New syllabuses
in NSW public schools
An introduction
August 2012
Key questions
• Why have a new curriculum in NSW?
• What will the new syllabuses look like?
• How will teachers and schools be supported?
• Where to from here?
Activity 1
What do you know?
What do you need to know?
Why have a new curriculum
in NSW?
Why?
• Up-to-date K-10 curriculum for English, mathematics,
science and history
• Opportunity to develop syllabuses that:
– emphasise a continuum of learning
– are consistent and current
– incorporate cross-curriculum areas
– encourage new approaches to learning
• Alignment of NSW content with the Australian
Curriculum
Advantages for NSW
• National resource sharing for quality and
efficiency
• A learning entitlement for all Australian students
regardless of what school they attend or where
it is located
• Continuity for the 80 000 students and many
teachers who move interstate each year
What will the new syllabuses
look like?
The draft NSW K-10 syllabuses
• The Board of Studies NSW has developed draft K-10
syllabuses for English, mathematics, science and history.
• NSW school teachers will only need to teach in accordance
with the new K-10 syllabus documents developed for NSW.
• The Board advises all schools to continue to use the existing
NSW K-12 syllabuses for 2012 and 2013.
Implementation timeline
2012
2013
2014
K-6
2016
Implement
English
Mathematics
Optional
Implement
Science and
Technology
Optional
Implement
History
English
7-10
2015
Optional
Support
Familiarise
materials
and plan
developed
Implement
Mathematics
Years 7, 9
Science
History
Source: Board of Studies NSW
Years 7, 8, 9, 10
What will stay the same as current NSW
syllabuses?
• Syllabus structure:






Rationale
Aims
Objectives
Outcomes
Content
Stage Statements
• Stage-based organisation
• Life Skills outcomes and content for Years 7-10
What will be different from current NSW
syllabuses?
• Some Learning Area-specific changes in
content and organisation
• Availability of an interactive online version
• More detailed
information is available
in the companion
presentations found on
CLIC’s Australian
Curriculum website.
Learning across the curriculum
Learning across the curriculum:
• is embedded in the descriptions of content as
appropriate
• addresses issues, perspectives and policies that
will assist students to achieve broad learning
outcomes
• takes account of the general capabilities and
cross-curriculum priorities in the Australian
Curriculum.
Learning across the Curriculum
Click to activate
[AHC]
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
[A]
Asia and Australia’s relationship with Asia
[SE]
Sustainability and Environment
[CCT]
Critical and creative thinking
[PSC]
Personal and social competence
[EU]
Ethical Understanding
[ICT]
Information and communication technologies
[IU]
Intercultural Understanding
[L]
Literacy
[N]
Numeracy
[DD]
Difference and diversity
[CC]
Civics and citizenship
[WE]
Work and enterprise
Learning across the curriculum– example
Learning across
Cross-curriculum
the curriculum
areas are
areas are
embedded in the
embedded in the
content and
content and
indicated in square
indicated in square
brackets
brackets
Interactive online format
The new draft syllabuses are available in an
interactive format organised either by:
or
K – 10 Draft Syllabuses
What will be different for each Syllabus?
• Information about each NSW draft syllabus is available
in a PowerPoint presentation on the CLIC website
• Each presentation
 Outlines the key features of the draft syllabus
 Provides details for both K–6 and 7–10
 Can be used for curriculum team discussions
What is new in English K-10?
‣ K-6
• Objectives and outcomes derive from the current 7-10 syllabus;
intended as a means of linking the K-6 and 7-10 components of the
syllabus
• Stronger focus on:
– viewing, representing and visual literacy
– multimodal texts
– comprehension strategies (Stages 2-3)
– the study of literature
– students creating own literary texts (Stages 2-3)
• New focus on:
– appreciation of the English language
– text requirements
– texts from different cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander and Asian texts
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural concepts
– supporting students for whom English is an additional dialect.
What is new in English K-10?
‣ 7-10
• Subtle but important changes in objectives and outcomes
• More explicit focus on:
– grammar
– complex forms of punctuation
– comprehension strategies.
• New focus on:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
consolidation of handwriting skills in Stage 4
conventions for citing and referencing
spelling and word origins
appreciation of the English language
Asian texts
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural concepts
English as an Additional Dialect (EAD) students.
• For more information see the separate English presentation
What is new in Mathematics K-10?
• K-6
– Movement of Stage 4 content into Stage 3
– Changes to Working Mathematically
• 7-10
– Some Stage 5 content in Stage 4
– Changes to Working Mathematically
• For more information see the separate
Mathematics presentation
What is new in Science and Technology K-6
and Science 7-10?
• Science and Technology K-6
– more content
– the strand Material World is new – includes foundations of
chemistry and explores properties and uses of materials
– emphasis on teaching and learning through processes of
Working Scientifically and Working Technologically
• Science 7-10
– simpler structure, with previous syllabus’ Prescribed Focus
Areas now embedded in content
– the skills strand, Working Scientifically, to be taught within
each unit of work
• For more information see the separate Science
presentation
What is new in History K-10?
• K-6
– An emphasis on teaching historical inquiry and skills
– The use of specified topics and content
• 7-10
– Overview and depth studies approach
– Increased flexibility of content delivery in Stage 5
• For more information see the separate History
presentation
Activity 2
Exploring the syllabuses
•What features of the new syllabuses support quality
teaching in each learning area?
• How will you need to modify your teaching and
learning programs?
•What support would you most value?
How will teachers and schools be
supported?
Support for schools
• Initial syllabus support materials will be provided
by the Board of Studies as part of the syllabus
release.
• The Department of Education and Communities
will support syllabus implementation in public
schools with professional learning together with
teaching and learning resources that provide:
– leadership support for principals
– subject/stage support for curriculum leaders and
classroom teachers.
Roles in curriculum change
WHOLE SCHOOL
Roles in
curriculum
change
STATE
OFFICE
REGION
SCHOOL
STATE
REGIONOFFICE
•Provides
Leads
develops
support
resources
a whole-school
for schools
including:
•including:
professional
action
plan for
learning
professional
• learning,
modules
school leadership
updating teaching
• and
guides,
development
learning
templates
programs,
and
• teaching
samples
assisting and
collaboration
learning
• resources
teaching
between schools.
and
etc.learning
• implements
resources the syllabuses
• action planning resources
• collaboration and
communication tools.
How can schools make a start?
• Begin planning for implementation of the new
syllabuses
– Include preparation for implementation in school plans.
– Collaborate with colleagues in your own and other schools
through learning areas, cross-curriculum areas and stages of
learning.
• Watch for the latest news on these websites:
– NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre
– Board of Studies NSW
Activity 3 – Reflection
What have you learnt?
What more do you need to know?
Where to from here?
Senior secondary curriculum
• ACARA has developed draft senior secondary Australian
Curriculum in the four learning areas of English,
mathematics, science and history. For more information,
see the Australian Curriculum development page of the
NSW CLIC website.
• Until further notice NSW teachers are to continue
teaching current NSW syllabuses for senior secondary
courses.
Australian Curriculum development:
Phase 2
• Information on curriculum development and
timelines can be found on the ACARA website
for
– Geography
– Languages
– The Arts
• The NSW Board of Studies will incorporate the
Australian Curriculum in these areas when
developing the NSW syllabuses.
Australian Curriculum development:
Phase 3
• See the ACARA website for information on other
learning areas including
– Health and Physical Education
– Technologies (including information and
communication technology and design and
technology)
– Business/Economics
– Civics and Citizenship
• ACARA has published draft Shape Papers in
Health and Physical Education and
Technologies. More information can be found on
the development page of NSW CLIC’s website.
Need more information?
Resources
• CLIC’s Australian Curriculum website
• NSW Board of Studies website