1.2 Curriculum Framework Policy

RATIONALE                                                                                                                                                        

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.

Bellarine Secondary College encourage students to strive for excellence in all of their endeavours. To achieve this, the school provides sequential teaching and learning programs that deliver a comprehensive, broadly based and inclusive curriculum.

Each year the school will map out its curriculum offerings.  It will be in the form of a Curriculum Plan (see Appendix A).

PURPOSE

• To guide Bellarine Secondary College in ensuring the College has in place a guaranteed and viable curriculum program accessible to all students, years 7 -12

POLICY STATEMENT

 This policy should be read in conjunction with the Bellarine Secondary College Student Learning Policy 1.1

• Bellarine Secondary College recognises and responds to diverse student need and skills when developing its curriculum programs and curriculum plan (see Appendix A).
• Bellarine Secondary College complies with all Department of Education and Training (DET)and Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) guidelines regarding curriculum and student learning.
• Bellarine Secondary College offers a broad range of programs to meet the demands of students.
• The Australian Curriculum, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (AusVELS) and the Victorian Curriculum will be implemented from Years 7 to 10 at Bellarine Secondary College as required.
• Broad Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning(VCAL) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs will be offered
• The DET places a high priority on the teaching of Physical and Sport Education and Languages. Bellarine Secondary College also places a high priority on the teaching of these learning areas.
• Bellarine Secondary College curriculum programs are designed to enhance effective learning.
• Preparing young people for the transition from school into further education and careers is a critical element of the senior secondary program.
• Teaching and learning programs will be resourced through Program Budgets.

IMPLEMENTATION

• Bellarine Secondary College will provide a variety of programs that will address the specific needs of students in relation to gender, special learning needs, disabilities and impairments, giftedness and students from language backgrounds other than English.
• Bellarine Secondary College identifies and caters for the different needs of particular cohorts of students when developing its curriculum plan.
• Bellarine Secondary College when developing its Curriculum Plan will provide at least 25 hours of student instruction per week.
• The Student Learning Team will determine the curriculum program for the following year, based on student demand and the needs of the school’s Curriculum Plan to maintain balance and a broad provision of subject and program choices.
• Input will be sought from the relevant staff in the curriculum area when determining programs for the following school year.
• The AusVELS and the Victorian Curriculum will be used as a framework for curriculum development and delivery at years 7 to 10 in accordance with DET policy and guidelines.
• The College will meet all VCE and VCAL requirements as determined by the DET and the VCAA
• VET programs will be offered delivered both at the College and at Registered Training Organisations (RTO). VET programs delivered at the College will be auspiced by an RTO. College staff will have the required professional development and qualifications to deliver these programs.
• Every year Bellarine Secondary College will do an audit of the year 7 to 10 curriculum using an audit tool (Word – 32Kb). This tool will enable professional learning teams to audit the curriculum of a particular program to see which domains, dimensions and standards of the AusVELS and/or the Victorian Curriculum are currently being addressed. This audit will inform future curriculum planning.
• Bellarine Secondary College will participate in all VCAA audit programs for VCE and VCAL programs
• The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) will be integrated across the curriculum to support the improvement of teaching and learning outcomes.
• In developing its curriculum plan Bellarine Secondary College will provide a broad range of educational pathways to ensure improved student outcomes.
• Curriculum leaders will be required to review their policy statement and prepare a comprehensive annual program budget. These will be submitted to the Student Learning Team and then to College Council.
• The Student Learning Team will facilitate the regular analysis of student learning data and identify potential curriculum areas that require focus. Data analysed will include, but is not limited to, NAPLAN, On Track, Post Compulsory Completion and Achievement Information, VCE Data Service and VCE Examination Results Service, school based testing, teacher judgments based on learning outcomes in AC , AusVELSs and the Victorian Curriculum as appropriate.
• Student learning outcomes data will be reported in the Annual Report to the Bellarine Secondary College community provided to the DET, will be available on the State Register maintained by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority and on the school website.
• Curriculum documents are currently under review and are published on the College intranet as they are underdevelopment.
• Appendix A: Curriculum Plan contains broad detail of the curriculum to be delivered in a particular year including time allocations

REFERENCES

• http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/curriculum/default.htm
• http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/curriculum/year10to12.htm
• http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/curriculum/elearning.htm
• http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/
• http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vcal/index.html
• Bellarine Secondary College Student Learning Policy. Policy Number 1.1

EVALUATION

This policy will be reviewed every three years or more frequently if necessary due to changes in regulations or circumstances.

Bellarine Secondary College Curriculum Plan                                      Appendix A

Years 7 – 10

The curriculum is based on the AusVELS standards and will be aligned with the Victorian Curriculum from 2017. The timetable is structured on a weekly basis. Each period averages 48.5 minutes. The breakdown of the weekly cycle is as follows:

Years 7 and 8

VCE and VCAL Program     (VCAL programs are developed to meet the individual needs of the student)