Curriculum

The term 'curriculum' refers to the 'things we teach'.

The Evans River K-12 School curriculum is designed to provide educational opportunities which:

• engage and challenge all students to maximise their individual talents and capabilities for lifelong learning
• enable all students to develop positive self-concepts and their capacity to establish and maintain safe, health and rewarding lives.
• prepare all students for effective and responsible participation in their society, taking account of moral, ethical and spiritual considerations
• encourage and enable all students to enjoy learning, and to be self-motivated, reflective, competent learners who will be able to take part in further study, work or training
• promote a fair and just society that values diversity
• promote continuity and coherence of learning, and facilitate the transition between primary and secondary schooling.

The curriculum also provides a set of broad learning outcomes which summarise the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes essential for all students to succeed in and beyound their schooling.  These broad learning outcomes indicate that students will:

• understand, develop and communicate ideas and information
• access, analyse, evaluate and use information from a variety of sources
• work collaboratively with others to achieve individual and collective goals
• possess the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle
• understand and appreciate the physical, biological and technological world and make responsible and informed decisions in relation to their world
• understand and appreciate the social, cultural, geographical and historical contexts, and participate as active and informed citizens
• express themselves through creative activity and engage with the artistic, cultural and intellectual work of others
• understand and apply a variety of analytical and creative techniques to solve problems.
• understand, interpret and apply concepts related to numerical and spatial patterns, structures and relationships
• be productive, creative and confident in the use of technology and understand the impact of technology on society.
• understand the work environment and be equipped with the knowledge, understanding and skills to evaluate potential career options and pathways
• develop a system of personal values based on their understanding of moral, ethical and spiritual matters.

Students with Special Education Needs

In the K-6 curriculum, students with special education needs are provided for in the following ways;

• through the inclusion of outcomes and content in syllabuses which provide for the full range of students
• through the development of additional advice and programming support for teachers to assist students to access the outcomes of the syllabus
• through the development of specific support documents for students with special education needs
• through teachers and parents planning together to ensure that syllabus outcomes and content reflect the learning needs and priorities of students.

Students with special education needs build on their achievements in K-6 as they progress through their secondary study and undertake courses to meet the requirements for the School Certificate and senior school credentials.

It is necessary to continue focusing on the needs, interests and abilities of each student when planning a program for school.  The program will comprise the most appropriate combination of courses, outcomes and content available.

Life Skills

For most students with special education needs, the outcomes and content included in our mainstream curriculum will be appropriate, but for a small percentage of these students, particularly those with an intellectual disability, it may be determined that these outcomes and content are not appropriate.  For these students the Life Skills outcomes and content, and Life Skills assessment strategies provide the basis for developing a relevant and meaningful program.

Curriculum Related Policies

In addition, the following policies are to be implemented.  These policies describe expectations and provide guidance to school in priority area of student learning and development.  The requirements of the policies can be met through the delivery of a range of Board of Studies syllabuses, and through other activities developed by schools.

• AIDS Education
• Aboriginal Education
• Anti-Discrimination Procedures
• Anti-Racism Education
• Child Protection Education
• Comptuers in Schools Program
• Drug Education
• Environmental Education
• Gender Education
• Gifted and Talented Education
• Information Skills
• Libraries in Schools
• Multicultural Education
• Road Safety and Driver Education
• Special Education, Handbook for Schools
• Student Welfare