Systematic curriculum delivery

Systematic
curriculum
delivery

Systematic

curriculum

delivery

The school has a coherent, sequenced plan for curriculum delivery that ensures
consistent teaching and learning expectations and a clear reference for monitoring
learning across the year levels. The plan, within which evidence-based teaching
practices are embedded, and to which assessment and reporting procedures are
aligned, has been developed with reference to the Australian Curriculum or other
approved curriculum and refined collaboratively to provide a shared vision for
curriculum practice. This plan is shared with parents and families.
The assessment of this domain includes
consideration of the extent to which:
§§ the school has an explicit, coherent,
sequenced plan for curriculum delivery
across the years of school which makes
clear what (and when) teachers should
teach and students should learn;
§§ the plan for curriculum delivery is shared
with parents, families and the wider
community and feedback is sought on
ways to make the school curriculum
responsive to local needs;
§§ staff of the school are familiar with
and work within the school’s shared
curriculum expectations;
§§ the curriculum is used as a basis for ongoing
staff discussions about the best ways to
maximise student learning and wellbeing;
§§ school leaders focus attention and energy
on priority curriculum areas and on
ensuring that all students are proficient
in the basics, as well as on the appropriate
key learning areas in Years 10-12;
§§ the school curriculum includes a strong
focus on the development of crosscurricular
skills and attributes such as
literacy, numeracy, information and
communication technology capability,
critical and creative thinking, personal and
social capability, ethical behaviour and
intercultural understanding.;
§§ a priority is given to constructing learning
experiences that are accessible, engaging
and challenging for all students, including
those with particular needs;
§§ the school places a priority on making the
curriculum locally relevant and adopts a
strengths-based approach to recognising,
valuing and building on students’ existing
knowledge and skills;
§§ assessment processes are aligned with the
curriculum and are designed to clarify
learning intentions, establish where
individual students are in their learning,
diagnose details of student learning (eg,
gaps in knowledge and understanding),
and to monitor learning progress across
the years of school;
§§ reporting processes are aligned with the
curriculum and designed to provide
parents, families and students themselves
with information about the achievement
of curriculum intentions and progress
over time; and
§§ professional development is provided to
build staff skills in curriculum planning
and development.

Outstanding
The school has a clearly documented whole-school plan for curriculum delivery. This plan is aligned with the Australian
or other approved curriculum and, where appropriate, system curriculum documents. The plan makes explicit what
(and when) teachers should teach and students should learn. The curriculum delivery plan is being implemented
throughout the school and is shared with parents and the wider community.
A strong alignment has been achieved between the overall curriculum delivery plan, term and unit plans, classroom
teaching and the regular assessment of student progress in relation to curriculum expectations.
Considerable attention has been given to ensuring ‘vertical’ alignment of the curriculum so that there is continuity and
progression of learning across the years of school, with teaching in each year building on to and extending learning in
previous years. General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities are understood, valued and used as active learning
streams for all students.
A high priority in curriculum planning is given to the progressive development of students’ deep understandings of
concepts, principles and big ideas within learning areas, as well as to the ongoing development of cross-curricular skills
and attributes, including teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, and the evaluation of information and evidence.
The school places a priority on making the curriculum locally relevant and accessible to all students and values and builds on
to students’ existing knowledge and varying backgrounds.
High
The school’s curriculum delivery plan identifies curriculum, teaching and learning priorities and requirements. The
curriculum delivery plan reflects a shared vision (by the school’s governing body, principal, school leadership team,
and teachers) for the school, and provides a context for delivering the curriculum as detailed in the Australian or other
approved curriculum and, where relevant, system curriculum documents.
The school curriculum plan and curriculum delivery (including the time allocated to particular learning) balance requirements
to address all learning areas, to give priority to English, mathematics and science, and to embed the fundamental skills of literacy,
numeracy and higher order thinking in all school subjects.
The school leadership team ensures that the enacted curriculum remains a focus for discussion among, and
collaboration between, teachers and that the curriculum plan is the reference against which flexible delivery is designed,
assessment tasks are developed and student learning is reported. Curriculum delivery is designed to meet the needs of
the range of students within each year level as well as those with disabilities and other particular needs.
Medium
The school has a documented plan for curriculum delivery that includes year level and term plans, but the progression of
learning from year to year is not always obvious and the relationship between the pieces of the plan (the year, term and unit
plans) would benefit from further clarification.
School leaders talk about embedding fundamental cross-curricular skills such as literacy, numeracy and higher order
thinking within all subjects, but there is little evidence that school-wide strategies are in place to drive a consistent
approach. Literacy tends to be seen as the responsibility of English teachers and numeracy, the responsibility of
mathematics teachers.
Discussions about curriculum delivery tend to be sporadic and reactive with a year level focus rather than being driven
by a leadership team with a whole-school approach.
Low
School leaders and teachers have limited familiarity with national or system-wide curriculum documents.
The school may have a documented plan for curriculum delivery but there is little evidence that the whole-school plan
drives the lesson plans of individual teachers.
The enacted school curriculum is not seen as a central concern of all teachers (eg, it is not a regular topic of conversation,
a focus for assessment design or a framework against which student learning is reported).

Outstanding

The teaching staff of the school are experts in the fields in which they teach and have very high levels of pedagogical
knowledge and skill, including expert knowledge of evidence-based teaching strategies.
Teachers and school leaders take personal and collective responsibility for improving student learning and wellbeing,
working together and learning from each other’s practices. The sharing and showcasing of best practice are common.
In team meetings there is an emphasis on the joint analysis of student work and on teaching strategies for improving
student learning. Teachers collaboratively plan, deliver and review the effectiveness of lessons.
School leaders place a very high priority on the ongoing professional learning of all staff and on the development of a
school-wide, self-reflective culture focused on improving classroom teaching.
School leaders participate in professional learning activities, learning alongside teachers, and the school supports
teachers to continue formal study and celebrates professional success.

High

There is evidence that the principal and other school leaders see the development of staff into an expert and coherent
school-wide teaching team as central to improving outcomes for all students.
There is a documented professional learning plan and the school has arrangements in place for mentoring and coaching.
Teachers visit each other’s classrooms and welcome opportunities to have principals and other school leaders observe
and discuss their work with them.
Attention is paid to strengths and weaknesses in the school-wide team, with strategies in place to recruit staff with
particular expertise, to train staff to address particular needs, and to support staff who find it difficult to commit to the
school’s improvement agenda.
The school provides opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles outside the classroom.
Medium
The school undertakes professional learning activities, although these may not always focus on the development of
knowledge and skills required to improve student learning and there may not be a coherent, documented learning plan.
The principal and leadership team are seen as supportive of, but not generally involved in, the day-to-day practice and
learning of teachers.
Teachers are open to constructive feedback and provide feedback to colleagues, although there may not be formal
mentoring or coaching arrangements in place.
The school is implementing a formal process for conducting professional discussions with staff.
The school’s professional learning agenda is made explicit to staff at induction, and in staff handbooks.
Where it is necessary to manage unsatisfactory staff performance, this is done professionally and effectively, and in
accordance with agreed guidelines.
Low
The development of a professional school-wide team does not appear to be a driving consideration of the principal
or other school leaders (eg, no reference is made to the National Professional Standards for Teachers, there are no
mentoring arrangements in place, teachers work largely in isolation from one another ‘behind closed doors’).
There is little evidence that school leaders are proactive in the recruitment and retention of staff.
There is little sense of a whole-school coordinated approach to professional learning and a low priority is given to
enhancing staff performance.