The Australian Curriculum and Achievement Standards at Lyneham
High School
The introduction of the Australian Curriculum in ACT schools has resulted in a number of changes to the
curriculum taught at Lyneham High School and to the way in which we assess and report on student
achievement.
This is a brief summary of how these changes will affect Lyneham High School students, some details about
how each key learning area has been affected and also some answers to frequently asked questions.
The Australian Curriculum
All students at Lyneham High School are being taught the Australian Curriculum in English, Mathematics,
Science and History (referred to as Phase 1 subjects) and in Geography (referred to as a Phase 2 subject).
Over the next few years, other subjects, currently in consultation, draft or early implementation stages, will
be phased into the school
Achievement Standards
Phase 1 subjects (English, Mathematics, Science and History) are all being assessed against the Achievement
Standards of the Australian Curriculum for all students in Years 7-10.
The Achievement Standard is the equivalent of a “C” grade. This means that if a student is given a C grade in
English, Mathematics, Science or History (years 7-10) they are meeting the expectations of the standards set
by the Australian Curriculum.
Details of the Australian Curriculum and the new Achievement Standards against which students will be
assessed can be found at www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
Streaming
At Lyneham High School we have traditionally streamed students in many classes, including English,
Mathematics, Science and SoSE. We will continue to do this.
We believe that students benefit from streaming because streaming allows teachers to more easily make
adjustments in the pace of their teaching, the provision of extension work, the degree of scaffolding provided
and the level of independent learning expected.
We also recognise that with proper support and hard work, all students can learn and make progress. We
want to keep our streaming flexible and allow students to work at different levels in different subjects and
provide opportunities for students to move between different levels.
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Under the new Australian Curriculum nearly all students will be accessing the same curriculum and will be
assessed to the same standard, regardless of level.
The exception to this will be students in the Learning Support Centre and Learning Support Units and a very
small number of students who are not accessing the Australian Curriculum at the age appropriate level. These
students are enrolled in P subjects (P for personalised, for example, “English P”). These students will be
assessed against an Individual Learning Plan or personalised learning program.
What this means for our School Reports
As students move to being assessed against the Achievement Standards of the Australian Curriculum they will
be assessed to the same standard as every other child within the year group (other than students enrolled in P
subjects), regardless of class level. This may be a difficult adjustment to make for some students and for some
parents.
Because the grade in these subjects is no longer linked to the level at which the student has studied, the
school has made the decision not to put a grade on individual subject reports. It is now more important than
ever that students and parents focus on the rich information included in the report and on areas for further
development.
The grade will appear on the A-E Summary report.
Subject Specific Information
Below is some information about the introduction of the Australian Curriculum in our Key Learning Areas.
English
All students, other than ‘P’ students are now accessing the Australian Curriculum at the appropriate year level
and are being assessed against the Achievement Standards.
Mathematics
All students, other than ‘P’ students, are now accessing the Australian Curriculum at the appropriate year level
and are being assessed against the Achievement Standards.
Science
All students, other than ‘P’ students, are now accessing the Australian Curriculum at the appropriate year level
and are being assessed against the Achievement Standards.
Studies of Society and the Environment (SoSE)
All students studying History, other than ‘P’ students, are now accessing the Australian Curriculum at the
appropriate year level and are being assessed against the Achievement Standards.
The Phase 2 subject, Geography, has been introduced at Lyneham High school and will reported against in
2016.
Other subjects forming part of the current SoSE curriculum will be introduced over the next few years.
Arts
The Australian Curriculum in the five Art subjects of Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts will be
introduced over the next couple of years.
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French and Indonesian
The Australian Curriculum will be introduced over the next couple of years.
EAL/D (English as Another Language or Dialect)
Some EAL/D students may be able to access the age-appropriate curriculum in different subjects but decisions
about whether the student should be assessed against their year level standard are made on an individual
basis by their subject teachers in consultation with the EAL/D teachers.
Health/Physical Education
The Australian Curriculum in Health and Physical Education will have two integrated strands (Personal, social
and community health and Movement and physical activity) and will be introduced over the next couple of
years.
Technology
The Australian Curriculum has two main strands – Design and Technologies and Digital Technologies. These will
be introduced over the next few years.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
Will LHS still stream its core classes?
Yes. Streaming will still include LEAP, Level 1, Level 2 & Level 3.
2. How does the curriculum at LHS differ between levels?
All students will be given the opportunity to achieve the standard, as well as demonstrate above
standard for some classes. The difference between levels relates to the pace of the work, the level of
extension activities, the degree of scaffolding and the degree of independent learning.
3.
Will all students be required to complete the same assessment tasks?
Not always. All students will be completing assessment tasks that relate directly to the Achievement
Standards (AS), even if the specific tasks vary between classes and levels.
4.
How will students who are in different levels be compared in terms of their assessment?
Moderation of assessment tasks will be against the AS and between students. This process will also
involve moderation against the work samples provided on the Australian Curriculum website –
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au
5.
If my child fails to reach the standard for one assessment task, does that mean their grade will
be lower than a C?
Students must be provided with a number of opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to reach the
overall AS.
6.
If the Achievement Standard is considered to be a C, how is an A or a B determined?
Work samples on the ACARA website are guides to the standard of achievement. Frequent
moderation within the subject and balanced judgement by teachers in consultation with the rest of
the faculty and the faculty Executive Teacher, will determine grades.
7.
Is there a quota for the number of As, Bs etc. awarded across each subject and year group?
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No. Students will be assessed against the AS and there is no ‘grade curve’ or other quotas that need
to be adhered to.
8.
A student has been awarded several E grades. Can they still attain a Year 10 certificate?
Awarding a Year 10 Certificate is based on satisfactory behaviour and attendance as well as academic
progress, and will continue to be determined on an individual basis at the discretion of the Principal.
9.
Can a student get an A in Level 2?
Yes, through the moderation process and comparison against the AS. In this situation a student’s
placement in Level 2 would be reviewed by the class teacher and Executive Teacher in the subject, as
Level 1 may be a more appropriate placement for them.
10. Does a student who is in P subject for one subject need to be in a P subject for other subjects?
No. Students will be placed into a level of study that is most appropriate for each subject. This is the
case for all students.
11. If a student is placed in a particular level do they have to stay there for all their time at LHS?
No. Student progress and achievement is assessed on an on-going basis. Students may change level
at a time deemed appropriate by the Executive Teacher of the relevant subject area.
12. What happens to assessment weightings of assessment tasks?
Assessment tasks no longer have a specific weighting. Extended tasks will continue to be assigned to
students and assessment of these will be against the AS, along with class work and tests.
13. Will the current "LHS Late Policy" apply?
Unlimited time will not be available to demonstrate AS for some content. There will be a time when
submitted work cannot be used for assessment. The current Late Policy can be found on the Lyneham
High School website at
http://www.lynehamhs.act.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/250601/Late_Submission_of_Work_
and_Extension.pdf
14. What is the impact on semester long subjects such as electives and history?
None of the electives subjects are currently being assessed against the AS. History and Geography are
being studied for a Semester only and a report will be issued at the end of the Semester of study.
15. If the class teacher changes during the year, what will happen with a student’s end of the year
grade?
Records are kept of students' progress during the year and will be passed on to a new class teacher
by the Executive teacher.
16. What happens if my child is absent for a long period of time for legitimate reasons?
Assessment will be adjusted and no penalty will be given for explained, extended absences of five
weeks or more, provided approval has been granted by the school.
Colleen Matheson
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