The Technology and Applied Studies Key Learning Area (KLA) at St Clair High School is a multi faceted faculty consisting of three core areas; Information Technology, Industrial Arts and Home Economics. Within these core areas there are a diverse range of curriculum offerings available to the students.
The technology curriculum aims to prepare students for lifelong learning and career opportunities in the study of design and related fields. Students work with a range of materials, tools and techniques. They develop thinking skills and problem solving skills through drawing, model making and the use of information and communication technologies.
In Stage 4 (years 7 & 8) the Mandatory Technology course exposes students to Areas of Study in Built Environments, Products and Information and Communication. Students are encouraged to Design, Produce and evaluate through hands on activities and the production of a Design Folio. They work with a variety of materials including, timber, metal, food and textiles and all units include an information technology component.
In Stage 5 students are able to choose elective courses from a wide range of course including:
Information & Software Technology, Design and Technology, Wood Technology, Metal Technology, Graphics, Food Technology and Textiles Technology. A course of increasing interest to students is the Multi Media strand of Industrial Technology.
In Stage 6 students choose courses that will enable them to work towards the credential that they seek on exiting their formal secondary education such as a Higher School Certificate, a University Admission Index or a Vocational Educational (VET) focus. Courses at this stage include Design and Technology, Industrial Technology with a range of strands e.g. Timber and Furnishings or Multimedia as well as the VET Construction course. Information Processes and Technology and the VET Information Technology course are both available to students. Food Technology, Textile Technology and the VET course Hospitality (Commercial Cookery or Food & Beverage) are available for students with an interest in these areas.
In addition to the above courses, the TAS faculty also offers a range of subjects from the PD/H/PE faculty including the popular Child Studies course in Stage 5 and Exploring Early Childhood and Community and Family Studies in Stage 6.
The TAS faculty comprises of thirteen staff including the Head Teacher Administration/Computing, Head Teacher TAS (responsible for Industrial Arts and Home Economics) and the computer Co-ordinator who is responsible for maintaining the school network. A school administration officer is also attached to the faculty to assist in the safe and efficient operation of the food technology area. Together this staff brings a wealth of experiences and expertise to provide our students with the best possible opportunities to maximise their potential in the courses they enrol in.
We have four stand alone computer rooms as well as computers in some of the classrooms. We aim to keep abreast of current and emerging technologies to ensure our students have the best possible opportunities. Staff are currently delivering lessons using interactive whiteboards and MOODLE in an endeavour to provide students with stimulating and challenging learning experiences.
We have two timber workshops, a metal workshop and a drawing room all equipped with quality resources allowing students to develop a range of skills and projects. There are two textile rooms and two kitchens one of which has an industry standard commercial bay. One of the features of this part of the faculty is the coffee shop which the hospitality students run using our commercial espresso coffee machine.
The TAS staff is active in many extra curricular activities within the school which support the holistic development of our students.