Students in their senior years of schooling
(years 10, 11 & 12) at William Ross State High School are emerging young
adults who have diverse needs and aspirations.
William Ross partners with James Cook University (JCU), Central Queensland
University (CQU) and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to provide
valuable opportunities for students to enhance learning and prepare for
tertiary study.
William Ross State High School also offers
vocational training courses (VET) in a range of subjects, including Hospitality, alongside courses from external RTO’s in Fitness, Sport and
Recreation, Engineering and Construction.
William Ross has a rich tradition of academic
achievement with many graduates going on to excel across a range of university
fields. High tertiary entrance
scores (OP) leading to University and TAFE offers, combined with 100% Queensland Certificate of Education
(QCE) completion are the accepted standard for our graduates.
Senior Statement
The Senior Statement is a transcript of a student’s learning account. It shows all QCEcontributing studies and the results achieved that may contribute to the award of a QCE.
If a student has a Senior Statement, then they have satisfied the completion requirements for Year 12 in Queensland.
Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) system
From 2020, the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) replaced the Overall Position (OP) as the primary pathway to tertiary education for Queensland Year 12 students.
Key features of the system include:
Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA)
The Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA) reports the learning achievements of eligible students who complete an individual learning program. At the end of the senior phase of learning, eligible students achieve a QCIA. These students have the option of continuing to work towards a QCE post-secondary schooling.
Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
An ATAR is used for tertiary entrance purposes only. The calculation of an ATAR will be based on one of the following:
Best five General subject results, or
Best results in a combination of four General subject results plus One Applied subject result, or One Certificate III or higher VET qualification
Please Note: English Requirement – Eligibility for an ATAR will require a sound level of achievement in an English subject at the end of Unit 4. It is not mandatory for a student’s English result to be included in the calculation of their ATAR.
The Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) has responsibility for ATAR calculations.
Year 10 Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan
In Year 10, students undertake a Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan review to update and finalise their learning plans for years 11 and 12.
As part of the SET Plan process students are presented with a wide variety of information on the subjects and courses available at both William Ross SHS, and external training. Additionally, students will be asked to reflect on their current skills, knowledge, personal characteristics and interests in order to make an informed decision about their subject selection for senior school.
All students present their SET Plan in a
formal interview with their parent and/or guardian and staff member. These experiences help students to make important decisions about their future education, training and employment.
Subject Selection
There are three types of subjects offered through Senior Studies at William Ross State High School.
General Subjects - These subjects contribute to a student’s eligibility for University entrance, and contribute to an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) calculation. A student must study a minimum of 4 General Subjects to be eligible for an ATAR.
Applied Subjects - Applied subjects are suited to students who are primarily interested in pathways beyond senior secondary schooling that lead to vocational education and training or work. One Applied Subject may be used in the calculation of an ATAR.
VET (Vocational and Education & Training) Training Courses (both internal and external) - VET courses contribute to credits for the QCE (up to 8 credits for a Certificate III course). A VET certificate carries National Accreditation and upon completion students are issued with a certificate qualification.
Resources available
The Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority (QCAA) has a webpage dedicated to brochures and fact sheets containing all of the relevant information. This can be accessed via the QCAA website External link.
The Queensland Tertiary Admission Centre (QTAC) also has a webpage dedicated to the ATAR. It includes a white paper about inter-subject scaling amongst other resources. This can be accessed via the QTAC website External link.
The Senior Curriculum Hanbook provides further information on Senior School aspects and subject information.
The Senior School VET Hanbook provides further informaton around courses available and studying a VET subject.