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Assessing Higher Bands in the HSC: Year 12 Writing Workshops in May and June

Waverley College playground

We are running a series of workshops designed to enhance English and Writing skills as Year 12 students work toward the HSC. All students in Year 12 Standard and Advanced English courses are expected to attend both workshops at least once.

Students must register for these workshops which will be conducted in P6 on Mondays and before school on Thursday morning (7:30am-8:30am). Registrations will be capped at 25 students per workshop.

*Students are advised to check their email for notification of registration.

Details of the workshops are as follows:

Workshop 1 – Effective Paragraph Writing
Facilitator: Ms Mary Ryan – Head of Literacy

Time: P6 Monday (Begins Monday, 20 May 2024) | Before school on Thursday (7:30am-8:30am)

Venue: WO5

This workshop is relevant to all subjects which require the writing of long answer responses and extended responses. Focus will be on the following:

  • Writing effective paragraphs for different purposes
  • Formulating an organised, logical argument with evidence and analytic discussion of the evidence
  • Maintaining an academic tone through nominalisation
  • Effective sentence and paragraph structure
  • Expansion and precision

Students will be expected to bring along a sample of their own work (long answer/ extended response) which has already been marked. This can be from any subject.

Workshop 2 – Interpreting Marking Criteria in English
Facilitator: Ms Helen Barrie – Head of Academic Enrichment

Time: Before school on Thursday (7:30am-8:30am)

Venue: K24

This workshop examines the precise elements that support an HSC marker’s decision to determine which band your essay sits in. By matching your essay with the specific criteria of each band, you will learn how to tighten and elevate your essay compositions to ensure they precisely convey your overarching thesis and establish a strong writer/reader relationship with the marker.

Students will be expected to bring along a sample of one of their English responses.