Curriculum

Introduction -  building Australia’s future

“Education plays an important part in forming the young people who will take responsibility for Australia in the future.  If it is to play this part effectively, education must address the intellectual, personal and social development of young Australians, and it must do so at a time when ideas about the goals of education are changing, and will continue to change”. The Shape of the Australian Curriculum, Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), May 2009

The curriculum provided at Maroochydore State High School reflects the intention of the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (PDF, 955KB) and is responsive to the rapid move towards a national curriculum.

Thus, in order to provide young people with excellent schooling in the 21st century the curriculum at Maroochydore State High School provides an innovative, flexible and forward looking approach while attending and responding to students’ individual needs at present.  The curriculum is also heavily shaped by the revolution in the use of information and communication technology and the rapid expansion of globalization in the new century. 

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians (PDF, 955KB) aims to promote world-class curriculum and assessment through:

• A solid foundation in knowledge, understanding, skills and values on which further learning and adult life can be built.
  
• Deep knowledge, understanding, skills and values that will enable advanced learning and an ability to create new ideas and translate them into practical applications.
  
• General capabilities that underpin flexible and analytical thinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines to develop new expertise.
  

The Shape of the Australian Curriculum, ACARA, May 2009 further states:

“A curriculum for the 21st century will reflect an understanding and acknowledgment of the changing nature of young people as learners and the challenges and demands that will continue to shape their learning in the future.

Young people will need a wide and adaptive set of skills to meet the changing expectations of society and to contribute to the creation of a more productive, sustainable and just society. 

Curriculum is only one element that influences how well young Australians are prepared for their futures by their education, but it is important because it sets the level of expectation of their learning.

High-performing countries set high expectations. They support the fulfilment of those expectations with high-quality teaching, school and system leadership, and commitment and support from families, communities, business and industry.

Providing high quality education is valuable to the community at large, and justifies people’s investments of time, effort and resources”. 

It is against this background that Maroochydore State High School has developed a Curriculum Philosophy and Curriculum Framework capable of delivering an excellent and relevant schooling experience for every student. 

The Philosophy and Framework also reflects the commitment of the Department of Education, Training and Employment to ensuring that our students have the education and skills they need to contribute to the economic and social development of Queensland and that the education and training we provide is aligned to the state's employment, skills and economic priorities.

Philosophy

The following principles are fundamental to our philosophy –

1. Teaching strategies, learning experiences and curriculum offerings will reflect the developmental stages of young people.  The needs of junior secondary students (Years 7, 8 and 9) are very different to those of senior secondary students (Years 10, 11 and 12).
   
2. Real life/activity based approaches to learning experiences that have meaning beyond the classroom.
3. Teachers will utilize research based teaching strategies and will identify the sequence of knowledge and skills that need to be taught – a clearly defined pedagogical framework will be employed.
   
4. A broad and general education with a central core of English, Maths, Science and History will be provided in the junior school; this seeks to build relationships, engage students and lay the foundations for success in the senior school.  This is shaped by the new Australian curriculum.
5. A junior secondary curriculum that has a distinct focus on literacy and numeracy and includes social, cultural, scientific, technological and aesthetic learning.
6. A senior secondary curriculum that provides clear pathways through schooling to further education, work and active citizenship and accommodates the different aspirations, orientations and capacities of students.
7. The curriculum (and the learning experiences embedded) is equitable and inclusive and recognizes particular needs and circumstances including gifted and talented students, indigenous students, students with special needs and learning difficulties.
8. Higher order thinking and problem solving skills explicitly taught across every Key Learning Area from Year 7 to Year 12.
9. Offering an extensive range of curricular and co-curricular programs across academic, vocational, cultural and sporting fields.
10. Providing access to a broad range of extracurricular activities that extend and enhance curricular and co-curricular programs.
11. Incorporating Information and Communication Technology across the whole school curriculum in every faculty and year level.
12. Every graduating student leaves Maroochydore State High School with a recognized qualification.
13. Alignment between curriculum, assessment and reporting. Assessment has three purposes – assessment for learning, assessment as learning and assessment of learning. 
14. Evidence of student achievement against agreed systemic standards will be moderated.
15. Reporting to a range of audiences, including parents, will occur on a regular basis in clear, unambiguous terms.
16. The curriculum will contribute to the development of young people as healthy, informed, creative, democratic eco-citizens.
17. Individual monitoring of every student’s progress will occur on a regular basis, feedback provided and schooling programs will be differentiated on an individual basis, as required, to meet each student’s changing needs. 

The Curriculum Philosophy of Maroochydore State High School provides the foundation for focusing our energy and efforts in realizing our vision of “Excellence in Education for All”.​