Year 12 at Unley High School provides students with the opportunity to personalise their final stage of schooling and pursue pathways aligned to university, vocational education and training (VET), employment, or further study. Students select Stage 2 SACE subjects to complete either their SACE or an ATAR pathway, with access to a broad range of subjects across English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, The Arts, Technologies, Languages, and Health and Physical Education. Students intending to achieve an ATAR typically complete 80 credits at Stage 2 level, while students completing SACE only may combine Stage 2 subjects with Year 11 subjects or VET pathways. Throughout Year 12, students continue within their PSI (Personal and Social Identity) groups and are supported through course counselling, pathway planning, and academic monitoring as they prepare for life beyond school.
UNIVERSITY ENTRY
Students wishing to go to university will choose 80 credits, equivalent to four full year subjects from the list below, achieving a grade of C- or better in 60 credits at Year 12. This cannot include Community Studies.
SACE COMPLETION
Students wishing to complete SACE only, must choose 60 credits from the list below and can include Community Studies. An additional 20 credits can come from:
- Another Year 12 subject
- A Year 11 subject
- VET Course.
ACTIVATING IDENTITIES AND FUTURES (AIF)
Students who have not undertaken or successfully passed AIF in Year 11 will be automatically enrolled in AIF in Year 12. This will be undertaken in addition to Stage 2 subjects selected.
YEAR 13 STUDENTS
Students returning as Year 13 students will work towards completing their SACE Certificate or improving their Australian Tertiary Admissions Ranking (ATAR). Year 13 students must do a minimum of three full-year subjects to continue attending Unley High School.
EXTENSION STUDIES AT FLINDERS UNIVERSITY
Extension Studies offers high-achieving Unley High School students the opportunity to study university-level topics at Flinders University while completing their Year 12 SACE. This program allows students to dive deep into their passions, experience University campus life, and gain credit toward a future degree.
How it Fits: SACE & ATAR
Students in this program balance their workload by completing three Year 12 SACE subjects and two semester-long university topics.
- ATAR Boost: University grades are converted into high-scale points for your ATAR calculation. For example, a High Distinction is worth 10 points, and a Distinction is worth 9.9 points. The grades of the two topics completed are combined to give a student a mark out of 20.
- Proven Success: Over the last five years, 100% of UHS Extension Studies students have achieved a High Distinction or Distinction.
- Flinders Guarantee: Successfully completing two university topics can provide guaranteed entry into many Flinders University degrees.
Entry Requirements
To ensure students are prepared for the rigors of university study, the school requires the following criteria to be met during Year 11:
- Academic Excellence: A majority of ‘A’ grades and no less than a ‘B’ for the rest of your Stage 1 subjects.
- AIF Performance: A minimum grade of ‘B’ in Activating Identities and Futures (AIF).
- Reliability: Attendance above 80% and fewer than 10 behavior records.
- Support: Recommendations from two teachers and a pathway that relates to the proposed university degree.
Enrolment & Costs
- The Process: Start by exploring the available topics—ranging from Criminal Justice and Biology to Screen & Media—on the Flinders website . Discuss options with your family and attend an Information Session at school. Applications must be endorsed by the school, with final enrolment confirmed in mid-November.
- Investment: Topics cost between $450 and $1200 (a 50% discount on the standard Commonwealth supported rate). Families are invoiced directly by Flinders University.
LIST OF SACE STAGE 2 SUBJECTS
Unless otherwise noted, full year subjects are worth 20 points, Single semester subjects are worth 10 points.