Curriculum Framework Policy

Purpose

Glen Waverley South Primary School is committed to lifelong learning by providing an inclusive, supportive and nurturing community in which diversity is valued and celebrated. Our innovative curriculum and culture of excellence creates a stimulating learning environment that engages and challenges students to achieve personal success and make positive contributions to society.

Our school encourages students to strive for excellence in all of their endeavours.  At Glen Waverley South Primary School our 21st century curriculum presents students with the opportunity to develop deep understandings on a range of concepts throughout their school lives.

Our broad curriculum is planned and taught sequentially and allows students to have some ownership in all aspects of their learning. It is designed to develop thinking and social skills, foster engagement with the wider community and include use of a wide variety of technology to assist in student learning.

To support the delivery of the curriculum at Glen Waverley South Primary School we access and select a wide range of suitable educational resources, set homework that enhances classroom learning and undertake a range of student assessment and reporting activities.

Scope

Schools use a range of curriculum options, including Victorian Curriculum, to develop and provide education programs that are meaningful for students. Curriculum covers all the arrangements the school makes for students’ development and learning.  It includes the course content, student activities, teaching approaches, the way in which teachers and classes are organised and decisions on the need for and the use of facilities and resources.

The Curriculum will allow every Glen Waverley South Primary School student the opportunity to develop:

• a solid foundation in knowledge, understanding, skills and values on which further learning and adult life can be built
• deep knowledge, understanding, skills and values that will enable advanced learning and an ability to create new ideas and translate them into practical applications
• general capabilities that underpin flexible and analytical thinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise.

Policy

Glen Waverley South Primary School is committed to implement a dynamic curriculum program that:

• is outcome focussed;
• is engaging and relevant and enables students to develop deep levels of knowledge, processes and skills for life-long learning;
• is differentiated in approaches to teaching that cater for the needs of students with a range of interests, abilities, skills, and motivation;
• provides opportunities for students to think, reflect and become independent, resourceful and adaptable learners;
• enables students to interact with other students and the wider community;
• is compliant with Department of Education and Training (DET) policies and based on the Victorian Curriculum. Refer to:

https://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Implementation

Each year Glen Waverley South Primary School (GWSPS) will map out its curriculum plan. All students Years Foundation – 6 are provided with access to all Victorian Curriculum learning areas, capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities through our daily, weekly, term and annual planning. Extensive documentation includes curriculum mapping, curriculum statements, assessment schedule, reporting statements, yearly and term overviews, unit plans and weekly planners.

The following table provides the time tabled allocation for the Victorian Curriculum learning domains at Glen Waverley South Primary School.  In addition our guided inquiry approach encourages purposeful cross curriculum opportunities to enhance learning through meaningful context.

Time Tabled Allocation		Minimum Timetabled Hours per Week	Weekly %
English		10	40%
Mathematics		5	20%
Inquiry		2-3	8-12%
Physical Education and Sport		1-3	4-12%
The Arts	Visual Arts Performing Arts	2	8%
Languages		1	4%
Assembly/Values		1	4%

 

Learning areas	Capabilities
The Arts Dance Drama Media Arts Music Visual Arts Visual Communication Design   English English English as an Additional Language (EAL)   Health and Physical Education   The Humanities Civics and Citizenship Economics and Business Geography History   Languages   Mathematics   Science   Technologies Design and Technologies Digital Technologies	Critical and Creative Thinking Ethical Intercultural Personal and Social

 

English (see GWSPS English Policy)

• English learning should encompass the modes of Reading and Viewing, Writing and Speaking and Listening as outlined in Victorian Curriculum.
• It is expected that a two hour literacy block be scheduled each day. This can include integrating literacy teaching across other areas of learning.

Mathematics (see GWSPS Mathematics Policy)

• Mathematics teaching should encompass the areas of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry and Statistics and Probability as outlined in Victorian Curriculum.
• It is expected that an hour numeracy block be scheduled each day. This could be integrated across other areas of learning.

Health and Physical Education

• In accordance with DET policy, Glen Waverley South Primary School will mandate the following times to Physical Education:

• F-2:  1 hour specialist session each week; Foundation additional 30 minutes per week as PMP.
• 3-6:  3 hours per week of physical education and sport with 60 minutes for physical education.

• The school will be a member of WESA each year (Sports Association).
• The school will participate in the WESA sport events summer sport, winter sport, athletics and cross country.
• The swimming program will run once per year for each year level.
• The Physical Education program will be supplemented by outside sporting associations that may run clinics in Physical Education sessions to support the development of specific sporting skills.
• The school will integrate Health Education, Life Education and Drug Education into the curriculum, in accordance with DET policy. Other health related topics that the school will cover include Healthy Eating, Student Wellbeing (e.g. Habits of Mind, School Values).

Languages

• According to DET policy, schools must provide tuition in languages from Foundation to Year 10 by a suitably qualified teacher and report student achievement from Level 4 onwards. 
• At Glen Waverley South Primary School the Language is Japanese.

Information and Communications Technologies

• At Glen Waverley South Primary School it is a priority to include technologies across the whole school curriculum.
• In the Victorian Curriculum, the technologies includes Design and Technology and Digital Technologies.
• The technologies provide a framework for students to learn how to use technologies to create innovative solutions that meet current and future needs. Students are encouraged to make decisions about the development and use of technologies, considering the impacts of technological change and how technologies may contribute to a sustainable future. The curriculum provides practical opportunities for students to be users, designers and producers of new technologies.
• In Design and Technology, students use design thinking and technologies to generate and produce designed solutions. In Digital Technology, students use computational thinking and information systems to analyse, design and develop digital solutions.

Students with Disabilities

• The Department of Education and Training and GWSPS are committed to delivering an inclusive education system that ensures all students, including students with disabilities, have access to a quality education that meets their diverse needs.

• GWSPS will liaise with DET to provide suitable programs and resources to support the delivery of high quality schooling for students with disabilities.

Guidelines

• The Principal has the overall responsibility for the implementation of curriculum at the school. Aspects of this role can be delegated to other staff members and curriculum leaders who will work in conjunction with the principal in developing curriculum delivery and programs. Strategic Teams will be formed to develop specific curriculum areas and provide advice to the staff as a whole.
• This policy works in conjunction with the Mathematics and English policies.
• This policy works in conjunction with the Assessment and Reporting and Homework policies.
• The curriculum taught at Glen Waverley South Primary School will encompass all the areas in The Victorian Curriculum.
• The school will ensure that it has a comprehensive budget to support curriculum programs. Budget requests will be formulated by program leaders in October before the next school year. These will be compiled by the Principal and discussed in the Finance Subcommittee meeting. Indicative budgets must be approved by School Council prior to the school year. Program Leaders are strongly encouraged to expend curriculum budgets in first and second terms of the school year.
• The GWSPS Strategic Plan is the school’s statement to its community about what it stands for and intends to do, over the next four years, to improve student outcomes. It defines what the school values most and sets out the school’s goals and targets, key strategies for improvement and its resourcing priorities.
• The GWSPS Annual Implementation Plan outlines one-year goals that are steps towards achieving the broader targets set in the Strategic Plan. It also provides a reference point for monitoring the school’s progress in meeting the goals and targets set in its Strategic Plan.
• Each term, level teams will produce a curriculum planning document detailing the learning focuses of the term. Weekly Professional Learning Team meetings will have a focus on student learning data and planning in order to provide differentiated approaches to teaching that cater for the needs of students with a range of interests, abilities, skills, and motivation. This will include references to the Victorian Curriculum. http://victoriancurriculum.vcaa.vic.edu.au/.
• Curriculum and level leaders will ensure the Victorian Curriculum scope and sequence and curriculum coverage is monitored across the school. Strategic teams and professional learning, teaching and learning teams are responsible for core curriculum development and delivery.
• The school has developed a structured approach to curriculum planning that ensures a shared vision within the school on curriculum development, common documentation and common understandings of the whole school curricular.
• The teaching of literacy and numeracy will be an integral component in all curriculum planning and delivery.
• The teaching of Science will be an integral component in curriculum planning and delivery.
• The teaching of the humanities will be an integral component in curriculum planning and delivery.
• Learning about the cross-curriculum priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Sustainability is embedded in the learning areas of the Victorian Curriculum F–10.
• The school will have a range of specialist programs to deliver various curriculum programs such as Languages, Physical Education, Performing Arts and Visual Arts. These will be offered depending on school/DET priorities, access to qualified teaching staff, and timetable provisions.
• GWSPS curriculum will incorporate the guided inquiry approach which encourages purposeful cross curriculum opportunities to enhance learning through meaningful context. A range of thinking curriculum tools such as ‘Habits of Mind’, ‘Debono’s Thinking Hats’, ‘Bloom’s Taxonomy’ and ‘Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences’ will compliment this curriculum.

 

• A range of DET programs will support curriculum delivery in the school. These may include English as an Additional Language (EAL), Reading Recovery program, Literacy Intervention, Health Education, Drug Education, Koorie Education, Gifted Education, ESL New Arrivals Program, and the Program for Students with Disabilities. (PSD) For more information about the PSD see:

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/learningneeds/Pages/psdhandbook.aspx

• A range of teaching resources will be accessed when developing curriculum programs. The school will ensure that teaching and learning resources balance the need to provide challenging and engaging learning programs for students with the use of materials that do not offend students and the wider community. Teaching and learning resources include any spoken, written or visual text or activity used or conducted by schools such as text books, novels, films, plays, radio programs, multimedia, digital learning resources including video, audio, text, animations and images, lectures, speeches and performances.  Teaching resources can be commercial products or those accessed on the DET website, FUSE.  See:  https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal-search?q=student+learning&page=1
• A comprehensive assessment schedule will be devised and implemented to support assessment of student learning (See GWSPS Assessment Schedule).
• The school will offer excursions and/or incursions to complement the curriculum. Generally two excursions and two incursions will be organised per year. Other experiences, such as camps, sporting programs and leadership courses will also be offered.
• Special school events and days will be celebrated at the school to enhance curriculum programs. For example: STEAM Week, Education Week, Harmony Day, Book Week.

Program Evaluation and Review

Strategic teams will meet regularly (at least twice per term) to track whole school data and identify potential curriculum areas that require focus.  Professional learning teams will meet weekly to track level data and identify potential curriculum areas that require focus.  Data analysed will include, but is not limited to, NAPLAN, On Demand, Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT), Running Records, school based testing, teacher judgments based on learning outcomes in the Victorian Curriculum. Tools used will include Googledocs and Compass.

Student learning outcomes data will be reported in the Annual Report to the School Community provided to the DET, and also available on the State Register maintained by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority and on the school website.

References

• The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/earlyyears/index.asp

Links to DET School Policy & Advisory Guide:

• Curriculum
• Using Digital Technologies to Support Learning and Teaching
• Student Wellbeing and Learning
• Students with Disabilities
• Koorie Education

Related policies:

• Mathematics Policy
• English Policy
• Assessment & Reporting Policy
• Homework Policy

Evaluation

This policy was last ratified by School Council on 27/07/2020 and will be reviewed as part of the school’s three-year review cycle.