Marryatville High: Curriculum and Co-Curriculum: General Information

South Australian Curriculum Framework

Coherent Birth to Year 12 Education

To meet the emerging, rapidly changing and future demands of a knowledge economy and society, our curriculum and pedagogies need to be dynamic as well. The SACSA framework builds on the requirements for successfully living with and influencing change in the twenty-first century. The framework explicitly identifies five Essential Learnings, which together with concepts and processes drawn from the Learning Areas, provide the connecting threads for the whole curriculum: Futures, Identity, Interdependence, Thinking and Communication (including literacy, numeracy and information and communication technologies). These are understandings, capabilities and dispositions, which are developed through the learning areas and form an integral part of student's learning from birth to Year 12 and beyond. They are resources which are drawn upon throughout life and enable people to productively engage with changing times as thoughtful, active, responsive and committed local, national and global citizens.

The Essential Learnings are developed through the eight learning areas: The Arts, Design and Technology, English, Health and Physical Education, Languages other than English, Mathematics, Science and Society and Environment.

Skills such as literacy, numeracy and information and communication technologies are very important and emphasised through all learning areas. Equity is also a very strong focus. The new curriculum brings the perspectives of a range of people and cultural groups, so learners develop knowledge, skills and understandings necessary to contribute towards a fairer world. Learning about and preparing for the world of work occurs in all learning areas, enabling students to explore creative, innovative and collaborative ways of living and working and to consider the evolving future possibilities for work and recreation in their lives.

The SACSA Framework represents high expectation for all learners. It requires educators to reference students' learning in relation to standards expected at particular points of their education. The standards depict the developing capabilities of students along a continuum of ever improving performance.

Middle School Curriculum

Marryatville High School has been involved in the Learning to Learn Program since its inception. Because many of our feeder primary schools are also involved students find transition to high school easier. Teachers continue with a curriculum which allows students in the middle years to explore their developing identities and values and to build on their interests. This means learners work on a range of different topics, activities and investigations in a range of different ways.

Literacy, numeracy and information and communication technologies are key dimensions of all Essential Learnings and in particular the Communication Essential Learning.

The Middle School learning environment is social and interactive, engaging learners and making explicit connections. It is collaborative and solution focused, providing opportunities for student negotiation and decision making.