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Educational Programs |
          
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OVERVIEW There are six Key Learning Areas (KLAs) in the primary curriculum
In English students develop knowledge, skills and understandings about language and literature. As well as being a key learning area in its own right, English also has a wider role as a means of learning in all key learning areas. The English K-6 Syllabus is based on an approach to language that describes the ways people use language. People use language for three main purposes:
The aim of English K-6 is to develop students’ ability in using language effectively and critically, and to encourage positive attitudes towards learning English. Competence in English will enable students to learn about themselves, their own and other cultures, to communicate their thoughts and feelings, to participate in society, to make informed decisions about personal and social issues, to analyse information and viewpoints, and to use their imagination. English K-6 outcomes and content are organised in three strands:
The outcomes describe the knowledge, skills, understanding and strategies students demonstrate when learning to talk, listen, read and write. They also specify the knowledge and understanding students develop when learning about spoken and written language. When students engage in the English learning experiences in English K-6, they develop the ability to talk, listen, read, view and write with purpose, effect and confidence. They develop knowledge of the ways in which language varies according to context, purpose, audience and content. Students are encouraged to develop their enjoyment, confidence and independence in learning about and using spoken and written language. Students will develop a sound grasp of the language structures and grammar of standard Australian English. Students learn how spoken texts are constructed as they talk and listen for different purposes and different audiences in a variety of situations. In learning to talk and listen, students will develop oral presentations skills, listening skills and interactions skills. Students learn to produce written texts using well-structured sentences, correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. They will learn to write using NSW Foundation Style Handwriting and are encouraged to use correct pencil grip and maintain good posture. They will also learn processes such as drafting, revising, conferencing, editing, proof reading and publishing. English K-6 provides students with the foundation for using and learning English throughout their lives. The aim of Mathematics in K-6 is to develop students’ mathematical thinking, understanding, competence and confidence in the application of mathematics, their creativity, enjoyment and appreciation of the subject, and their engagement in lifelong learning. The Mathematics K-6 Syllabus is organised into six strands – One process strand: *Working Mathematically and five content strands: * Number * Patterns and Algebra * Data * Measurement * Space and Geometry. The aim of the K-6 Mathematics syllabus is that students will develop knowledge, skills and understanding:
Students will also:
Human Society and its Environment (HSIE) In HSIE students learn about the people and the social and physical environments in Australia and other parts of the world. HSIE develops particular skills in acquiring information, using and inquiry process and in social and civic participation. HSIE also contributes to the development of skills from other key learning areas, such as reading, writing, graphing, designing and making and visually representing an idea or viewpoint. HSIE encourages students to develop positive values and attitudes about themselves, others, the world that they live in and their future. The aim of HSIE is to develop in students values and attitudes, skills and knowledge and understandings that:
Human Society and its Environment is the key learning area in which students develop knowledge and understandings about:
These strands organise the knowledge, which is vital in developing understanding about Australia’s history and geography, the people that live within its territory and their social, cultural, economic and political lives. Students also learn about Australia and Australia’s context in the Asian and the Pacific regions. The development of skills is an important aspect of learning and teaching in Human Society and its Environment. Students develop skills in:
The development of attitudes and values underpins teaching and learning. By studying issues and events within this area, students identify, clarity, analyse and evaluate their attitudes and values as well as the attitudes and values of others. Science and Technology provides opportunities for students to learn about natural and man made environments to engaging in scientific and technological activity. Science and Technology involves students in investigating, designing and making, and using technology. The aim of Science and Technology is to develop in students competence, confidence and responsibility in their interactions with science and technology leading to:
Science is concerned with finding out about the world in a systematic way. Science is not just a body of knowledge but is also a process of investigation. Due to the rate at which scientific activity is generating knowledge in the area, the syllabus supports learning by providing students with the processes and skills to access this knowledge. The syllabus assists students to understand themselves and the environment and provides opportunities for them to develop independent rational thought and responsible action. In science the syllabus emphasises first-hand experiences, investigating, designing, problem solving and clarifying understandings. Technology is concerned with the purposeful and creative use of resources in an effort to meet perceived needs or goals. It extends beyond the tools and technical inventions of a society and involves the application of human skills, knowledge, techniques and processes to expressive and practical problem-solving situations in all aspects of human life. The syllabus assists students to manage and influence technological change and to gain greater control over their lives in an increasingly technological world. In technology the syllabus emphasises purposeful learning through designing, making and investigating. These processes involve consideration of issues such as social and environmental responsibility in the application of technology. The syllabus requires that students learn about and engage in:
Within this syllabus students will engage in these processes and as a result will develop their knowledge of a range of scientific and technological concepts. These concepts are embodied in each of the content strands of the syllabus. Learning about science and technology will occur in relation to each of the strands. The content strands are:
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) PDHPE provides and promotes participation in regular and varied physical activity. It addresses a wide range of personal and community health issues that require sensitive treatment, including drug education and Child Protection. These include some important issues facing society today and will be taught in a manner that supports the role of parents and reflects the ideals of the school community. PDHPE is an important key learning area for students and the community because it:
The aim of PDHPE is to develop in each student the knowledge and understanding, skills and values and attitudes needed to lead healthy, active and fulfilling lives. The subject matter in PDHPE is organised into eight interrelated strands:
These are five essential skills that students develop from PDHPE. They are:
The Creative Arts – visual arts, music, drama and dance- provide significant ways of understanding our experiences of the world. They promote vital ways of communicating, through symbolic forms, ideas, experiences, emotions, values and beliefs. They provide opportunities for personal expression, imagination, and creativity and for cultural expression. The Creative Arts is organised in four strands:
The syllabus provides opportunities for students to learn to work within each of the artforms, and to learn about them. The relationship between what each student is learning to do and what they are learning about in the creative arts, is central to the development of their knowledge, skills, understanding, and values. Many children will love the learning experiences offered in visual arts, music, drama and dance and will enjoy using their own creative abilities in the works they make, perform and compose. They will develop practical understanding of ways in which each of the artforms requires its own thinking and planning. Each of the artforms encourages children to reflect on the activities in which they participate. Visual arts students develop knowledge, skills and understanding in making artworks informed by their investigations of the subject matter, their use of expressive forms and their consideration of the audience for their works. They also develop their knowledge, skills and understandings in appreciating their own artworks and those of others, recognising some of the relationships between artists, artworks, audiences and ways in which the world can be interpreted. Music students develop knowledge, skills and understanding in performing music of different styles and from different times and cultures. They also develop their knowledge, skills and understandings in listening to and discussing their own music and that of others. Drama students develop knowledge, skills and understanding in making drama collaboratively by taking on roles and creating imagined situations shaped by the elements of drama, and in performing drama by actively engaging in drama forms. They also develop their knowledge, skills and understandings in appreciating their own dramatic works and those of others. Dance students develop knowledge, skills and understandings in composing their own dances using the elements and contexts of dance, and in performing their own dances and the dances of others from different times and cultures. They also develop knowledge, skills and understandings in appreciating their own dances and those of others. In the longer term, learning in the Creative Arts assists students in their lifelong learning in the visual arts, music drama and dance. It also assists students to contribute to cultural life, to become informed consumers of the arts and culture, and to better understand and identify with others.
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