The Australian Curriculum - Information for parents and carers

2023 has seen Ambrose Treacy College staff familiarising the revised version 9 Australian Curriculum changes. The Australian Curriculum is designed to develop successful learners who are confident, creative and informed individuals, ready to take their place in society. It sets clear goals for what all students should learn as they progress through schooling – wherever they live in Australia and whatever school they attend.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.

Nelson Mandela

The revised Australian Curriculum reflects the latest research, pedagogical approaches and global trends in education, and through our implementation we are ensuring that our students receive the best possible learning experiences and growth. At ATC we are fostering critical and creative thinking, diverse perspectives and digital literacies to ensure our students are equipped with essential life skills for the challenges and opportunities of the 21^st century.

Using the revised curriculum, teachers at Ambrose Treacy College, utilise each component of the Australian Curriculum and have begun planning engaging and meaningful opportunities and programs ready for implementation in 2024. Staff have used 2023 to reflect on current practices and units of work, understand the changes and the implications of curriculum elements that have been included or moved within year levels. Teacher collaboration across year levels has been key to developing rigorous, relevant and future focused teaching and learning. Next year, ATC will introduce new units of work within the subject areas of English and Mathematics, while continuing to plan, rewrite and modernise work within all other subject areas. Through this work we are committed to fostering critical thinking, creativity and essential life skills, for the benefit of all our students and their educational journey.

An overview of the revised English and Mathematics is below. More information can be found via the ACARA website.

Year 4

English

Students read and write about familiar content that relates to other learning areas. Students read more difficult texts on their own, such as chapter books and non-fiction information texts.

Students learn to:

read and understand a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive texts
create written and multimodal texts that tell stories, persuade and explain
recognise that images add meaning to texts
discuss characters, events and settings in texts by First Nations Australian, Australian and world authors and illustrators
recognise different kinds of language used in texts for different audiences and purposes
create texts using simple and compound sentences
use accurate spelling and punctuation, and edit their own writing
plan and create oral and multimodal presentations
engage in discussions to share ideas, information and opinions.

Mathematics

Students further develop their understanding of number, patterns and relationships, measurement and geometry. They represent fractions and decimals using concrete materials as they begin to conduct statistical investigations and repeated chance experiments.

Students learn to:

choose strategies to add, subtract, multiply and divide numbers
represent the value of money and model problems involving money transactions
understand and recall all 4 operation facts
represent fractions on a number line
use algorithms to explore number patterns
use metric units to measure temperature, length, mass and capacity of shapes and objects
solve practical problems involving time
use grid referenced maps
create symmetrical geometric patterns and classify angles, shapes and objects
conduct statistical investigations and repeated chance experiments, using digital tools.

Year 5 and 6

English

Students read and discuss texts for enjoyment and learning. They express their thoughts and opinions about what they have read. They write a wide variety of well-constructed texts such as reviews, reports and narratives. They transfer the literacy skills developed in English to other learning areas.

Students learn to:

understand how authors organise their texts
select vocabulary to represent ideas, characters and events
discuss and compare information in different texts
use evidence from a text to explain their response to it
find historical, social and cultural ideas in literature by First Nations Australian, wide-ranging Australian and world authors
create written and multimodal texts to develop and explain ideas
write a range of sentences, including complex sentences
use topic-specific vocabulary
use accurate spelling and punctuation
use speaking strategies including questioning, clarifying and rephrasing to contribute to class discussions.

Mathematics

Students extend their knowledge of the key areas of mathematics, particularly fractions, decimals and percentages. They increasingly use mathematical models, pictures and symbols to represent and communicate mathematical ideas and solve practical problems. Students learn to:

position positive and negative numbers on a number line and use them as coordinates in the Cartesian plane
solve problems involving addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals
explain mental strategies and discuss the reasonableness of calculations involving all 4 operations
apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to model and solve practical problems including financial contexts
convert between 12- and 24-hour time and interpret timetables
use algorithms and digital tools to experiment with numbers, describing and explaining emerging patterns
measure length, perimeter, area, capacity and mass using appropriate metric units
list outcomes of chance experiments
conduct repeated chance experiments and simulations using digital tools
compare and interpret statistical graphs
pose appropriate questions and conduct statistical investigations

Miranda Sainsbury

Head of Learning - Junior School

Information retrieved from: ACARA Parent/carer information | V9 Australian Curriculum