Steps is for any student who is looking to score top marks in Year 11 and 12, and want to ensure that the study that they do now is relevant to succeeding in Year 11 and 12. The Steps program helps Year 9 students build strong foundations in Maths and English; the two most important subjects needed to excel in Year 11 and 12.

Maths: By developing strong numeracy, and proficiency in the core topics of Mathematics, Steps students are not only equipped to perform the higher levels of Mathematics, they are also well placed to choose the other highest-scaling subjects in the HSC, such as Physics, Chemistry, and Economics.

English: Strong reading, analytic and writing skills are an essential to succeeding in English and other humanities courses.

Doing well in Mathematics in Year 9 is important not only because it gives the student the greatest opportunity in taking the higher levels of Mathematics in Year 11 and 12 (Maths Extension 1 & 2, which also attract the highest scaling), but also because mathematical concepts underpin the majority of the theory in other high scaling subjects.

Subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Economics constantly test mathematical concepts and weak numeracy often limits the highest marks that students can achieve in these subjects.

Hence, a strong foundation in Maths can prepare students for success in 8 units of the HSC (the other two units must be English units)

English is the only compulsory subject in the HSC and hence your performance in English is a critical factor in determining your ATAR. Strong textual analysis, and clear and concise writing skills not only help you develop the foundations needed to succeed in English, these very same skills are needed to perform well in humanities, such as History, Geography and Economics.

Furthermore, whilst many students recognise that English is important, they often start too late. Even for naturally gifted students, it is impossible to become good at English overnight. The Steps English helps develop these skills early, focusing on building strong verbal and written communication skills. Steps English builds proficiency in textual analysis (prose, poetry, non-fiction), creative writing, essay writing and public speaking.

Even if you're scoring top marks in Year 9 and 10, our Steps programs can ensure that you remain competitive in Year 11 and 12 - the years which will ultimately determine your ATAR.

Many students who do well in the earlier years of secondary school are often surprised when their rankings and scores start to drop in Year 11 and 12. In year 11 and 12, the level of competition becomes much higher, as most students start to take their studies seriously. A lot of students find that their marks start suddenly start to drop, as many students who did not usually perform well academically start concentrating more time and effort on their studies.

The Steps course builds strong foundations in the fundamentals subjects of the HSC, to ensure that our students are prepared to achieve the top ranks in Year 11 and 12. Good written communications skills and strong numerical ability are an integral part of succeeding in almost all subjects in the HSC. Having a strong foundation in Maths and English not only determines your marks in Maths and English alone, it will ultimately have a bearing on your performance in other subjects such as the sciences and the humanities.

At Talent 100, we understand that excessive tutoring in the junior years of high school can lead to 'burnout' in the later years and can be counter-productive to your HSC. The Steps course ensures that your time at tuition is efficient and kept to a minimum and at the same time, the skills that you do develop will provide a strong foundation for success in all subjects you take in the Year 11 and 12.

The only course we offer in Year 9 is our Steps Mathematics and Steps English. We believe that with the strong numerical foundations in Steps Maths in Year 9 will help them successfully in our Year 10 Headstart programs, which do include Maths, Physics & Chemistry.

Conversely, our English programs develop the key analytic, reading and writing skills need to succeed in Year 10 English and beyond, and helps students who chose to do humanities write concisely and effectively.