As a Year 10 student, you may have a clear idea about the courses you plan to choose and of the career pathway you hope to pursue. It is just as possible that you may be less certain and feel you need to keep your options open. You may have family or friends who have completed Years 11 and 12 recently and, therefore, have a sense of what the final years of secondary schooling involve. It could all be a complete mystery. Whatever your situation, this is a time for you think about your future and what you hope it will be.

This handbook contains information for those students currently enrolled in Year 10 and aims to help you prepare and make decisions for Years 11 and 12. As you read through, you will find information about course types, general advice for students, further resources and much more. If you already have some information about studying in Years 11 and 12, you should confirm what will be involved for students achieving a WACE in 2023. This handbook is a starting point for that process of confirmation.

Students entering Year 11 in 2022 must meet a number of requirements in order to be awarded a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). These include a set of general requirements about course completion, demonstrating the literacy and numeracy standard, the breadth and depth requirement and the achievement standard requirement. Further information about the WACE requirements can be found in this handbook.

Seeking advice from people who know you is an important part of your movement into these final years of your secondary education. As you begin selecting your courses for Years 11 and 12, take time to talk with your parents and teachers about the pathway that will work best for you and that meets your needs, interests and goals. The choices you make are a starting point as you move towards the end of your secondary schooling.

I urge you to look to your strengths but also consider the part that challenges can play in leading you to success. With that in mind, take the opportunity to enrol in courses and programs that challenge you to achieve the best you possibly can and which will provide you the best possible outcome for your senior secondary studies and post-school choices.

The next two years will be challenging and exciting. While November 2023 might seem a long time away, the time will go quickly. I wish you all the best with your studies.
​
ALLAN BLAGAICH
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS

Dear Parents and caregivers,
 
In what has been an incredibly difficult decision, I would like to inform you of my impending retirement from Dianella Secondary College, effective from the end of Term 2. This is a decision that hasn’t been taken lightly, and I am sure that I will have some moments of regret, however I believe it is time for the school to have a new Principal, one who will provide some renewed enthusiasm and fresh ideas. That person is Ms Debra Unwin, a well-respected and experienced educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm.
 
I have been extremely fortunate to be a member of such a rich and vibrant school community where I have never stopped learning. I speak of pride when people ask me about Dianella Secondary College and the journey I have been on for the past nine years. I speak about the qualities of our students, friendly, resilient and respectful. I talk about our supportive and caring parents and caregivers and a wider school community that has played a part in supporting our goals and aspirations.
 
I hope that I have been able to play a small part in shaping Dianella Secondary College into a school of choice for this community, a school that responds to the needs of the students and a school that shapes a positive future for them.
 
Education has certainly changed over the years, but one thing remains the same; care, respect, resilience and high expectations are critical elements of a successful school.  Additionally, it is the strong relationships between the school and the community that binds us, I believe we have that in abundance.
 
I leave knowing that our school has a bright future with a new six million dollar Performing Arts Centre to be completed by July 2022, a one-million-dollar STEM Centre, rising enrolments and improving academic results.
 
So in closing I would like to thank you all for making me feel welcome, for supporting our school and caring about the future of your children. It has been a journey I will never forget or take for granted.
 
Best wishes

Wayne Austin
Principal