility to undertake courses of study approved by the Minister.

About studying courses with an outside tutor

  1. NESA allows principals to approve the delivery of specified courses of study by outside tutors to students enrolled at the school. Principals have delegated responsibility for determining the suitability of tutors.
  2. Students in Stage 4 may study a Languages course with an outside tutor to meet the mandatory curriculum requirements. 
  3. Students must seek approval from their principal to study Stage 5 or Stage 6 courses not available for study at their school with an outside tutor.

Categories

HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)K–10PreliminaryRoSA

Determining the suitability of outside tutors

  1. Principals must:
    1. ensure the school continues to comply with the mandatory requirements under relevant child protection legislation, regardless of whether the outside tutor delivers a specified course of study:
      1. on school premises, or at premises other than the school’s premises, and
      2. during or outside school hours.
    2. take all reasonable steps to ensure that each outside tutor they approve to deliver specified courses of study to students:
      1. has the capacity to teach and assess the course in accordance with NESA’s syllabuses, and
      2. has a verified Working with Children Check; and
    3. be satisfied that each outside tutor:
      1. has the relevant qualifications, experience and/or expertise to deliver the course, and
      2. will meet curriculum requirements.

Limitations on courses available for study with an outside tutor

  1. Principals must only approve outside tutors to deliver specified courses of study that contribute to the RoSA and/or HSC that are:
    1. part of NESA’s curriculum, and
    2. not available for study at the school, and
    3. not VET courses1.

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For enquiries about studying with an outside tutor, please contact Manager, Liaison Unit on (02) 9367 8387 or by email at liaisonteam@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. VET courses cannot be studied with an outside tutor. VET courses must be delivered by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).

Categories

K–10RoSA

Roles and responsibilities of principals approving study of Stage 5 courses with an outside tutor

  1. Principals may:
    1. approve the study of up to two Stage 5 courses per student with an outside tutor in any one calendar year
    2. seek approval from NESA to authorise the study of more than two Stage 5 courses with an outside tutor in any one calendar year, by emailing records@nesa.nsw.edu.au, and
    3. approve the study of languages through a community languages school that is functioning as an outside tutor.
  2. Principals may approve the study of Stage 5 courses with an outside tutor if they are satisfied that:
    1. the student will be able to study the whole Stage 5 course with the outside tutor; and
    2. the outside tutor is a suitable person to teach NESA’s syllabus, and has indicated in writing that they will:
      1. ensure that the indicative hours will be provided1 for the tuition and study of the course, and
      2. teach and assess the course in accordance with the relevant syllabus, and
      3. deliver assessments and determine grades in accordance with the relevant syllabus; and
    3. the program prepared by the outside tutor:
      1. is consistent with the aims, objectives, outcomes and content of the NESA syllabus, and
      2. makes adequate provisions for assessing and recording the student’s progress; and
    4. both the student and outside tutor have access to the correct syllabus.

Roles and responsibilities of outside tutors delivering Stage 5 courses

  1. Outside tutors must, prior to delivering the course:
    1. write to the principal and indicate that the course will be taught and assessed in accordance with NESA’s syllabus, and
    2. arrange for a grade to be provided to the principal of the home school before the due date outlined in the Loading....
  2. During the delivery of the course, outside tutors must:
    1. communicate regularly with the school about the student’s progress, including any concerns that the student is not meeting course requirements
    2. follow NESA’s ‘N’ determinations warning process, with support from the school where the student is not meeting course completion requirements, and
    3. provide grades determined in accordance with the syllabus to the school, as agreed with the principal.

Credentialling Stage 5 courses studied with an outside tutor

  1. Courses studied with an outside tutor are recorded on the RoSA and Transcript of Study in the same way as courses studied at the school.
  2. Schools must:
    1. obtain grades for students studying courses with outside tutors, and
    2. submit the grade(s) provided by the outside tutor(s) to NESA in Loading... by the due date outlined in the Loading....

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

To seek approval from NESA to authorise the study of more than two Stage 5 courses with an outside tutor in any calendar year, please email Student Records at records@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

For enquiries about studying with an outside tutor, please contact Manager, Liaison Unit on (02) 9367 8387 or by email at liaisonteam@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. The indicative time for a course is related to the course’s objectives and outcomes. Principals may allow a student studying a Stage 5 course with an outside tutor to accelerate in the course. 

Categories

HSC (assessment)HSC credentialHSC (curriculum)PreliminaryRoSASchools Online

Eligibility to study Stage 6 courses with an outside tutor

  1. Students wishing to study Stage 6 courses with an outside tutor must ensure that their pattern of study includes at least 8 units of:
    1. Preliminary courses studied at a NSW school, and
    2. HSC courses studied at a NSW school.

Roles and responsibilities of principals approving study of Stage 6 courses with an outside tutor

  1. Principals must ensure that students meet eligibility requirements for Stage 6 courses that have eligibility criteria, regardless of whether the student is studying the course at a NSW school or with an outside tutor.
  2. Principals may approve the study of Stage 6 courses with an outside tutor if they are satisfied that:
    1. the course is not available for study at the school, and
    2. the student will be able to continue studying the HSC course with the outside tutor after completing the Preliminary course, and
    3. the outside tutor is a suitable person to teach NESA’s syllabus, and has indicated in writing that they will:
      1. teach and assess the course in accordance with the relevant NESA syllabus and Assessment and Reporting information, and
      2. ensure that the indicative hours will be provided1 for the tuition and study of the course, and
      3. provide an assessment program for the course to the principal and the student, and
      4. provide assessment marks determined in accordance with the syllabus and Assessment and Reporting information; and
    4. both the student and outside tutor have access to the correct syllabus and Assessment and Reporting information.
  3. Principals may approve the study of a Stage 6 languages course through a community languages school that is functioning as an outside tutor, provided that all conditions are met.

Roles and responsibilities of outside tutors delivering Stage 6 courses

  1. Outside tutors must, prior to delivering the course:
    1. write to the principal and indicate that the course will be taught and assessed in accordance with NESA’s syllabus and Assessment and Reporting information, and
    2. provide an assessment program for the course to the principal and the student.
  2. During the delivery of the course, outside tutors must:
    1. communicate regularly with the school about the student’s progress, including any concerns that the student is not meeting course requirements
    2. follow NESA’s ‘N’ determinations warning process, with support from the school where the student is not meeting course completion requirements, and
    3. provide assessment marks determined in accordance with the syllabus and Assessment and Reporting information to the school, as agreed with the principal.2

Submitting assessment marks for Stage 6 courses studied with an outside tutor

  1. Principals must:
    1. endorse the school-based assessment marks provided for students by the outside tutor(s), and
    2. submit the endorsed school-based assessment marks to NESA in Loading... by the due date outlined in the Loading....

Online resources

Related ACE Rules

For further information

For enquiries about studying with an outside tutor, please contact Manager, Liaison Unit on (02) 9367 8387 or by email at liaisonteam@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Footnotes

  1. The indicative time for a course is related to the course’s objectives and outcomes. Principals may allow a student studying a Stage 6 course with an outside tutor to accelerate in the course, or allow the course to be delivered under a compressed curriculum model. 

  2. Assessment marks provided by the outside tutor will not be used except in the case of an upheld illness/misadventure application.