Senior Years

Our Senior Years curriculum builds on the approaches to learning established in the Primary Years and expanded in the Middle Years; encouraging all students to develop enquiring minds. Students are guided towards independent and self-directed learning, and subjects are offered to inspire a sense of curiosity and love of a subject area.

The three-year Senior Years program allows students to tailor a program to meet their individual needs and strengths. Personalised Mentoring, established in Middle Years, is continued through Senior Years giving students goals and milestones required to meet their desired future pathways.

Ridgeway Campus Senior Years Subjects

Senior Years subjects on offer at Plenty Campus

Our subject offering for the senior years is extensive to accommodate the wide range of interests of our diverse group of students.

VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is offered at both the Ridgeway Campus and Plenty Campus.

The VCE is a two year certification studied in Years 11 and 12, but students with particular subject interests and strengths have the option to study individual units as early as Year 10.

An internationally recognised qualification, the VCE is awarded to students who successfully complete their secondary education and provides a pathway to employment and tertiary study.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) DIPLOMA PROGRAMME

Students at The Ridgeway Campus have the opportunity to study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) as an alternative to the VCE. The IB operates in approximately 3000 schools and provides a cohesive and comprehensive educational program for motivated students. Highly regarded by both Australian and international universities, the IB is recognised as an excellent tertiary preparation course.

International Baccalaureate Introductory Handbook 2025-2026

The IB is completed in the final two years of secondary school and comprises a set of three core subjects. Students are required to complete creative, active and service-oriented activities as part of their diploma, as well as an extended research essay.

Students are encouraged to think critically and creatively, to improve communication skills – both written and oral – develop an awareness and appreciation of other cultures, cultivate an international perspective and establish a commitment to learning. The ‘learner profile’ for the IB, which shapes the curriculum and the pedagogy, emphasises 10 personal qualities including open-mindedness, courageousness and reflectiveness. With an emphasis on critical and creative thinking, the program suits motivated and independent learners.

By its very nature, the IB is an international qualification making it readily recognised by universities overseas. We are proud to be an IB World School, and are one of only 15 schools to offer it in Victoria.

VCE or IB?

VCE is offered at both Ridgeway Campus and Plenty Campus. IB is offered at Ridgeway Campus only. Both certifications are internationally recognised by tertiary institutions and employers.

The decision to study VCE or IB is an invidual one. VCE is a very flexible course with English being the only compulsory subject. Students can choose to specialise in a particular area such as the Sciences, Humanities or Arts, or select a general course made up of subjects from a range of specialities. This flexibility also applies from year to year so students can adjust their programs to suit new interests and strengths. A wide range of VCE subjects are offered at Ivanhoe, giving students every opportunity to design a course that best suits their interests and future pathways.

The IB is a structured and complete program. Subjects must be selected from particular groups and the same subjects are studied for two years. Give this, the IB particularly suits a well-rounded student who has broad interests across subject areas.

All subjects in the IB are equally weighted – there is no scaling up or down of subject scores; instead students choose to study three subjects are ‘higher’ and three subjects at ‘standard’ level.