Curriculum Years 7–10
What students study in each of Years 7 to 10 at St Mary's College: core subjects, Religious Education, Italian, the Arts and Technologies rotations, and the electives available in Years 9 and 10.
Years 7 to 10 at St Mary's College follow the Victorian Curriculum F–10, with Religious Education taught in every year as part of our Catholic identity. Years 7 and 8 give students a broad foundation across all learning areas; Years 9 and 10 gradually introduce choice through electives, so that by the end of Year 10 students are ready to make informed VCE, Vocational Major or VET decisions. The timetable runs on a two-week cycle of 50 five-period days, with each period 55 minutes.
Years 7 and 8 — the foundation years
All students study the same program. Homeroom groups stay together for most core subjects, which helps new Year 7 students settle.
| Learning area | Periods per fortnight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Religious Education | 4 | Scripture, Catholic tradition, MacKillop story (Year 7), social justice (Year 8) |
| English | 8 | Includes a fortnightly library lesson and the Wide Reading program |
| Mathematics | 8 | Streamed into three flexible groups from Term 2 of Year 7 |
| Science | 6 | Laboratory-based; Science Fair in Term 3 |
| Humanities | 6 | History, Geography, Civics and Economics rotate through the year |
| Health and Physical Education | 5 | Includes swimming (Term 1) and the sport uniform day |
| Languages — Italian | 4 | Compulsory Years 7–8; see below |
| The Arts rotation | 4 | Visual Art, Music and Drama, one term each plus Media (Year 8) |
| Technologies rotation | 4 | Digital Technologies, Food Technology, Materials Technology |
| Pastoral/Homeroom | 1 | Wellbeing program with the Homeroom teacher |
Year 7 students also complete a term-long Learning to Learn unit in Homeroom covering the Learning Hub, organisation, note-taking and using their laptop well.
Year 9 — choice begins
Year 9 keeps a strong core while opening up two elective lines. The year is anchored by two signature experiences: the City Experience week in Term 3 and the Solidarity Camp in Term 2 (see Retreats).
Core (all students): Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, History and Geography, Health and Physical Education, Homeroom/Pathways program (including Morrisby career profiling — see Careers and Pathways).
Electives: students choose two electives per semester (four for the year). Italian continues as an elective in Year 9 and 10 and is strongly recommended for students who may wish to take VCE Italian.
| Arts | Technologies | Humanities & Health | Languages & Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Art | Food Studies | Commerce (Business & Law) | Italian |
| Drama | Digital Technologies & Coding | Forensic Science | Outdoor Education |
| Music Performance | Product Design (Wood) | Global Studies | Sport Science |
| Media Arts | Systems Engineering & Robotics | Psychology in Action | Creative Writing |
Year 10 — preparing for the senior years
Year 10 is designed as a bridge to VCE. Students study a slimmer core and choose three electives per semester, several of which are direct pre-VCE units. Selected students may also take one VCE Unit 1–2 subject as an accelerated study, timetabled with Year 11.
Core (all students): Religious Education, English, Mathematics (three pathways: Foundation, General and Advanced/Methods-preparation), Science, History (Australia and the modern world), Health and Physical Education (Semester 1), Pathways program including one week of work experience in June.
| Pre-VCE electives | Other electives |
|---|---|
| Biology Foundations | Visual Communication Design |
| Chemistry & Physics Foundations | Studio Arts |
| Accounting & Business | Drama and Theatre Studies |
| Legal Studies | Music Performance |
| Psychology | Media Production |
| Geography & Environment | Food Studies |
| Literature | Product Design |
| Italian | Physical Education (Units 1–2 preparation) |
| Health and Human Development | Digital Technologies |
Year 10 students complete an Australian Business Week simulation in Term 3 and the Year 10 Formal is held in Term 4. The Subject Selection Year 10 page explains how VCE choices are made, including the interviews on Wednesday 2 September 2026.
Religious Education
Religious Education is a core subject in every year and follows the Melbourne Archdiocese Horizons of Hope framework. Beyond the classroom, faith life includes Homeroom prayer each morning, the whole-school Mass on the first Friday of each month at 9:15am, year-level Masses and retreats, and the Social Justice (Vinnies) Group. Students in Years 11 and 12 continue with either VCE Religion and Society or a Religious Education seminar program. See Catholic Identity.
Italian (LOTE)
Italian is our language other than English. It is compulsory in Years 7 and 8 (four periods a fortnight), an elective in Years 9 and 10, and offered as VCE Italian in Years 11 and 12 when numbers allow. Students with a background in Italian are extended within the class. A Year 10 Italian language and culture tour to Melbourne's Italian precincts and, in alternate years, an optional overseas study tour are offered; costs for tours are additional to fees.
Learning support and extension
Learning Diversity Leader Mr Sam Devlin coordinates Personalised Learning Plans, in-class support, small-group literacy and numeracy programs and adjustments to assessment. High-achieving students are extended through the Advanced Mathematics pathway, Tournament of Minds, Debating, the Science Fair and VCE acceleration in Year 10. Parents may request a meeting with Mr Devlin through the Senior Office.
Homework and assessment
Homework expectations are around 60 minutes a night in Years 7–8 and 90 minutes in Years 9–10 — see the Homework Policy. Assessment tasks, due dates and feedback are published in the Learning Hub, and end-of-year examinations for Years 7–10 run from Monday 30 November to Friday 4 December 2026 — see Exam Timetables 2026 and Assessment and Reporting.
Booklists and materials
Booklists are published on the Parent Portal in late October each year and ordered online through our supplier for home delivery or collection at Device Collection Day in January. Elective materials (for example Food Studies ingredients and Product Design timber) are covered by fees; optional excursions and tours are charged separately.