Briefings and workshops – Pre-primary to Year 10: Languages and The Arts curriculum familiarisation

Contacts

Languages
Kimberley Paton  (08) 9273 6372
Kimberley.Paton@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Arts
Antoniett Halden (08) 9273 6791
Antoniett.Halden@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is offering briefings and in-person workshops to support schools with their familiarisation with the revised Western Australian Curriculum for Pre-primary to Year 10 Languages and The Arts. Schools are required to teach the revised Western Australian Curriculum for these learning areas from 2027.

Register for the online briefings at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/news-and-events/all-events/Curriculum-Familiarisation-2026-Pre-primary-to-Year-10-The-Arts-and-Languages-Briefings.

Register for the in-person workshops at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/news-and-events/all-events/curriculum-familiarisation-2026-pre-primary-to-year-10-languages-and-the-arts-workshops.

More information is available at https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/resources/revised-western-australian-curriculum-familiarisation.

Note: the Authority uses Webex as the delivery platform for all online briefings, seminars and workshops. Registrants will need to download the application prior to the meeting to participate.

Business Management and Enterprise General course – updated Year 12 support materials

Contact

Sunila Singh (08) 9422 9438
Sunila.Singh@scsa.wa.edu.au

Updated Year 12 support materials for the Business Management and Enterprise General course are available on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website.

These updated materials include:

• a sample course outline
• a sample assessment outline
• sample assessment tasks.

All support materials are available on the Business Management and Enterprise course page at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials/humanities-and-social-sciences/business-management-and-enterprise.

Briefing – Implementing Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies and Humanities and Social Sciences in Action courses

Contact

Meredith Beaton (08) 9273 6781
Meredith.Beaton@scsa.wa.edu.au

Carolyn Fleischer (08) 9273 6735
Carolyn.Fleischer@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) will deliver an online briefing on implementing the Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies ATAR and General and the Humanities and Social Sciences in Action General courses.

The briefing, covering all three courses, will be held on Tuesday, 5 May 2026 from 3.30–4.30 pm.

The briefing will provide:

• an overview of the rationale and aims of the courses
• a broad outline of content and assessment types for the courses
• information to include in a school student handbook
• information about support for new teachers of the courses.

The briefing is not compulsory and free to attend. Schools are responsible for any costs incurred by attending the briefing.

Register at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/news-and-events/all-events/advice-for-implementing-new-humanities-and-social-sciences-courses.

Note: the Authority uses Webex as the delivery platform for all online briefings, seminars and workshops. Registrants will need to download the application prior to the meeting to participate.

Applications for 2026 ATAR course examination markers

Contact

Dianne Rogers (08) 9273 6772
Dianne.Rogers@scsa.wa.edu.au

Sarah McCormack (08) 9273 6712
Sarah.McCormack@scsa.wa.edu.au

The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is seeking applications from qualified people for the role of marker for the practical and written components of the 2026 ATAR course examinations.

Applications open on Monday, 4 May 2026 and close at 5.00 pm on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

Information about these and all other roles and the application processes is available on the employment page of the Authority website at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/about-us/employment.

Music ATAR course practical (performance and/or composition portfolio) examination – Information summary sheet/s and Information collection form/s

Contact

Dianne Rogers (08) 9273 6772
Dianne.Rogers@scsa.wa.edu.au

Important documents for the Music ATAR Year 12 course practical examination will be sent to schools via email by Friday, 8 May 2026.

The documents will be sent to senior secondary school Music Teachers through their school principal. The email will include the Music ATAR information summary sheets and the Music ATAR information collection forms, along with instructions for returning completed materials to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority).

The Music ATAR information collection forms must be received by the Authority by Thursday, 18 June 2026.

Equitable Access Adjustments supporting resources

Contact

Glenn Carroll (08) 9273 6327
Glenn.Carroll@scsa.wa.edu.au

Barclay Jones (08) 9273 6309
Barclay.Jones@scsa.wa.edu.au

Resources to support a school’s understanding of the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s (the Authority’s) Equitable Access Adjustments (EAA) and Sickness/misadventure processes in Year 12 ATAR course examinations are available.

It is important for schools to engage with the Authority as early as possible to discuss any issues related to managing students who may be eligible for or require specific adjustments in the ATAR course examinations. Establishing the best interventions and appropriate adjustments in the years preceding Year 12 is critical to supporting students in their examinations.

These resources and key EAA application dates are available on the Special Provisions page of the Authority website at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/special-provisions.

Calculators in the Year 12 ATAR course examinations 2026

Contact

Barclay Jones (08) 9273 6309
Barclay.Jones@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are encouraged to apply the rules for the use of calculators in the Year 12 ATAR course examinations 2026 in their Semester 1 examinations.

Information relating to approved use of calculators in designated Year 12 ATAR course written examinations for 2026 is available:

• in the examination design brief in the course syllabus at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and-support-materials
• in Appendix C: Materials required/recommended for written examinations 2026 of the Year 12 Information Handbook 2026: Part I: Information for all students at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/year-12-information
• on the front cover of the ATAR course examinations that are scheduled for release in August 2026 and will be published on the course pages.

The guidelines for the use of calculators differs between courses. Students must adhere to the specified guidelines regarding the type of calculators permitted, as indicated by a key corresponding to each ATAR course examination. A student’s failure to comply with these guidelines may be considered a breach of examination rules, potentially resulting in penalties.

It should also be noted that calculator covers are non‑authorised materials and not permitted in the Year 12 ATAR course examinations.

2026 VET qualification estimates (ESQUAL) file

Contact

Jackie D’Sylva (08) 9273 6316
Rachael Davidson (08) 9273 6718
vetinfo@scsa.wa.edu.au

The vocational education and training (VET) qualification estimates (ESQUAL) file is a mandatory reporting activity. This file must be uploaded into the Student Information Records System (SIRS) by Thursday, 14 May 2026.

Schools are required to report VET qualifications being undertaken by students, including students who access training offsite at external providers, and the student details for each qualification. Additionally, schools must indicate the delivery arrangement, e.g. auspice, profile, and fee for service, for each VET qualification.

Details of the units of competency within each qualification are not required to be reported. Schools are only required to update the ESQUAL file after Thursday, 14 May 2026 if there is a significant change in VET offerings.

Information on how to upload an ESQUAL file in SIRS is available in Section 3.5 – Vocational education and training qualification estimates of the Data Procedures Manual 2026 at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual.

Note: uploading an ESQUAL file to SIRS causes the previous file to be completely erased. All students should be included in each upload to ensure information on your school record is maintained correctly in SIRS.

WACE recognition of VET Accredited Courses

Contact

Adam Smith (08) 9442 9440
vetinfo@scsa.wa.edu.au

It is important for schools to check the Accredited Course Recognition Status list before enrolling students in a vocational education and training (VET) accredited course.

Courses and modules that are not part of a nationally endorsed training package do not automatically provide students with recognition towards the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE).

If a school intends to enrol students in a VET accredited course that is not currently on the status list, an application must be submitted to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority for the course to be approved and classified prior to student enrolment.

The Accredited Course Recognition Status list and further information about accredited courses are available at https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/vet/wace-recognition-of-vet-accredited-courses.

Information on requirements and recognition arrangements of VET for the WACE are available in Section 4 of the WACE Manual 2026 at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual.

2026 Common oral assessment task – uploading student marks

Contact

Data Services (08) 9273 6352
dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

Student marks for the 2026 common oral assessment task (COAT) for students enrolled in the English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) ATAR Year 12 course must be uploaded to the Student Information Records System (SIRS).

Schools are required to upload the COAT raw marks by criterion for each EAL/D ATAR Year 12 student using the RSCOT format into SIRS.

There are three separate criterion marks which must be entered as a whole number from 0 to 8. Half marks and percentages must not be used. The total mark for the assessment is 20 marks.

Schools must check that the RSCOT upload has been successfully processed and verify that the marks uploaded are correct by running the COT001 – COAT achievements by class report in SIRS.

All COAT marks must by uploaded to SIRS by Monday, 8 June 2026.

Information on uploading COAT marks into SIRS is available in Section 8 of the Data Procedures Manual 2026 at https://scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual .

Contact Data Services with any issues regarding the upload of COAT marks into SIRS at dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au or on (08) 9273 6352.

2026 Externally set tasks – uploading student marks

Contact

Data Services (08) 9273 6352
dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

Student marks for the 2026 externally set tasks (ESTs) for all General and Foundation Year 12 courses must be uploaded to the Student Information Records System (SIRS).

Schools must upload the raw total mark for each student for each EST into SIRS.The mark will be out of the total indicated on the EST marking key for the course. EST marking keys are available for download from SIRS2.

A mark of zero (0) should only be entered if the student has attempted the assessment but received no marks. The ‘ABS’ code is only to be used for absent students.

Information on how to upload EST marks into SIRS is available in Section 7 of the Data Procedures Manual 2026 at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual.

A list of EST codes for every course is available at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/sirs-and-srms-info/sirs-information/est-codes.

All EST marks must by uploaded to SIRS by Tuesday, 2 June 2026.

Contact Data Services with any issues regarding the upload of EST marks into SIRS at dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au or on (08) 9273 6352.

Applications for Alternative Curriculum and/or Reporting on Student Achievement Recognition in 2026

Contact

Paula Beck (08) 9273 6331
alternativecurriculum@scsa.wa.edu.au

The Notice of intention online application form for alternative curriculum and/or reporting on student achievement recognition in 2026 is now available.

Schools should formally advise the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) of their intention to seek recognition of an alternative curriculum (and/or reporting on student achievement) using the Notice of intention online application form.

The form is available at https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8806675/Alternative-curriculum-and-or-reporting-on-student-achievement-recognition-process-Notice-of-Intention-2026 and submissions will close at 3.00 pm on Friday, 22 May 2026.

Further information about the process for recognition in 2026 is available in the March Edition of this Circular at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/7to12-circulars/edition-3-march-2026 and the Alternative Curriculum/Reporting Recognition page on the Authority website at https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/alternative-curriculum-recognition.