4 Tips for Parents of Teens Tackling the New English Syllabus

Jul 23, 2018

So perhaps you’ve heard that there have been some big changes to the English Syllabus. English is a compulsory subject for all students, so regardless of the level they’ve elected to study, your teen is going to be impacted. As a parent of a young person about to climb Mount HSC you may be feeling a little apprehensive and anxious about what lies ahead. Perhaps you’ve already had teens go through the HSC and you’re wondering how best to support the next teen to undertake this journey. Well, here are a few tips that will be helpful for you:

  1.    Understand their vision

The HSC journey can be a stressful time in any young person’s life, especially when there have been significant changes. At HSC CoWorks we build in the strategies that will make this journey smoother – and it all starts with vision. It’s much easier to thrive when you know your end goal. Students with a clear vision have stronger motivation and more drive. They also accept feedback more effectively and are more likely to tackle obstacles with a growth mindset. Ensure that you know your teen’s vision, so you can remind them when times get tough and keep them on track. 

Source: Pinterest

  1.    Remind them that the Preliminary Course (Year 11) is really important.

There have been significant changes in both the Preliminary and HSC Courses. As always (and now more than ever) the Preliminary (year 11) course really hardwires the skills necessary for HSC success. Sometimes students cruise through the prelim year with the plan to commit when the HSC commences. Those who do so really miss out on an opportunity to do the groundwork that will lead to HSC success. It’s important that students own their HSC journey right from the start of year 11. Get curious about what your teen is studying in the Prelim course and work with their teacher and the coaches at HSC CoWorks to keep them on track in this important year.

  1.    Get them comfortable with change

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Whether your child has elected to do Standard, Advanced or Extension 1 English, there have been significant changes to the modules. For example, the Area of Study (Discovery) has been eradicated and replaced with a Common Module called ‘Texts and Human Experience’. Your teen will not be able to borrow course notes developed by an older sibling or friend who has already completed their HSC. This isn’t such a bad thing, we don’t recommend that they engage in this practice anyway. The best learning always comes when students do the thinking and the synthesising themselves, determining what is significant and important from their own perspective. They’ll also find it harder to find helpful resources online. Again, this isn’t a bad thing. It will cause them to do the thinking that will help them understand their coursework. Do what you can to encourage your teen to accept the challenge and embrace it.

  1.    Get interested in your teen’s texts

With the new syllabus comes a new Prescribed List of texts. Many texts from the old syllabus remain on the list, but there are also a variety of new texts that replace some others. Your teen will find out what texts they are studying at the start of both the Preliminary and HSC Courses. If you enjoy reading/watching/listening to texts yourself, it’s not a bad idea to find out which texts your teen is studying and get familiar with them yourself. That way you can help them thrash out ideas over dinner, in the car, between overs at the cricket – wherever your busy life finds you. 

There will inevitably be challenges as your teen tackles the new English syllabus, so encourage them to utilise the coaches and tools offered to them through HSC CoWorks to maximise their success (and lessen your stress!)

TOOLS

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LITERARY TECHNIQUES

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TEXTS AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE

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Module C - The Craft of Writing

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PDF of our planning pad for download

PDF of our Mind Map pad for download

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Finish your HSC campaign with zero regrets, knowing you gave it everything you had.

Our final Study Bootcamp of the year is all about making those last few weeks count.

🔥 Boost your productivity with focused, structured exam training.
💡 Stay motivated alongside other students pushing towards their goals.
✅ Get exam ready with unseen questions, practice under pressure and accountability to tackle those ‘frog’ subjects and tasks you’d rather avoid!
⏰ Four focused hours each day, supported by HSC CoWorks coaches who know what it takes to navigate the final stages of the HSC.

📅 Monday 28 September - Friday 2 October (ALMOST FULL) and Tuesday 6 October - Friday 9 October
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📍Balgowlah, Bondi Jct, Chatswood, Mosman

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🔥 FINAL HSC STUDY BOOTCAMP Finish your HSC campaign with zero regrets, knowing you gave it everything you had. Our final Study Bootcamp of the year is all about making those last few weeks count. 🔥 Boost your productivity with focused, structured exam training. 💡 Stay motivated alongside other students pushing towards their goals. ✅ Get exam ready with unseen questions, practice under pressure and accountability to tackle those ‘frog’ subjects and tasks you’d rather avoid! ⏰ Four focused hours each day, supported by HSC CoWorks coaches who know what it takes to navigate the final stages of the HSC. 📅 Monday 28 September - Friday 2 October (ALMOST FULL) and Tuesday 6 October - Friday 9 October ⏰ 10am–2pm 📍Balgowlah, Bondi Jct, Chatswood, Mosman

For most Year 12 students, Trial Exams are officially behind you! 🎉 Take a few days to switch off, reset and enjoy the feeling of having made it through!

Then it’s time to turn your attention to the final stretch. Trials aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re exactly what the name suggests, a trial run for the real thing.

So embrace the mistakes. Look closely at where marks were lost. Get feedback. Work out what needs to change and adjust your approach.

The next few weeks aren’t about starting again. They’re about refining, improving and building confidence from everything you’ve already done.

You’ve come this far. You’ve got this. 💪

#HSC2026 #HSCTrials #HSCStudy #Year12 #HSCTips

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Open post by hsccoworks with ID 17887635177450005
For most Year 12 students, Trial Exams are officially behind you! 🎉 Take a few days to switch off, reset and enjoy the feeling of having made it through! Then it’s time to turn your attention to the final stretch. Trials aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re exactly what the name suggests, a trial run for the real thing. So embrace the mistakes. Look closely at where marks were lost. Get feedback. Work out what needs to change and adjust your approach. The next few weeks aren’t about starting again. They’re about refining, improving and building confidence from everything you’ve already done. You’ve come this far. You’ve got this. 💪 #HSC2026 #HSCTrials #HSCStudy #Year12 #HSCTips

Celebrating 30 years of HSC CoWorks! 💫

In 1996, @fergusgardiner started working with a small group of HSC students in Bondi Junction. His ability to inspire a genuine passion for learning particularly in English quickly saw that small group grow through word of mouth.

Fergus’ wife @carollgardiner alongside their son @jesseperformancecoach and his wife @sarahgards7 joined the business as it grew, helping to establish campuses in Mosman, Chatswood, Lindfield, Dee Why and Balgowlah. Jesse and Sarah now lead the organisation alongside an incredible team of more than 100 coaches, markers, teachers, an amazing Head Office and Web Development team, and also Emily and Nick who joined our team this year. There have been plenty of ups and downs, milestones, obstacles and lessons along the way, and HSC CoWorks wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible people who have been part of it over the years.

And to every student who has walked through our doors and every parent who has trusted us to play a part in their child’s education, THANK YOU. Your support and trust over the past 30 years means more to us than we can say. We are so grateful to have worked with your child during the most important stage of their schooling career and thank you for championing our program as we strive to support young people develop the skills, habits and mindset that will support them long after their HSC.

And of course to our own family, especially our three children who put up with having both parents in the business and many weekends and evenings spent around the dinner table building new ideas, solving problems, packing study toolkits and everything in between!

We’re incredibly proud of what has been built over the past three decades, but even more excited about what comes next.

Thank you,
Jesse, Sarah, Fergus & Carol Gardiner

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Open post by hsccoworks with ID 18153572545519445
Celebrating 30 years of HSC CoWorks! 💫 In 1996, @fergusgardiner started working with a small group of HSC students in Bondi Junction. His ability to inspire a genuine passion for learning particularly in English quickly saw that small group grow through word of mouth. Fergus’ wife @carollgardiner alongside their son @jesseperformancecoach and his wife @sarahgards7 joined the business as it grew, helping to establish campuses in Mosman, Chatswood, Lindfield, Dee Why and Balgowlah. Jesse and Sarah now lead the organisation alongside an incredible team of more than 100 coaches, markers, teachers, an amazing Head Office and Web Development team, and also Emily and Nick who joined our team this year. There have been plenty of ups and downs, milestones, obstacles and lessons along the way, and HSC CoWorks wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible people who have been part of it over the years. And to every student who has walked through our doors and every parent who has trusted us to play a part in their child’s education, THANK YOU. Your support and trust over the past 30 years means more to us than we can say. We are so grateful to have worked with your child during the most important stage of their schooling career and thank you for championing our program as we strive to support young people develop the skills, habits and mindset that will support them long after their HSC. And of course to our own family, especially our three children who put up with having both parents in the business and many weekends and evenings spent around the dinner table building new ideas, solving problems, packing study toolkits and everything in between! We’re incredibly proud of what has been built over the past three decades, but even more excited about what comes next. Thank you, Jesse, Sarah, Fergus & Carol Gardiner

The HSC matters. But what students build along the way matters even more.

The HSC year is your training ground for life.. where you can develop skills like how to plan ahead, take ownership, tackle challenges, respond to feedback and perform under pressure.

These aren’t just skills for getting through Year 12. They’re the skills, mindset and habits that you will take with you into university, work and whatever comes next.

At HSC CoWorks, our role is to provide the structure, support, coaching and accountability that helps students develop these capabilities, while working towards their HSC goals.

#hsccoworks #hsc2026 #hsc2027 #hscstudyskills #hscmotivation

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Open post by hsccoworks with ID 18141126814573634
The HSC matters. But what students build along the way matters even more. The HSC year is your training ground for life.. where you can develop skills like how to plan ahead, take ownership, tackle challenges, respond to feedback and perform under pressure. These aren’t just skills for getting through Year 12. They’re the skills, mindset and habits that you will take with you into university, work and whatever comes next. At HSC CoWorks, our role is to provide the structure, support, coaching and accountability that helps students develop these capabilities, while working towards their HSC goals. #hsccoworks #hsc2026 #hsc2027 #hscstudyskills #hscmotivation