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Our school criteria
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School Criteria
All schools planning to offer the SACE must demonstrate their eligibility to do so as part of the accreditation process.
We know that SACE schools come in many forms. What our schools all share is a commitment to delivering the best possible education for their students. In becoming an accredited SACE school, we see whether you align and meet our quality standards in five key areas. You can find out more about what we look for below.
The school's mission and educational values
We require that:
- The school has a clear mission statement that makes reference to its educational values.
- The culture of the school is learner-centred and supports students and teachers to become confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged.
- International awareness and global perspectives are promoted through the curriculum and other activities.
- Relationships between staff and students are positive, demonstrate mutual respect, and the school has established and consistent expectations of behaviour.
School management and leadership
We require that:
- The school principal is suitably qualified and experienced in educational leadership.
- The senior management team demonstrate clear goals for the successful introduction of the SACE and can demonstrate planning to support effective implementation.
- The school has a robust marketing and recruitment strategy to attract SACE students.
- Senior staff are committed to setting targets for school improvement and staff development, supported by well-designed performance reviews and self-evaluation.
- There is effective and transparent management of school budgets.
- A complaints procedure is in place that effectively manages complaints for parents and other stakeholders.
Quality of teaching and learning
We require that:
- The school is appropriately resourced with sufficient staff employed in management, teaching and support roles.
- The school curriculum is clearly expressed and accessible to teachers, students and their parents.
- Assessment outcomes are monitored and evaluated with clear feedback on teaching and learning strategies.
- The school has a well-designed approach to the professional development of teachers and other staff.
- The school has a clear policy to address the language needs of learners.
- Teaching takes account of students' diverse learning styles and individual needs.
- Teachers must have appropriate qualifications to deliver the SACE successfully, including a subject-specific degree or postgraduate qualification, a teaching qualification at degree level or higher, at least three years of relevant teaching experience (high school, senior secondary, or university), and qualifications from an English-speaking university or an English language teaching qualification (e.g. TESOL).
The physical environment of the school
We require that:
- The school premises create a positive learning environment for students.
- Library or learning resources adequately support the delivery of the curriculum.
- Specialist facilities are provided (e.g. for SACE syllabuses in art and design, music, ICT, physical education and the sciences).
- There are secure storage arrangements for question papers and other examination materials.
- Appropriate facilities for accommodating examinations have been identified.
- The school be technically ready to deliver SACE e-exams.
Legal requirements
We require that:
- To ensure compliance with local legislation, we require evidence of the following documentation and policies:
- A valid fire safety certificate.
- Government approval to operate as an educational institution, including any specific authorisations required to deliver the SACE curriculum.
- Health and safety policies that align with local regulatory standards.
- Provision for first aid that meets government requirements.
- Child protection policies that comply with local legal and regulatory expectations.