Years 7 and 8: focus on breadth
During the first three years of the Senior School, students are exposed to a broad range of subjects with no early specialisation through electives. Students can study one language other than English, selecting from Chinese (Mandarin), French or German. Other arts and humanities subjects are compulsory, offering the broadest possible base for students.
Years 9 and 10: focus on learner choice
In Years 9 and 10, students are given more space to direct their own learning. While students study science as a single subject in Years 7 to 9, in Year 10 the science program divides into three specialised subjects of biology, physics and chemistry, which are studied in a trimester model. Beyond this, students can pursue areas of interest in traditional elective areas like technology, visual art, music and drama. Just as importantly, learners may also choose from dozens of new subjects written specially for St Peter’s College students, ranging from sport analytics to app development.
Years 11 and 12: focus on transition
All courses in Years 7 to 10 are designed to provide a firm foundation for students to study for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE) or the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program. The School offers both SACE and IB in Years 11 and 12 with more than 20 SACE subjects and 15 IB subjects on offer. This enables boys to select a course of study in keeping with their abilities and interests.
In addition to the SACE and IB programs, St Peter’s College offers two further options for students:
- Micro-credentials: students in Years 7 to 12 are encouraged to challenge themselves intellectually and technically through a range of online tertiary and workplace-accredited short courses offered by institutions like Harvard University, IBM and the Smithsonian Institution.
- “Stage not age”: Where appropriate, learners may study SACE, IBDP or university material beyond their age group to enable greater intellectual challenge and engagement.
Curriculum Support
For the majority of boys, educational needs are met through curriculum planning with curriculum content varied to reflect the particular needs of a class group. Subject planning recognises the needs of all boys as individuals and those whose needs are exceptional are supported by additional provisions.
Boys who have a diagnosed learning disability or difficulty may be eligible for Curriculum Support, which may include an adjustment plan or in-class support. Boys who require more intensive support may meet the criteria to be eligible for Curriculum Support Class (Years 7 to 10). These classes are smaller and allow for more individual attention.
Boys who are recognised as being gifted and talented will be taught in mainstream classes as part of a differentiated curriculum. Teaching and learning methodologies, which encourage all students to extend their thinking and learning, are used across all subject areas. Boys who require more intensive support may meet the criteria to be eligible for the Enrichment Class (Years 8 to 10), offering higher-order thinking and learning strategies, and competitions to students of high aptitude.
eLearning
The eLearning program fosters the integration of ICLT (information, communication and learning technologies) throughout the School, delivering a modern, personalised and effective learning environment through personalised devices, an internal online portal for students and parents (Keystone) and a range of innovative teaching programs.
Boys in Years 7 and 8 use a School-funded iPad and a family-funded MacBook. Students in Years 9 to 12 use a family-funded MacBook.
Digital confidence skills are developed throughout a boy’s life at Saints, both through the daily use of their device in classes and through explicit learning in technology lessons. Teachers are supported to use technology to enrich their students’ learning experiences. This work has been recognised by Apple, with St Peter’s College named as an Apple Distinguished School.
St Peter’s College has also been praised for its proactive approach to digital citizenship and cybersafety, and was the first School in South Australia to gain full eSmart accreditation.
