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

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

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

The English Extension 1 Syllabus provides students who undertake English Advanced with the opportunity to extend their study of English by engaging with highly complex literature from a wide range of cultural, historical and literary contexts.

The English Extension 2 Syllabus provides students who undertake English Extension 1 with the opportunity to undertake a Major work and to extend their conceptual understanding of the role of the author in composition.

What you need to know

  • The English Extension 11–12 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.
  • The English Extension 11–12 Syllabus (2024) has specific text requirements that must be met in Year 11 and Year 12.
  • The English Extension 11–12 Syllabus has specific assessment requirements that must be met in Year 11 and Year 12.
  • NESA has released a prescriptions list for 2027–2028 aligned to the Year 12 focus areas.
  • 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 Extension 11–12 Syllabus includes:

  • focus areas which replace modules and focus area content which replace module descriptions
  • a new structure that combines the previous syllabus’ outcomes and content with the focus area statement
  • a structure where each focus area is aligned to all outcomes
    • all outcomes should therefore be addressed in each focus area
  • there are new electives for English Extension 1 Year 12 and they are accompanied by new prescriptions.
  • less than one third of texts in the 2027–2028 prescriptions align with 2017–2026 English prescriptions
  • a new Author and authority focus area in Year 12 – English Extension 2, which includes an author study
  • the author study within the Author and authority focus area requires the study of ONE author selected from the options in the prescribed texts document. This will require teachers to access additional texts to support the study of this focus area
  • an increase from 5 outcomes to 6 outcomes in Year 12 – English Extension 1 and Year 12 – English Extension 2 resulting in significant differences to accommodate the new focus area
  • a change to the mandated school-based assessment tasks and mandatory weightings in
  • the removal of a mandated multimodal presentation as part of the school-based Year 11 – English Extension assessment schedule
  • significant changes to the English Extension 2 HSC examination specifications including the addition of a written examination
  • new word lengths and time limits for the English Extension 2 Major works, which have reduced by 40% to accommodate for the inclusion of the examination
  • the removal of the reflection statement but retention of the major work journal
  • HSC examinations for English Extension 1 and English Extension 2 will be undertaken by students using a computer
  • the wording of the English Extension 1 performance band descriptions has changed slightly with minimal impact on meaning
  • the English Extension 2 performance band descriptions have changed significantly in response to the new focus area
  • 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
  • advice regarding Protocols for collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and engaging with Cultural works.
The Year 11 focus area appears in a box under the heading English Extension at the top of the diagram, surrounded by a line labelled Year 11. The focus area is Texts, culture and value including related research project. The Year 12 focus areas are split into English Extension 1 and English Extension 2. These focus areas are surrounded by a line labelled Year 12. The English Extension 1 focus area is Literary worlds including elective. The English Extension 2 focus areas are Author and authority and Major work. 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 area appears in a box under the heading English Extension at the top of the diagram, surrounded by a line labelled Year 11. The focus area is Texts, culture and value including related research project. The Year 12 focus areas are split into English Extension 1 and English Extension 2. These focus areas are surrounded by a line labelled Year 12. The English Extension 1 focus area is Literary worlds including elective. The English Extension 2 focus areas are Author and authority and Major work. 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 Extension 11–12

The organisation of English Extension 11–12 content image is from the English Extension 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 Extension 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 Extension 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 and the implications that this will have on programming
  • supporting teachers’ understanding of how the English Extension 11–12 Syllabus (2024) is an extension on the English Advanced 11–12 Syllabus, and how English Extension 2 is an extension on English Extension 1
  • resource and budget implications including
    • providing time for staff to engage with syllabus expectations and build their skills and understanding to effectively teach and plan for syllabus requirements across 11–12 to implement 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.

The English Extension 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 Extension 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?
    • How has this been fostered and understanding evaluated?
  • What school practices and systems are in place to support teacher professional learning?
    • How are these evaluated to maximise support for teachers?
  • What evidence is there that staff have understood syllabus changes and familiarised themselves with the new syllabus?
  • 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?
  • What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?
  • To what extent does the plan for implementation allocate time for reflection and evaluation?
  • How have change management considerations been embedded into the School Excellence Plan (SEP) to support teachers and sustain and strengthen curriculum implementation?
  • How will the school’s plan for curriculum implementation be evaluated?
    • How might this evaluation inform the implementation of future syllabuses?
  • To what extent do staff understand how the changes to the syllabus focus areas, text requirements and prescriptions will impact their programming?

Further support

Syllabus information for school leaders

An overview of the pedagogical changes and whole school considerations to support school leaders’ understanding of what has changed for each new syllabus.

Leading curriculum K–12

Advice and resources supporting leaders to facilitate effective curriculum implementation in schools.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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