Senior School

Year 7 and 8 are located at the Senior School at Barkers Road, Kew in the dedicated Kostka Precinct. Our Jesuit identity is reflected in our curriculum makeup, the framework of how our curriculum is structured at 7&8 includes; Core Curriculum, Major Studies and Electives. As students’ progress through to the senior years, the Major Studies carry through years 9&10 and elective offerings expand. The Year 7&8 Curriculum is enhanced by our Instrumental Program, Reading sessions, Liturgical Singing, Personal Formation and Sports.

In Year 7&8 we have a focus on Literacy and Numeracy, this is taught through practical electives. These are aligned to the “Action” stage of the Ignatian pedagogical Paradigm, this is the stage where learnt knowledge can be consolidated, applied and through its application solidified. In Year 7, Students each complete a semester of Literacy and Numeracy in Action, at Year 8, students have a choice of their applied Numeracy elective; Statistics, Data Science, Extending though Problem Solving, Computational Thinking and Rockets and Energy. These Numeracy and Literacy electives are designed to pique students interest and engage them in rich tasks that demonstrate how literacy skills can be applied in a variety of subject domains in practical applications in the real world.

“Action – in Jesuit education, learning leads to action. Teachers provide imaginative and engaging opportunities for pupils to try out new skills, to use new knowledge, to exercise new ways of expressing themselves, their beliefs, values and questions.” (Ignatian Pedagogy An abridged version of the document on teaching and learning in a Jesuit school.)

Through the Kostka Precinct, Students have access to Library facilities, specialist classrooms in the Arts studio, an immersive drama space, a design and technologies workshop and digital technologies and Science lab.

You can access the 2025 Year 7&8 Curriculum Guide here.

In the tradition of Jesuit Education, we offer a Liberal Arts curriculum. In practice, this is done as an extension of the Core subjects through additional Major Studies in Year 9 and 10. The Major Studies cover Humanities, Arts and Languages. Students have a breadth of Languages, Arts and Humanities Majors to choose from. The breadth supports inclusion, diversity and engagement as well as providing opportunities to study content and subjects for passion, fun and enrichment. All of this aims to educate the whole person.

The study of art forms is what makes us fully human and develops our God-given talents in artistic expression. Studying the arts also develops creative problem-solving techniques, skills required for contemporary workplaces all over the world. Students will also continue their study of Languages through to Year 9. The study of Languages provides opportunity for cultural understanding and the appreciation of linguistics.

The Major Studies in Years 9 and 10 are a point of difference in the Xavier Curriculum. The subject options for students within the Major Studies are based on the Victorian Curriculum and have connected pathways to VCE courses.

At Xavier, we renew and innovate our curriculum to represent student interests, meet their future pathways demands, changes in technologies and to present contemporary opportunities for subjects and offerings for students. Recently, we have added the following subjects to Year 9: Philosophy, Astronomy, Mechanical Engineering & Design and a renewed robotics course; Applied Computer Science. At Year 10, we have added: Psychology, Electrotechnologies, Systems Engineering and Design, Product Design and Philosophical Inquiry.

You can access the 2025 9&10 Curriculum Guide here.