Year 9
Investing in your child's future
Year 9 is a critical juncture in a student’s educational journey. It is a time of rapid mental and physical development and a desire for independence – a time where they look to parents, teachers and peers to help shape their attitudes, perspectives and character.
With the right programs and support, students embrace this challenge with purpose and confidence. When we raise the bar, they exceed expectations, and when they are nudged out of their comfort zone, they respond with courage, curiosity and resilience.
Academic Program
At Kilvington, the Year 9 academic program runs from Monday to Thursday, with The Impact Program on Fridays - a day dedicated to real-world learning and personal development. Year 9 is also the final year students learn in single-sex classrooms for select core subjects.
Your child will also have a choice to study the areas of:
- French language and culture
- Japanese language and culture
- Global Studies
Kilvington recognises that in order to prepare students for a future workplace, we must deliver beyond a knowledge based curriculum. A broad selection of contemporary, engaging, competency based electives allow students to direct their own learning and showcase their achievements.
- Change the Game
- Creative Studio
- Culinary Life
- Forensic Technologies
- Screen and Media
- Rise of the Drones
- Own the Stage
- Your Rights
Impact - Aspire. Empower. Thrive.
The Impact Program is a holistic and unique program that gives our students the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to help thrive at school and life after Kilvington. It is built on real-world experiences, developing core competencies, encouraging ‘thinking big’ and creating connections based on respect and trust.
The Impact Program is about doing school differently. As students transition from being a child to an adolescent, it’s about steeping them in real life experiences and bringing Year 9s out of the formal structure of the classroom.
— Mark Williams, Head of the Impact Program
Our Partners
The Impact Program is delivered in partnership with leading organisations. The It's Everyone's Business course is run in collaboration with Monash University, and our Transformative Expeditions are delivered with World Expeditions Schools, who bring deep experience in safe, well-supported student travel.
Impact | Semester 1
Emerge
The Impact Program starts with Emerge at the end of Year 8. Students are guided through a collaborative process during which they develop a mutually agreed set of cultural commitments for the cohort.
The overall goal is to establish an environment in which each individual can thrive. Student voice is key to encouraging agency and ownership, and the reciprocal nature of privileges and responsibilities is also explored. Safety, independence and responsibility are themes as students build confidence navigating Melbourne.
Lift Off
A full week is spent launching the Impact Program early in Term 1. Students spend several days familiarising themselves with the CBD and learning about a range of social issues with City Cite, before beginning 'It’s Everyone’s Business' at Monash University. Guest speakers share about disadvantage, addiction, religious tolerance, and challenges facing refugees.
City Rotations
Mentor groups rotate through various workshops on Friday afternoons. Initially these visits focus on social issues, with the aim of eliciting empathy and inspiring passion that will drive the 'It’s Everyone’s Business' social enterprise projects. Later, excursions centre around iconic Melbourne landmarks which celebrate our sporting, indigenous, multicultural, and artistic heritage.
It's Everyone's Business
This unique partnership with Monash University empowers students to create a social enterprise proposal designed to positively impact a social issue such as homelessness, racism, domestic violence, disability, isolation, inclusivity, or mental health. Students develop business, design and presentation skills while creating and refining their group product or service. The project fosters effective collaboration, communication, problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Social enterprises in and around the CBD are visited for inspiration and advice. The whole process culminates in an Expo Evening where each team pitches their comprehensive, polished concept to peers, staff and parents.
Impact | Semester 2
Health and Wellbeing
The Year 9 Health curriculum is taught explicitly through the Impact Program, rather than in school classes. This gives students an intensive style of learning in a setting conducive to discussion and reflection.
Five dimensions of Health and Wellbeing are explored: Physical, Mental, Social, Emotional and Spiritual. Sexual health and identity is also discussed. Training hikes are conducted in and around the Melbourne CBD in preparation for the Transformative Expeditions. Students also participate in workshops conducted by a variety of external expert providers.
Study Habits
Preparation for assessments, especially examinations, requires effective time management, planning, perseverance, discipline, routines and strategies. These themes are unpacked through a series of workshops, including Study Calm, Power of Sleep, Mindfulness, Procrastination and Subject-Specific Exam Preparation.
Character
The Impact Program promotes interpersonal competencies, emotional awareness and the articulation of personal values and beliefs. Respectful Relationships, vital at school and beyond, are discussed in depth. Students are prompted to consider how their words, actions and attitudes influence themselves and others, both positively and adversely. Gendered inequality and unconscious bias are explored, with an emphasis on encouraging students to make positive decisions in their relationships.
Transformative Expeditions
Growth occurs beyond the boundaries of one’s comfort zone. Compulsory Transformative Expeditions challenge students socially, emotionally, culturally and physically.
Students visit Great Southwest Victoria, Far North Queensland or Cambodia. All three options incorporate community service, fundraising and engagement with First Nations peoples and their culture, alongside briefings and hike training and a Walk-a-thon fundraiser in the lead-up. All three require significant preparation, maturity and grit. Students come home feeling a real sense of accomplishment, community and appreciation.
For a more detailed look into Kilvington's Impact Program, please view our guide.
FAQs
How is the Year 9 academic week structured?
The academic program runs Monday to Thursday, covering core subjects like English, Mathematics, Science, Geography/History, and Physical Education. Fridays are dedicated to the Impact Program, a day focused on real-world learning and personal development. Year 9 is also the final year students learn in single-sex classrooms for selected core subjects.
What subjects and electives can my child choose in Year 9?
Alongside the core subjects, students can choose cultural subjects such as French language and culture, Japanese language and culture, or Global Studies. They can also select from a range of future-focused, competency-based electives, including Change the Game, Creative Studio, Culinary Life, Forensic Technologies, Screen and Media, Rise of the Drones, Own the Stage, and Your Rights.
What is the Impact Program?
The Impact Program is a holistic Year 9 program designed to build the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes students need to thrive at school and beyond. It is built on real-world experiences, develops core competencies, and runs every Friday. Semester 1 focuses on independence, city experiences, and a social enterprise project run in partnership with Monash University, while Semester 2 covers Health, Wellbeing, Character, and the Transformative Expeditions.
What are the Transformative Expeditions, and are they compulsory?
The Transformative Expeditions are compulsory experiences that challenge students socially, emotionally, culturally and physically. Students prepare through briefings and hike training and a Walk-a-thon fundraiser, then choose between Great Southwest Victoria, Far North Queensland and Cambodia. All three immersions include community service and engagement with First Nations peoples and culture, and all three require significant preparation, maturity and grit. Students typically return with a strong sense of accomplishment, community and appreciation.
How is the Health curriculum taught in Year 9?
Rather than being taught in standard classes, the Year 9 Health curriculum is delivered explicitly through the Impact Program. This allows for a more intensive, discussion-based approach. Four areas are explored: Physical, Social, Mental and Sexual health, supported by workshops run by external expert providers and topics such as wellbeing, sleep, stress management and respectful relationships.