PROPEL

The Avondale School learning team believes in recognising students’ unique gifts, talents, learning approaches and aspirations. Our HSC PROPEL pathway offers an alternative, personalised program enabling students to achieve their HSC while gaining real-world experience.

PROPEL Foundation

The HSC PROPEL pathway combines academic and vocational learning in a unique approach that provides opportunities for students to explore and apply skills relevant to workplace, industry and their personal interest areas. It achieves this through authentic learning, with a strong focus on practical and transferable skills. 

The learning pathway embeds problem-solving tasks and exercises that promote critical and creative thinking. This propels students to develop their individual learning attributes in a team environment where individual’s differences are valued. 

Avondale School HSC PROPEL is founded on three dimensions of learning:

• Learning to KNOW – find your passion, use it responsibly
• Learning to DO – maximise opportunities, work with purpose
• Learning to BE – experiment with skills, gifts and talents then launch into the world.

PROPEL Mission & Purpose

The Bible teaches that we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139:14). Avondale School HSC PROPEL recognises this and seeks to build the habits and capabilities necessary for students to find their purpose and place in the world. Our mission is to see students shape their future while being grounded in the values of respect for God, others, property and learning. 

Key Values:

• Respect God: Honouring God in all aspects of life.
• Respect Others: Valuing and treating everyone with dignity.
• Respect Property: Taking care of the resources provided.
• Respect Learning: Valuing continual growth. 

HSC PROPEL seeks to foster student passions, develop a sense of responsibility, provide opportunity and grow purpose while allowing individuals to experiment with different career and learning opportunities. It also provides them with tools to launch into their post-school careers or further study.

PROPEL Approach

The HSC PROPEL learning pathway works with basic concepts of engagement theory. Our educational approach acknowledges that in order to motivate students, they must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others. Research suggests that students will be engaged in their learning if they are involved in active cognitive processes that involve creating, problem-solving, reasoning, decision-making and evaluation (Kearsley and Shneiderman, 1999).

The HSC PROPEL approach is aimed at facilitating student-centred flexible learning, in order to motivate students to learn both individually and collaboratively. This approach to their learning aims to develop and contribute personal insights that further enrich the understanding students and their peers acquired from class instruction or other forms of learning. Consequently, engaged students are able to make important contributions to the meaning and value of what is studied and have the opportunity to directly apply this in practical ways.

The driving question that underpins students’ studies in HSC PROPEL is: 

How can I use my passion and attributes to propel myself into a fulfilling career?

Students will answer this question in ways as varied as their own individual characteristics and motivations, with compassionate and inspiring teachers to guide their curiosity and mentor them during the final two years of their school journey.

What makes the PROPEL Pathway Different

The HSC PROPEL pathway validates that there are different options to support students as they move towards their post school life. HSC PROPEL is an option for students who do not require an ATAR, prefer hands-on experiential learning and are ready to engage with industries of their choice. 

HSC PROPEL combines traditional classroom learning with hands-on industry experience. There is a greater emphasis on project-based approaches which integrate the subjects of Mathematics, English Studies, and Work Studies with VET courses, enabling students to apply their knowledge in real-world settings.

Students engage in flexible learning programs within the safety of a supportive school environment. This enables students to explore their career options without the pressure of formal examinations. 

Note: While HSC PROPEL students have the same opportunity and invitation to participate in sporting teams, tryouts, athletics events, and swimming carnivals, no formal sport or physical education time allocations are timetabled as part of this program.

Key Points

• Achieve the HSC (non-ATAR)
• No requirement to complete HSC examinations
• Learning environment with opportunity for student input
• Choice of VET subjects aligned with student interest
• Option to pursue School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT) in the field of choice 
• Small class with individualised support
• Innovative and experiential learning
• Flexible timetable to cater for work and study
• Focus areas develop key employability criteria
• Supportive Christian learning environment
• Inspiring teachers and industry mentors
• Weekly industry experience through Industry Immersion Program
• Project Based integrated learning

Principal, Mrs Debra Cooper, and VET/PROPEL Coordinator, Mrs Donna Nevell, had the privilege of being interviewed live on the Mornings with Laurel show on RhemaFM to talk about the new PROPEL program.

Have a listen here.

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