Hume Valley School’s Years 11 and 12 students attend most of their classes at the Senior Campus, located on Tanderrum Way in Broadmeadows. These students undertake the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC), which is a practical program with flexible delivery options that cater for students with intellectual disabilities. They are given opportunities to explore future options and participate in a variety of practical activities aimed at promoting independence and skill development. There are currently four subject stands within the VPC: Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills.
Literacy modules focus on:
- Literacy for personal use.
- Understanding and creating digital texts.
- Exploring and understanding issues.
- Participating in informed discussion.
- Literacy for civic participation.
- Literacy for pathways and further learning.
Numeracy modules focus on:
- Personal numeracy (location and systematics).
- Financial numeracy (number and change).
- Health and recreational numeracy (shape and measurement).
- Civic numeracy (data and probability).
Personal Development Skills modules focus on:
- Understanding and developing health.
- Exploring, connecting, and participating within a community.
Work Related Skills modules focus on:
- Identifying interests, skills, and capabilities in the workplace.
- Identifying employment opportunities and workplace conditions.
- Applying for employment opportunities.
- Identifying, planning, completing, and reviewing a workplace activity.
- Occupational Health and Safety in the workplace.
- Exploring post-school pathways and preparing for a job interview.
Hume Valley School provides students with opportunities to complete these units through practical programs and placements, including but not limited to:
- Theatrical Productions: Hume Valley School has been a partner with the Melbourne Arts Centre for the past three years. Students who elect this subject attend and analyse several performances held at the Arts Centre and use this knowledge to develop their own original piece of theatre while also contributing to the development of stagecraft (lighting, set construction, sound effects, etc).
- Post School Planning: Students attend several disability employment services and further education providers to assist in identifying suitable post-school pathways. They participate in Real Industry Job Interviews, that requires them to prepare for and undertake a mock interview with a local employer who then provides them with feedback.
- Café program: Intends to develop customer service skills by preparing and serving food and drink to members of the school community. Students budget, handle money and measure out ingredients to specific quantities in order to meet numeracy outcomes.
- Work placements: Hume Valley School employs a ‘Structured Workplace Coordinator’ who sources work experience opportunities for the senior students. Previously students have undertaken work at The Salvation Army, Splash Swimming Pool and the Hume Global Learning Centre.
- Project Management: Requires students to plan and facilitate whole-school events including budgeting, publicity, and logistics. Previous events have included a film festival and trivia night, a pop-up art exhibition within the local community and a Mother’s Day afternoon tea.
Students must successfully complete 10 units to obtain the Victorian Pathways Certificate. Evidence of student work is catalogued and reported on throughout the year. Students must meet an 80% attendance requirement to be eligible to receive the VPC. Students who complete less than 10 units will receive a statement of results.
Hume Valley School offers several Vocational Education and Training subjects (VET) that students may undertake. These subjects also contribute toward the 10 VPC units that are required for satisfactory completion of the course. VET subjects target practical skills and are typically delivered at a TAFE. A number of Hume Valley School staff are qualified TAFE trainers and deliver the following qualifications:
- Certificate I in Hospitality.
- Certificate I in Employment Pathways.
- Certificate II in Music.
- Certificate II in Horticulture.
- Certificate II in Visual Arts.
- Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation.
- Certificate II in Salon Assistance (delivered offsite).
Hume Valley School has also established relationships with School Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship (SBAT) providers including Water2All and the National Food Institute. These organisations often offer our students payed apprenticeships in Food Handling and Warehousing. HVS has also been working with Headstart, a Department of Education initiative, which assists students in finding apprenticeships in areas of an individual’s interest.