Welcome to Callaghan Waratah's Year 7 elective program! We're excited to offer you the chance to explore and discover beyond the standard Year 7 subjects and get a ‘taste’ of what you might like to study in later years of high school.
In Year 7, you'll study two semester-long elective subjects, one in the first half of the year and one in the second half. You will spend 2.5 hours a fortnight as part of your regular school timetable on your elective.
In addition to these elective subjects, you'll also study eight main subjects as part of the NSW Curriculum. These are English, Maths, Science, Languages, Personal Development Health and Physical Education (PDHPE), Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE), Design and Technology and Creative Arts.
Elective Course Descriptions
There are 12 elective courses available to choose from in Year 7. Check out the course descriptions below to find out more about each course.
Submit your elective preferences
Read through the above courses and then submit your preferences using the instructions below.
- Have a discussion with your family about the various elective subjects that interest you.
- Write your full name and your primary school on the elective selection form provided by your Year 6 teacher.
- Place a ‘1’ next to the elective you’d most like to study in the first half of Year 7. We also need you to select two back-up options – mark these ‘2’ and ‘3’.
- Return your form to your Year 6 teacher by Monday 2nd September 2024. Students from non partner primary schools can email their elective selection form directly to our school email address: waratah-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au (Attention Head Teacher Administration)
Please note: We do our best to give you your first elective preference, but sometimes we might need to make other arrangements because of how the timetable works. That's why we also ask you to pick two back-up options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will learning be assessed in my elective?
Assessment strategies are no different from in your core subjects. Teachers will use a variety of assessment methods to monitor your learning progression. There’s also a focus on assessing your progression in the future learning skills of communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity.
What if my elective isn't for me?
If you don’t like your elective, you can request to change by notifying the Head Teacher of Administration by the end of Week 4 Term 1 of Year 7 (for your first elective) and by the end of Week 4 Term 3 of Year 7 (for your second elective). You will need to complete a change of elective form which can be found in the forms and downloads section of the website.
Who can I talk to if I need help with my selection?
Talk to your Year 6 teacher in the first instance. If you still need help, you can talk to Mrs Lisa Panozza, Head Teacher of Teaching and Learning. She will be visiting our Partner Primary Schools to collect elective selection forms during week 7 and 8 of term 3.
Are any Year 7 electives pre-requisites for electives in Year 8?
Subjects studied as electives in Year 7 are not pre-requisites for subjects in later years of high school. In most cases, you can study an elective subject in Year 8, 9 or 10 without having studied it in Year 7. On the other hand, some background is always an advantage.