The word, 'Curriculum' literally means "the subjects taught at an educational institution, or the topics taught within a subject".
At Heatley State School, we teach subjects/learning areas from the Australian Curriculum. Each term, classrom newsletters are sent home in print form and also published on the Teaching and Learning page of our website.
Teachers use a set of school-wide pedagogical practices to ensure they are united in a common purpose which is to teach with greater precision and celebrate success in student achievement.
To our staff, student achievement is about growth and reaching academic and personal potential.
We therefore work hard to provide a balanced learning program with an emphasis on developing literacy, numeracy, problem solving and personal development skills and knowledge.
Our staff focus on curriculum intent, assessment; sequencing teaching and learning; making judgments; and feedback. Teaching is student-centred and focused on the need to ensure that every day, in every classroom, every student is learning and achieving.
We continue to refine our pedagogical practices and most recently have utilised the school-based research into successful student learning and teaching from Dr Lyn Sharrett, Dr Doug Fisher, Dr Nancy Frey and Dr John Hattie. Teachers engage in Teaching Sprints - a process of professional learning and improvement as developed by Dr Simon Breakspear and Bronwyn Ryrie Jones. Additionally we have adapted the work on student well-being from Dr Linda Kaser & Dr Judy Halbert.
Currently this has led us to devising the following the four questions that we want students to be able to answer:
- What are you learning and why are you learning it? Can you show me?
- How are you progressing and how do you know? Can you show me?
- How can you improve and where can you go for help? Can you show me?
- Who in this school believes in you?