4Curriculum Framework
 - Rationale
 - Maximising Learning
 - Pedagogical Practices
 - Supporting Differences
 - Learning Opportunities
 - Healthy Active Lifestyle
 - Opportunities to Develop
   Positive Communication
 - Reporting Framework
 - Homework Policy
4Specialist Learning
4Assessment & Reporting
4Library
4Learning Support
4Technology
4Music
4Physical Education
4Sport


 

Curriculum Framework - Every Child - Every Lesson - Every Day


Our school community strives to maximise student achievement by providing:

• A caring, supportive and safe environment underpinned by strong values.

• High learning expectations for all students in literacy and numeracy.

• Effective pedagogical practices to promote, deep understanding, connectiveness to the world and the wellbeing of students.

• Support for student difference.

• Focused planning detailing inclusive practices.

• Independent learning skills, cooperative practices and effective social skills.

• A healthy and active lifestyle.

• Opportunities to develop talents and interests.

• Positive communication amongst home, school and community. Download PDF

Rationale


Teaching, learning and preparing our students for the 21st century is the core business at Springwood Road State School. To ensure we maximise the learning of all students our curriculum draws on current frameworks, educational philosophies and change management models. School Values underpin our curriculum framework and optimise student sense of self-worth, commitment to learning and guide social responsibility.

This document sets out clear expectations of our teachers and requirements of our school. It informs our community of what we value and how we equip our students for the future. Our change management model ensures our curriculum remains dynamic and encompasses changes around the National Curriculum.

Our key reference has been ‘The P – 12 Curriculum Framework for Queensland State Schools’ and the support guidelines for Curriculum Planning; Pedagogy; Assessing and Moderating Teacher Judgement; Reporting Student Achievement and Guidelines for Curriculum Leadership.

Other references include: “A Shared Challenge” Geoff Masters April 2009 - “Leading Change” John Kotter - “Effective Schools Model” Seven Correlates of Effectiveness.

Providing a caring, supportive and safe environment

Springwood Road State School Maximises Learning Opportunities

We define our school core curriculum and high learning expectations through:

Education Queensland Policy School Selected Teacher Selected

• P -10 Curriculum Framework

• Early Years Curriculum Guidelines

• Literacy Numeracy Indicators

• Year 1 Learning Statements

• QCARF

• Learning P -12

• NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy ) – Data

Education Queensland Policy School Selected Teacher Selected

• Curriculum Framework

• School Literacy Strategy

• School Spelling, Writing, Reading and Grammar programs

• School Numeracy Strategy

• School Mathematics Scope and Sequence

• KLA – Essential Break Down

• School yearly focus

• LOTE – Japanese

• Whole School Testing and Monitoring Program

Education Queensland Policy School Selected Teacher Selected

• School Sequence Documents

• Year level plans

• Year level unit plans

• Year level and class assessment

We use effective pedagogical practices to promote, deep understanding, connectiveness to the world and the wellbeing of students.

We use effective pedagogical practices to promote deep understanding, connectiveness to the world and the well being of students with acknowledgement and support of student differences.

The Ways Of Working within in the Essential Learnings are organised around the three broad constructs of Inquiring, Responding and Reflecting. They develop deep understanding within an intellectually challenging environment, inform curriculum, planning and teaching strategies and assessment.

Thinking tools and effective pedagogy are nested within the Ways of Working.

• Productive Pedagogies

• Thinking Organizers

• Reflective Tools

• Bloom’ s Thinking Taxonomy / De Bono’s Thinking Hats etc

The Five Contexts for Learning set out in The Early Years Curriculum Guidelines actively engage children, teachers and parents in learning.

• Play

• Real-life Situations

• Investigations

• Routines and Transitions

• Focused Learning and Teaching

Teachers aim for engaged learning and connectedness to the world.

Support for Student Difference

We believe effective assessment will provide critical information about student learning, enabling differentiated learning opportunities across junctures, year levels and classes.
Springwood Road Special Needs Committee (SNAC) supports classroom teachers to provide timely, appropriate and quality controlled programs to suit class, groups and individual student needs based on systemic and school assessment data.

Moderation of student work is an integral part of the assessment program and is built into the school meeting schedules.

Intervention
Classroom teachers use information from assessment and moderation to design class and year level intervention. Through data analysis and consultation SNAC designs a yearly intervention program for students below school and systemic benchmarks. This program is reviewed each term. Teacher Aide time is distributed according to programs and year level needs.

We Maximise Learning Opportunities Through Planning

Curriculum Organization

At Springwood Road State School our curriculum is defined by phases, year levels and terms. Key Learning Areas are to be taught as pure disciplines and underpinned by explicit Literacy, Numeracy and Information Communication Indicators.

Springwood Road State School plans curriculum around the 8 Key Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Science, Studies of Society and the Environment, Health and Physical Education, Technology, The Arts and LOTE.

It is important to ensure the integrity of the discipline of each KLA is adhered to; however there are opportunities to integrate across the learning areas. Literacy, Numeracy and Information Communication Technology are an integral part of all Key Learning Areas.

Indigenous Perspectives have been embedded in the Essential Learnings and as such will form part of our school curriculum. These perspectives acknowledge the viewpoints of indigenous people on time, place and people within local, regional, national and global contexts.

Time Allocations
We plan our units of work in accordance with advice given by the Department of Education and Training.

The school provides teachers with a number of planning documents that are reviewed and refined yearly. These documents are expected to form the basis of year level and classroom planning.

Teachers in year levels are expected to plan cooperatively and time is set aside each fortnight for year level meetings. Teachers are also provided with one day cooperative planning in Terms 1,2 and 3 as well as a work place reform for an extra planning day on the Pupil Free Days in January.

We nurture independent learning skills, cooperative practices and effective social skills.

Our school values program provides explicit, scaffolded programs to foster the development of positive social interactions between members of our school community and beyond.

Emphasis on Thinking and Problem Solving Skills

We provide a Healthy and Active Lifestyle

Health and Physical Education units across year levels focus on healthy eating and active lifestyles.

We Provide Opportunities to Develop Talents and Interests

Every year Springwood Road State School offers a range of activities dependent on student interest and staff expertise.

We provide positive communication amongst home, school and community

We celebrate and inform our community about our learning through:

Reporting Frame Springwood Road State School

School Celebration And events

Homework Policy Springwood Road State School

Springwood Road State School believes:

• That in determining homework it is important to take into consideration that students may be engaged in many different activities outside of school. These may include a range of physical activities and sport, recreational and cultural pursuits.

• That homework is an important strategy for improving student outcomes, informing parents about what is happening in classrooms and indicating to parents student mastery of basic skills.

• That homework should be directly related to class work and appropriate to student’s learning needs.

• That timelines for homework need to include flexibility to suit different lifestyles and commitments.

• That homework will be corrected and acknowledged.

Recommended Guidelines for Homework

Prep: No set homework

Year 1-3: Could be up to but generally not more than 1 hour per week.
Homework tasks could include:

• Daily reading to, with and by parents/ caregiver or other family member.

• Conversations around what is happening at school.

• Preparation for oral presentations.

• Opportunities to write for meaningful purposes.

• Activities to develop literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills.

Year 4-5: Could be up to but generally not more than 2-3 hours per week.
Homework tasks could include:

• Daily independent reading.

• Activities to develop English, Mathematics and problem solving skills.

• Opportunities to write for meaningful purposes.

• Preparation of oral presentations.

• Extension of class work including projects and research.

Year 6-7: Could be up to but generally not more than 3-4 hours per week.
Homework tasks could include:

• Daily independent reading.

• Activities to develop English Mathematics and problem solving skills.

• Conversations around what is happening at school.

• Opportunities to write for meaningful purposes.

• Preparation of oral presentations.

• Extension of class work including projects and research.