Welcome to Scholaris

From Term 4 2026, a maximum of one take-home assessment, worth no more than 15% of the school-based assessment mark, can be included in HSC courses. The same limit will apply to Preliminary courses from Term 1 2027.

The change will help protect student learning and uphold the integrity of the HSC by ensuring marks reflect a student’s own thinking and knowledge. Some courses with major works, projects or practical exams will be exempt.

Schools still decide the number, type and weighting of all in-school assessment tasks.

The ACE Rules, along with assessment and reporting requirements in each syllabus, will be updated to reflect the changes before the end of Term 3 2026.

Follow the link to read the Official Notice.

New Agriculture and Agriculture Life Skills 11–12 syllabuses

New syllabuses for Agriculture 11–12 and Agriculture Life Skills are now available, to help schools plan and prepare to teach the new syllabuses, which will be implemented in 2028. 

Agriculture 11–12 will be examined in the HSC for the first time in 2029. 

The new syllabuses and support materials are available on the NSW Curriculum website.

New Geography HSC standards materials available

New Geography HSC standards materials are available to support teaching of the Stage 6 Geography 11–12 Syllabus. The materials provide examples of student responses in the 2025 Geography HSC written exam.

The standards materials can be used by teachers and students to understand the difference between higher and lower band responses and the quality and standard of work that reflects achievement at the borders between performance band levels.

Click here to access the Geography HSC Standards Material.

Professional Learning

What’s Happening to Our Boys? A Webinar with Dr Michael Carr-Gregg (Ref: 203/26)

Conversations about respectful relationships, and about what it means to grow up as a young man, are happening everywhere at the moment; in the media, in the community, and in our schools. Rather than a moment for alarm, Catholic schools can use this as a genuine opportunity: to connect with our young men, walk alongside them, and support them to become the men we need.

Catholic schools in NSW have been proactively building their response to this challenge for several years through the Catholic sector’s Consent and Respectful Relationships Education (CRRE) project.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, one of Australia’s leading adolescent psychologists and the author of 18 books on youth mental health and wellbeing, returns to CSNSW following the strong response to his earlier session on anti-bullying, which struck a chord with staff and parents alike.

In What’s Happening to Our Boys?, Dr Carr-Gregg will unpack:

• What is happening to boys – the data on disengagement, and the developmental reasons behind it
• What is being sold to them online – who is doing the selling, and why it works so well on a teenage brain
• Why our usual responses fall short – and why shaming boys can drive them further towards the very influences we’re trying to counter
• What actually shifts it – in classrooms, in staffrooms, and at kitchen tables

The session will carry real practical weight, with Dr Carr-Gregg promising staff and leaders will leave with genuine, workable strategies – alongside solid grounds for optimism.

Date: Wednesday 7 October 2026

Time: 3:30 – 4:30 pm

Delivery: Online

Register:What's Happening to Our Boy- Webinar

Catholic Employment Relations Ltd (CERL) Employment Law Symposium 2026 (Ref: 198/26)

In today’s workplace, leaders are expected to wear many hats; strategist, negotiator, risk manager, investigator and communicator – often all at once. This conference will explore proactive compliance strategies, enterprise bargaining, psychosocial risk management, unfair dismissal processes and adverse action risks. Under the Theme, Wearing every hat: Leadership in employment law, the program examines the multifaceted roles required to balance compliance, risk, culture and performance across modern workplaces.

To register your interest, click here.

Wellbeing for Learning Webinar – Understanding Part 5A of the NSW Education Act 1990: Managing Risk and Supporting Student Safety (Ref: 193/26)

Part 5A of the Education Act 1990 (NSW) provides important provisions to support schools in managing risks to the health and safety of students and staff, particularly in circumstances involving student suspension and expulsion. However, this section of the Act is not always well understood by school leaders or applied confidently in practice.

Catholic Schools NSW (CSNSW) is pleased to host this webinar, presented by Alex Kohn from Makinson d’Apice Lawyers, to strengthen school leaders’ understanding of Part 5A and its practical application within Catholic school settings.

The webinar will explore the key provisions of Part 5A and how they may assist school leaders to identify and respond to foreseeable risks, mitigate risks to student and staff safety, and maintain safe school environments. Through practical hypothetical case studies, Alex will demonstrate how Part 5A may apply to complex situations involving student behaviour, suspension and expulsion, and highlight important considerations for school leaders when making decisions to protect the safety and wellbeing of their school communities.

Date: Wednesday 9 September

Time: 3:30 – 4:30 pm  

Delivery: Online

Register: Learn more and register.

Join Waitlist! High Potential and Gifted Education Symposium at Capacity (Ref: 197/26)

The High Potential and Gifted Education Symposium, on Monday 19 October 2026, has been extremely popular and is currently at capacity. You can, however, join the Waitlist to have the opportunity to secure a place if one becomes available.

What if equitable practices in High Potential Gifted Education were the system’s defining measure of success, not an aspirational add on? 

Symposium Highlights: 

Participants will engage with well‑designed, research‑informed strategies that bridge the gap between theory and classroom practice, empowering educators to nurture the full potential of every learner.

• Expert Insights: Hear from leading voices in high potential gifted education on identifying and nurturing talent in diverse settings.
• Collaborative Spirit: Connect with peers committed to elevating the educational experience for high potential and gifted learners.
• Practical Strategies: Gain actionable tools to promote equity and excellence, ensuring no high potential or gifted student is left behind.

School Safety Forum (Ref: 199/26) 

Schools across Australia are operating in an increasingly complex environment where safety risks continue to evolve. From critical incidents and hostile threats to escalation, community tensions and post incident recovery, education leaders are being asked to navigate challenges that are both complex and high stakes.

To support school leaders and education professionals in strengthening safety capability, Nemesis Consultancy Group has launched the School Safety Forum, a two-day professional learning event designed specifically for principals, deputy principals, wellbeing teams, WHS and emergency management staff, counsellors and school operations staff.

Day 1: Thursday 17 September, 8:25 am – 4:00 pm 

Day 2: Friday 18 September 2026, 8:45 am – 4:00 pm

Location: Club Parramatta, 2 Macquarie St, Parramatta NSW

Audience: Designed for principals, executive, system and operational leaders, emergency response teams, wellbeing staff, counsellors and those responsible for incident management and recovery.

Ticketing:

1 day admission: Thursday 17 Sep: $345+GST

1 day admission: Friday 18 Sep: $345+GST

2 day admission: Thursday 17–18 Sep: $690+GST

To register, and for further information, click here.