Science aims to stimulate, respond and nourish students’ curiosity about the world in which they live. Through investigations, students explore the relationships between science, technology and society now and in the future. Science provides programs that encourage students to develop their understanding of key concepts through the application of scientific techniques.

 Students are given the opportunity to:

• Explore similarities between, and diversity of, living things and their sustainable relationships with each other and their environment.
• Identify concepts related to matter, including properties and uses and the production of substances through chemical change.
• Use concepts linked to energy and force to explain physical phenomena.
• Appreciate the place of Earth in time and space and interactions between Earth and its atmosphere.
• Use scientific understanding and processes to find answers to their questions.
• Analyse and interpret ideas, linking them with existing understanding.
• Explain concepts through the use of scientific models.
• Communicate findings and ideas to others.

Years 7 and 8

Students are introduced to the scientific method, which is used to observe, record and explain fundamental principles.

Year 9

Students demonstrate their understanding of key concepts through designing their own experiments and critically analysing scientific procedures.

Year 10

Students must select at least one elective Science unit to study over a semester. Options include:

Agricultural and Horticultural Studies: Students explore sustainable farming systems with a focus on local Gippsland practices. They investigate how farms are diversifying, trialling new ideas, and balancing environmental care with best-practice approaches. A hands-on subject that provides an introduction to VCE AgHort.

Biology: Students investigate three key areas – Genetics and Cellular Reproduction, Biotechnology, and Evolution. These topics help us understand who we are, where we have come from, and where science might take us in the future. An introduction to VCE Biology.

Chemistry: Students explore the chemistry that shapes our world and future. From the very beginning, they take part in practical investigations that build inquiry skills while deepening understanding of core concepts. An introduction to VCE Chemistry.

Forensics: Designed for students who are curious about science but may not plan to continue with a VCE Science pathway, as there is currently no dedicated VCE Forensic Science subject. Students develop broad science skills and scientific literacy in line with the Victorian Curriculum.

Physics: Students examine fundamental ideas about motion and energy, connecting them to real-world contexts such as road safety. An introduction to VCE Physics.

Psychology: Students explore the interaction between the body, mind, and behaviour, as well as how psychological knowledge can be applied in everyday life. An introduction to VCE Psychology.

Years 11 and 12

Students may select elective VCE studies from:

Agricultural and Horticultural Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to the exploration of food and fibre production, with an overarching focus on land cultivation and the raising of plants and animals through evidence-based, sustainable and ethical practices. Students consider the role of agriculture and horticulture from local, state, national and global perspectives.

Biology is the study of living things. It is a study of the dynamic relationships between living organisms, their interdependence, their interactions with the non-living environment, and the processes that maintain life and ensure its continuity. Biology enables students to understand that despite the diverse ways of meeting the challenges of survival, all living things have many structural and functional characteristics in common.

Chemistry is a key science in explaining the workings of our universe through an understanding of the properties and interactions of substances that make up matter. Most processes, from the formation of molecules in outer space to the complex biological interactions occurring in cells, can be described by chemical theories. Although there are no sharp boundaries between sciences such as chemistry, physics and biology, chemistry is used to explain natural phenomena at the molecular level, as well as create new materials such as medicines and polymers.

Environmental Science provides the opportunity for students to understand the structure, function and diversity of natural ecosystems on this planet and evaluate the impacts of human activities on them. Students examine strategies to maintain and protect the ecological health of the environment while meeting the needs and desires of human populations.

Physics is a theoretical and empirical science, which contributes to our understanding of the physical universe from the minute building blocks of matter to the unimaginably broad expanses of the Universe. This understanding has significance for the way we understand our place in the Universe.

Psychology is the scientific study of mental processes and behaviour in humans. Biological, behavioural, cognitive and socio-cultural perspectives inform the way psychologists approach their research into the human condition.

Back