Senior School at Walford is the training ground for life, with Year 12 representing a critical transition point in the journey toward young adulthood.

You will develop your understanding about the diversity of life as it has evolved, the structure and function of living things, and how they interact with their own and other species and their environments. You will apply your understanding of the interconnectedness of biological systems to evaluate the impact of human activity on the natural world. You will also inquire into and explain biological phenomena and draw evidence-based conclusions from your investigations into biology-related issues, developments, and innovations. You will study DNA and proteins, cells as the basis of life, homeostasis and evolution. 

You will develop the knowledge, skills, and understandings to engage in business contexts in the modern world. In a time where design-led companies outperform other companies, you are immersed in the process of finding and solving customer problems or needs through design thinking and using assumption-based planning tools. You will identify the customers who are at the centre of your innovation process and generate viable business products, services, and processes. 

You will develop and extend your understanding of how the physical world is chemically constructed, the interaction between human activities and the environment, and the use that human beings make of the planet’s resources. You will explore examples of how scientific understanding is dynamic and develops with new evidence, which may involve the application of new technologies. You will study monitoring the environment, managing chemical processes, organic and biological chemistry and managing resources. 

You will continue to extend your understanding of a range of contemporary Chinese social issues. You will learn about issues such as the environment, ageing population, migrant workers, contemporary Chinese writers, education, employment, and generation gap from reading articles and watching visual texts.  You will learn to research, analyse and examine these issues from different perspectives, continuing to develop your critical thinking skills. You will develop your writing skills through writing compositions in different text types, including article, formal letter, email and speech. You will also have a chance to undertake an in-depth study on a topic of interest. 

You will significantly develop your linguistic and cultural proficiency. You will be learning to discuss and reflect on your experiences and personal direction, culture and the changing world in Chinese. Extend yourself through the In-Depth Study by researching a topic connected with Chinese culture which is of personal interest. Use Chinese authentically in a range of contexts, including spontaneous interaction, email, formal letters, and creative expression. Experience Chinese culture through movies, food and intercultural exchange activities. Course topics include personality, Chinese festivals, cultural heritage, environment, study, future plans, health and travel. 

You will investigate, design and create products that solve real-world problems within a variety of contexts. You will critically evaluate existing technologies and products, including the impact on societies. Through the investigation, development, planning and evaluating phases, you will apply skills, processes and techniques to develop innovative solutions to design problems of your choice. Digital or physical solutions could involve electronics, robotics, 3D printing prototypes, laser cutting materials, 3D digital models, coding, VR and architectural design. 

You will study how society uses its limited resources to satisfy unlimited wants. Each participant in the economy, from people, to firms to government needs to make choices based on their information and economic reasoning, this is explored in local, national and global contexts. 

You will consider a variety of texts and their representation of human experience and the world. You will study an extended prose text (e.g. a novel, memoir or selected short stories), film, poetry, drama and non-fiction texts that may be chosen from the contemporary world, from the past, and from Australian and other cultures. You will explore how the purpose of a text is achieved and how stylistic choices position the audience to respond to ideas and perspectives in a text. 

English as an Additional Language is designed for students for whom English is a second language or an additional language or dialect and who fulfil the eligibility criteria. You will focus on the development of both written and oral communication skills with a focus on creative communication and comprehension of language, and the analysis and application of language features and conventions. 

Stage 2 English Literary Studies focuses on the skills and strategies of critical thinking needed to interpret texts and to create sophisticated texts of your own. Through shared and individual study of texts, you will encounter various opinions about texts, have opportunities to exchange and develop ideas, find evidence to support a personal view, learn to construct logical and convincing arguments, and develop a range of critical interpretations of texts. 

You will further extend your mathematical skills in ways that apply to practical problem-solving in everyday and workplace settings. You will apply mathematics in diverse contexts, including everyday calculations, financial management, business applications, measurement and geometry, and statistics. 

You will significantly develop your linguistic and cultural proficiency. Extend yourself through the In-Depth Study, where you will have the opportunity to research a topic connected with French culture that is of personal interest. You will engage with a range of modern issues in readings and conversations in French in relation to a range of topics such as art, cinema and entertainment, the world of work, 21^st century social issues and the environment. Learn how to debate and defend an opinion, persuade your audience, share your ideas, and give advice in French. Multilingualism and cross-cultural understanding bring a range of life-long personal, social and career benefits.   

You will further extend and develop mathematical skills in ways that apply to practical problem solving. A problem-based approach is integral to the development of mathematical models and the associated key concepts in the topics. You will investigate a diverse range of applications of mathematics, including personal financial management, the statistical investigation process, modelling using linear and non-linear functions, and discrete modelling using networks and matrices. 

You will develop an understanding of the spatial interrelationships between people, places, and environments.  The complexity of our world, the diversity of its environments, and the challenges and associated opportunities facing Australia and the world will be explored and challenged. How can you play a part in a sustainable future for all?

You will be supported to build your own program of study, allowing you to pursue an area of interest not otherwise available through traditional subjects. You will design opportunities for practical learning, a connections task and a research investigation, all designed around your chosen learning focus and negotiated with you on commencement of the course. This course is tailored to your individual interests and learning needs and is accessible to all students. 

You will explore the rights and responsibilities, sources of law and adversarial and inquisitorial dispute resolution processes as part of your studies. How can you influence democratic processes, through lawful mechanisms to control the exercise of power? The importance of critical and conceptual thinking and the significance of checks and balances will provide these answers. You will also examine how people, governments and institutions shape the law and how this controls, structures and regulates interactions between people, institutions and government. 

You will develop an increasingly complex and sophisticated understanding of calculus and statistics. By using functions and their derivatives and integrals, and by mathematically modelling physical processes, you will develop a deep understanding of the physical world through a sound knowledge of relationships involving rates of change. You will use statistics to describe and analyse phenomena that involve uncertainty and variation. 

You will explore media concepts by analysing, researching and investigating topics such as children and media, music and media, and documentaries. In addition, you will create media products and record and evaluate your process. 

You will explore the conflicts that led to the fall of empires and the rise of dictators. The twentieth century was a time of rapid global change, and you will investigate the impacts of this on nations, groups and individuals. How the world changed after 1945 will be explored by investigating the Cold War, the impacts of which are still seen today. Your skills of critical thinking, analysis will be challenged as you explore different historical ideas.  

You will develop and extend your practical music-making skills through performing works in an ensemble/choir or as a soloist. You will apply your musical understanding, skills, and techniques in refining and performing music. You will analyse your repertoire and critique strategies to rehearse and develop their performances and contribute and collaborate as an effective member of an ensemble or as a soloist. 

Prerequisites: Year 10 music whole year and in consultation with music staff. Each performance subject must be taken over a whole year. 

Music Studies aims to develop a complete musician: performer, composer/arranger, musicologist, and critic. You will apply your knowledge and understanding of the elements of music, and musical conventions and styles, to develop and refine your musical works, musical imagination and your own ideas about and appreciation of music. 

Nutrition is the study of dietary, lifestyle and healthy eating patterns with specific focus on nutrients in food, how the body uses nutrients, and the relationship between diet, health, emerging trends, and disease. You will investigate how the food and nutritional needs of different population demographics are affected by food availability, product development and ecological sustainability. You will study principles of nutrition, physiology and health, health promotion and emerging trends and sustainable food systems. 

You will be provided with opportunities to experience personal growth and to develop social skills, self-confidence, initiative, self-reliance, leadership, and collaborative skills. You will evaluate and reflect on your own learning progression of practical outdoor skill development in kayaking, bushwalking, camp craft and navigation. You will build on your collaborative and leadership skills, as well as your relationship with and connection to nature. The development of a relationship with natural environments can impact positively on your health and well-being, and can foster a lifelong connection with nature. Some of this learning will occur during the practical units of basic skills of kayaking on the Onkaparinga River which will culminate in an expedition on the River Murray. You will use reflective practice and processes to implement improvement strategies in building your skills and connections as you complete a self-reliant bushwalking expedition on the Heysen Trail in the Fleurieu Peninsula. 

You will develop an understanding of biomechanics, energy systems, training principles, and skill acquisition, through performance in lawn bowls, badminton, and an individualised training program. You will acquire and perform the role of a badminton coach, and plan to improve the performance outcomes of your players by focusing on the relevant movement concepts and strategies utilised in a badminton match.  

The study of Physics uses qualitative and quantitative models, laws, and theories to better understand matter, forces, energy, and the interaction among them. Physics seeks to explain natural phenomena, from the subatomic world to the macrocosmos, and to make predictions about them. The models, laws, and theories in physics are based on evidence obtained from observations, measurements, and active experimentation over thousands of years. Studying this course will enable you to explain many everyday observations and help you better understand the world around you. You will study motion and relativity, electricity and magnetism and light and atoms. 

Psychology aims to describe and explain both the universality of human experience and individual and cultural diversity. It also addresses the ways in which behaviour can be changed. Psychology focuses on evidence-based procedures that enables you to define the scope of your learning by identifying investigable questions, deconstructing, and designing your research using scientific approaches, data, and analysing and critiquing your findings. The issues that arise during your investigations should be informed by the application of key scientific ideas, skills, concepts, and understanding. You will study psychology of the individual, psychological health and wellbeing, organisational psychology, social influence and the psychology of learning 

(This subject must be completed in conjunction with or after Stage 2 Mathematical Methods.) 

You will further extend and deepen your mathematical knowledge, skills, and understanding using rigorous mathematical algebraic arguments and proofs, and using mathematical models. Applications are set in both real-world contexts and also abstract contexts involving complex numbers, vectors, functions, parametric curves and calculus.  

You will visually experiment and respond to work of artists and designers, documenting your ideas, exploring a range of media and techniques. You will experiment and respond to relevant themes and contexts on a chosen topic of interest. You will develop and apply skills in a broad range of media to produce resolved works of art. Examples of art topics could include painting, drawing, sculpture, casting, printmaking, ceramics, digital art and photography. 

You will visually experiment and respond to a design brief, document your ideas and explore a range of designers and techniques. You will develop and apply skills using various programs and media to produce resolved works of communication design, product design and/or visual design. Examples of design topics include logo and branding design, graphic and illustration design, surface pattern design, packaging design and photography.