Strathfield Girls High School

Quality education in a caring environment

Telephone02 9746 6990

Emailstrathfieg-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Technological and applied studies

Technological and applied studies (TAS) is mandatory for all students in Year 7 and 8. Students can also select from a range of elective TAS subjects.

In TAS, students use a range of tools, materials and techniques in the design process and technological experiences through theory and practical lessons. As well as the mandatory study of technology, students can select from a range of elective TAS subjects.

The continuum of technology learning is:

  • Based on students becoming increasingly sophisticated in their ability to design and produce solutions for authentic needs and opportunities
  • An option for student specialisation in high school through a range of syllabuses addressing particular technologies and aspects of design.

 

Available courses 

Stage 4

Technology (Mandatory) Years 7–8

The study of Technology Mandatory in Years 7–8 enables students to become responsible users of technologies and designers of solutions. Through the practical application of knowledge and understanding, students develop skills in the safe use of a range of technologies to design, produce and evaluate solutions to identified needs and opportunities.

Knowledge and understanding of technological content is developed through pedagogical approaches, such as project and problem-based learning. Through the production of innovative solutions to contextually relevant problems, students are provided with opportunities to use a variety of thinking strategies, embrace new concepts and learn through trialling, testing and refining ideas. The practical nature of Technology Mandatory engages students in design and production activities as they develop safe practices and refine skills working with varied materials and production technologies. These authentic learning experiences provide students with a sense of satisfaction and are the foundation for life-long learning.

 

The Technology Mandatory syllabus provides opportunities to reinforce and integrate knowledge and understanding from other subjects in the Years 7–10 curriculum. The diversity of learning experiences provided in Technology Mandatory encourages both independent and collaborative learning and the skills in designing, planning, managing and evaluating are transferrable across the curriculum. Technology Mandatory builds on Science and Technology K–6 and provides broad experiences in a range of contexts that are further explored in Technology electives in Years 7–12.

 

The opportunity to investigate problems, generate ideas and produce sustainable solutions develops skills and attitudes that are valued in our society and are integral to Australia’s economic future. The skills and capabilities developed by students through the study of a variety of technology contexts can be applied to further education, and career opportunities in design, technology, engineering, science, mathematics and related fields.

The Technology Mandatory Years 7–8 syllabus outcomes are presented as:

  • Skills
  • Knowledge and Understanding

Context Areas include:

  • Digital Technologies
  • Agriculture and Food Technologies
  • Engineered Systems
  • Material Technologies

Design Projects

Design Projects involve the design, production and evaluation of quality solutions that are functional and meet identified needs or opportunities. Students undertake four design projects across Years 7–8.

Design and Production Folios

Students develop design and production folios documenting evidence of the application of a design process and the specific technologies used in production. Students produce a minimum of four design and production folios across Years 7–8.

A design and production folio includes ideas, sketches, drawings, experimentation, samples, research, photographs, details of construction and evaluation. 

Practical Experiences

To satisfy the requirements of the syllabus, students undertake a range of practical experiences that occupy the majority of course time. Practical experiences allow students to develop skills and confidence in the use of a range of hand and machine tools. 

Student Projects from Years 7-8:

Food and Agriculture:

Self Watering Systems: 

Textiles based projects:

Stage 5

Food Technology

The aim of the Food Technology Years 7–10 Syllabus is to actively engage students in learning about food in a variety of settings, enabling them to evaluate the relationships between food, technology, nutritional status and the quality of life. Students develop confidence and proficiency in their practical interactions with and decisions regarding food.

Through the study of Food Technology, students are aware of the development of technology and its impact on the individual, society, the environment and the food industry. Students have understanding, knowledge and skills of a range of processes, resources and technologies, including computer software, appropriate to the planning, preparation, manufacture, experimentation and plating of food.

Students have a body of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes and apply these in a practical manner. Students express ideas and opinions, experiment and test ideas and demonstrate responsibility in decision-making in a safe learning environment.

Students reflect on and evaluate decisions made in relation to solutions for specific purposes with regard to food at a personal level, and also consider the social implications of these in a variety of settings.

Course structure and requirements

Food Technology Years 7–10 is an elective course designed to build upon the Technology Mandatory Years 7–8 course. Outcomes for Stage 4 have been included to allow flexibility for those schools who wish to offer the course in Years 7 and 8.

Food Technology can be offered as a 100-hour or a 200-hour course. Students undertaking the 100-hour course are required to complete 3–4 focus areas. Students studying the 200-hour course are required to complete 6–8 focus areas.

Focus areas

There are eight focus areas:

  • Food in Australia
  • Food Equity
  • Food Product Development
  • Food Selection and Health
  • Food Service and Catering
  • Food for Specific Needs
  • Food for Special Occasions
  • Food Trends.

Practical experiences

To satisfy the requirements of the syllabus, students must undertake a range of practical experiences that occupy the majority of course time. Practical experiences allow students to develop skills and confidence in the use of a range of equipment. Student capability, confidence and expertise at their current stage of development are important considerations in determining the teaching and learning sequences in the course.

Textiles Technology

The aim of this syllabus is to develop confidence and proficiency in the design, production and evaluation of textile items. Students actively engage in learning about the properties and performance of textiles, textile design and the role of textiles in society.

Students apply knowledge and understanding of the properties and performance of textiles through the study of fabrics, colouration, yarns and fibres. Investigations, experimentation and project work enable students to be discriminative in their choices of textiles for particular uses. Students are discerning in their design and construction of textile items and are informed textile consumers, relating performance criteria to intended use of a textile item.

Students select and use appropriate language and a broad range of media to accurately communicate technological ideas to a variety of audiences for a number of purposes. In the production of supporting documentation students demonstrate skills in communicating ideas in written and graphical forms using freehand and/or computer software.

Areas of study

There are three areas of study:

  • Design
  • Properties and Performance of Textiles
  • Textiles and Society.

Focus areas

Focus areas are recognised fields of textiles that direct the choice of student projects.

The focus areas are:

  • Apparel – includes clothing and accessories such as shoes, hats, scarves, jewellery and belts
  • Furnishings – includes cushions, curtains, bedspreads, lampshades, quilt covers, bed linen, chair coverings, table linen, beanbags
  • Costume – includes theatre costumes, masks, headdress, folk and traditional costumes, fancy dress costumes and dance costumes
  • Textile Arts – includes wall hangings, fabric-based artworks, embroidery, wearable design
  • Non-apparel – includes book covers, toys, bags, umbrellas, tents, backpacks, surfboard covers.

Project work

There are two components of project work:

  • Development of practical skills to produce a textile item
  • Documentation of student work.

Practical experiences

To satisfy the requirements of the syllabus, students must undertake a range of practical experiences that occupy the majority of course time.

Focus areas are intended to encourage students to engage with a range of textile items and cater for a variety of student interests. They provide options for students to refine and enhance their knowledge and understanding of textiles using a variety of materials, tools and techniques.

Some of student work:

Computing Technology

Studying Computing Technology enables students to develop skills in the specific application of computing technologies and to develop digital solutions applicable to a range of industrial, commercial and recreational contexts.

Computing Technology focuses on computational, design and systems thinking. It also develops data analysis and programming (coding) skills. The knowledge and skills developed in the course enable students to contribute to an increasingly technology-focused world.

Students engage with contemporary and advancing technologies that improve access and participation in society. Students explore the impact of innovations in computing technology on society and the environment. They develop skills using a range of hardware and software applications, including multimedia, digital media, virtual and augmented realities, gaming, graphical data and visualisations, networks and devices.

Computing Technology Syllabus includes -

  • Enterprise information systems:
    • Modelling networks and social connections
    • Designing for user experience
    • Analysing data
    • Building mechatronic and automated systems
  • Software development:
    • Creating games and simulations
    • Software development

iStem

STEM Education is the learning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an interdisciplinary or integrated approach.

iSTEM is a School Developed Board Endorsed Course (SDBEC) which has been approved by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and forms part of a student’s academic record in NSW.

iSTEM incorporates the following areas:

  • Mechatronics
  • Aerodynamics
  • Biotechnology
  • Engineering
  • Statistics
  • 3D CAD/CAM
  • Surveying
  • Aerospace and Motion modules

 

Stage 6

Subjects offered

Community and Family Studies

Community and Family Studies Stage 6 aims to develop in each student an ability to manage resources and take action to support the needs of individuals, groups, families and communities in Australian society.

Community and Family Studies utilises an ecological framework to investigate the interactions among the individual, family, community and society. Recognition of the interdependence of the individual and other groups is central to the framework. Consequently, this syllabus focuses the Preliminary course on the individual and their interactions with personal groups, family and community. The HSC course builds upon this by examining how the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities is affected by broader societal influences including sociocultural, economic and political factors.

Community and Family Studies can have a direct and positive influence on the quality of students’ lives both now and in the future. During the school years, students are confronted with an awareness of their emerging identity as young women and young men. Community and Family Studies investigates the unique contributions of individuals, groups, families and communities in the development of effective social structures. It encourages opportunities for students to become proactive members of society as they examine both their potential to adopt a range of roles and the responsibilities they have in contributing to society.

Preliminary course modules include:

  • Resource Management
  • Individuals and Groups
  • Families and Communities

HSC course, core modules:

  • Research Methodology
  • Groups in Context
  • Parenting and Caring

HSC course option modules, to select one of the following options:

  • Family and Societal Interactions
  • Social Impact of Technology
  • Individuals and Work

In the Parenting and Caring unit, students will be responsible for the care of an interactive manikin baby and gain valuable firsthand experience at being a parent.

Food Technology

Food Technology Stage 6 aims to develop an understanding about food systems and skills that enable students to make informed decisions and carry out responsible actions. Students will also develop an appreciation of the importance of food to the wellbeing of the individual and to the social and economic future of Australia.

As a part of the Preliminary course, students study:

  • Food Availability and Selection
  • Food Quality
  • Nutrition

HSC units include:

  • The Australian Food Industry
  • Food Manufacture
  • Food Product Development
  • Contemporary Nutrition Issues

The Food Industry Farm Visit:

Enterprise Computing

The study of Enterprise Computing enables students to develop an understanding of the function and purpose of digital tools and processes, and the importance of data in enterprise information systems. This allows students to effectively use and manage digital tools and technologies in commercial and other settings.

Students are encouraged to develop an entrepreneurial mindset by working collaboratively, growing specialised communication skills, and applying system, design and computational thinking skills. The knowledge and skills developed in this course ensure students can contribute to a world increasingly reliant on the manipulation and use of digital systems.

Year 11 content includes –

  • Interactive media and the user experience
  • Networking systems and social computing
  • Principles of cybersecurity

Year 12 content includes –

  • Data science
  • Data visualisation
  • Intelligent systems
  • Enterprise project

Textiles and Dxesign

Textiles and Design Stage 6 is designed to enable students to understand and appreciate the nature and significance of textiles and to develop confidence and competence in the selection, design, manufacture and application of textile items.

This syllabus investigates the science and technology of textiles through a study of properties and performance, allowing students to make informed consumer choices in the textiles area. Technological and practical skills are developed and enhanced through the use of textile-related technologies, including those that are computer‑based. The concept of design elements and principles, as being both functional and aesthetic and as part of the creative design process, are examined within the specialised field of textiles.

This course investigates textiles in society and promotes a greater understanding of the significance of different cultures and their specific use of textile materials.

Through the area of study relating to the Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Allied Industries, the course offers students the opportunity to explore advances in technology, current issues facing the industry and employment opportunities

Preliminary Course includes:

  • Design
  • Properties and Performance of Textiles
  • Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Allied Industries

 

HSC Course structure:

  • Design
  • Properties and Performance of Textiles
  • Australian Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Allied Industries
  • Major Textiles Project          

Students select one focus area through which they develop a project, which includes supporting documentation and textile item/s:

  • Apparel
  • Furnishings
  • Costume
  • Textile arts
  • Non-apparel
  • Students will demonstrate the development of manipulative, graphical, communication, research, decision-making, management and manufacturing skills

Major Textiles Projects  

VET Hospitality – Food and Beverage

 

Industry curriculum frameworks provide students with the opportunity to gain industry-recognised national vocational qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as part of their NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC).

HSC courses within industry curriculum frameworks count as Board Developed unit credit for the HSC. Frameworks include an HSC examination which provides the opportunity for students to have this HSC examination mark contribute to the calculation of their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

Hospitality focuses on providing customer service. Students learn skills that can be transferred across a range of industries and provides a pathway to the world of work in various Hospitality settings, such as restaurants, hotels, motels, catering operations, clubs, pubs, cafés, and coffee shops.

Course structure

This course consists of:

  • three mandatory focus areas (containing four associated units of competency)
  • stream focus areas:
    • Food and Beverage (containing four associated units of competency)
  • a range of elective units of competency which can be selected from the stream not already undertaken and/or the HSC elective pool
  • HSC Content – for the mandatory and stream focus areas.
  • mandatory HSC work placement requirements.

 

Strathfield Girls High School runs an  Art Espresso Coffee Shop

The smell of freshly brewed coffee has been wafting through the SGHS grounds. Our school Art Quad has been the site of an incredible transformation this year with the recent addition