English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) – information for school leaders

Learn about the English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) – what has changed and where to get further support.

The English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) replaces content in the English Advanced Stage 6 Syllabus (2017). Planning and preparation will commence from 2025 with implementation in 2026.

The English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) is designed for students who have a particular interest and ability in English to develop and extend their exploration of challenging texts from the past and present.

What you need to know

  • The English 11–12 Advanced Syllabus (2024) will be taught from 2026 and will be assessed in the 2027 HSC.
  • This syllabus is a live document available via NESA’s digital platform.
    • NESA will continue to add teaching advice and support materials throughout the implementation process.
  • Engaging with quality texts remains central to the study of English Advanced.
  • The English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus has specific text requirements that must be met in and across Year 11 and Year 12.
  • The English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus has specific assessment requirements that must be met in Year 11 and Year 12.
  • The NSW Department of Education will be providing support materials to schools to assist and guide the implementation process on the Planning, programming and assessing English 11–12 webpage.

The English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) includes:

  • a reduction in the number of outcomes from 9 to 6 in Years 11 and 12
  • focus areas which replace modules and focus area content which replaces module descriptions
  • a new structure that combines the previous syllabus’ outcomes and content with the focus area statement
    • each focus area now contains a descriptive paragraph and a series of content points under the headings ‘Understanding’ and ‘Responding’
  • a structure where each focus area is aligned to all outcomes
    • all outcomes should therefore be addressed in each focus area
  • changed content descriptions
    • the focus area headings are the same but teachers need to be aware that the focus area content descriptions are different
  • a change to the mandatory assessment weighting in the Year 12 English Advanced school-based assessment
  • the removal of a mandated multimodal presentation as part of the school-based Year 11 and 12 – English Advanced assessment requirements
  • the removal of the requirement to integrate student selected related material into the ‘Texts and human experiences’ assessment task
  • a change to text requirements in Year 12 with students now required to study 4 prescribed texts, with ONE drawn from each of the following categories
    • prose fiction
    • poetry
    • drama OR nonfiction OR film OR media
    • at least one of the texts selected must be authored by Shakespeare
  • updated text requirements across Stage 6 which mandate the teaching of a range of texts from Australian authors including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors across Year 11–12
  • the wording of the English Advanced performance band descriptions has changed slightly with minimal impact on meaning
  • advice regarding Protocols for collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and engaging with Cultural works.
The Year 11 focus areas appear in boxes in a row at the top of the diagram, surrounded by a line labelled Year 11. The focus areas are Reading to write Transition to English Advanced, Narratives that shape our world, and Critical study of literature. The Year 12 focus areas appear at the bottom of the diagram in boxes in a row, surrounded by a line labelled Year 12. The focus areas are Texts and human experiences, Textual conversations, Critical study of literature, and The craft of writing. The lines surrounding the Year 11 and 12 focus areas cross through a box in the centre of the diagram, which is titled Understanding and responding to texts. The Year 11 focus areas appear in boxes in a row at the top of the diagram, surrounded by a line labelled Year 11. The focus areas are Reading to write Transition to English Advanced, Narratives that shape our world, and Critical study of literature. The Year 12 focus areas appear at the bottom of the diagram in boxes in a row, surrounded by a line labelled Year 12. The focus areas are Texts and human experiences, Textual conversations, Critical study of literature, and The craft of writing. The lines surrounding the Year 11 and 12 focus areas cross through a box in the centre of the diagram, which is titled Understanding and responding to texts.
Image: Figure 1 – the organisation of English Advanced 11–12

English content organisation image is from the English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

Prior to implementing the English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus, leaders will need to consider the following:

  • budget implications for the purchasing of new texts in alignment with the release of the Prescriptions document for English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024)
  • complexities of workload for staff and faculties preparing to teach multiple new Year 11–12 syllabuses including
    • the reading and preparation of new texts to support informed decision-making about the best pattern of texts for specific school contexts
  • building teacher understanding about the changes to the organisation of the syllabus, including the new outcomes and focus area content, and the implications that this will have on programming
  • resource and budget implications including
    • providing time for staff to engage with syllabus requirements and build their skills and understanding to effectively teach and plan for English Advanced 11–12 implementation from 2026
    • determining what resources are currently available to address new text requirements across Stage 6 and purchasing additional texts to address areas of need
    • purchasing texts for teacher professional learning and factoring in opportunities for teachers to attend professional learning
  • exploring ways to adopt and adapt the sample materials provided by the department and curriculum materials developed in school to support consistency of syllabus enactment between mainstream and special education settings.

The English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus is based on evidence summarised in the bibliography published by NESA in the Teaching and learning support. This evidence highlights that:

  • improving students’ writing is achieved through immersion with quality model texts, including an investigation of how authors use specific language forms and features to craft meaning
  • interpretive reading practices that take context into account have a significant impact on the ways that students make meaning of literary texts
  • exposure to a diverse range of increasingly complex textual experiences enhances learning in English
  • the recursive writing process results in increased engagement and understanding and improved composition.

English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus (2024) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

  • To what extent do staff understand the syllabus and the evidence underpinning the new syllabus?
  • What school practices and systems are in place to support teacher professional learning?
  • Which communities of practice does the school collaborate with to enhance teacher curriculum knowledge and pedagogy?
  • Do staff have the skills and understanding to collaboratively undertake syllabus implementation?
    • What explicit systems are in place to foster collaboration?
  • How has the school engaged with departmental resources and support for curriculum implementation, for example, Curriculum Reform Communities, curriculum resources, professional learning, and DEL network initiatives?
  • How have change management considerations been embedded into the Strategic Improvement Plan to support teachers and sustain and strengthen curriculum implementation?

Further support

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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