Year 7 Core Subjects 

In Semester 1, students study the art of narrative writing with a focus on the fantasy genre. They experiment with literary devices, narrative structure and language choices to create meaning in their own work. The unit culminates with the students creating their own fantasy story. In the second half of the semester, students undertake a textual study of Craig Silvey's novel Runt. The study of Runt requires students to present a formal analysis of the text’s themes, characters and ideas in the form of a text response essay.

In Semester 2, students study three key units: a personal response study of Fog a Dox written by Bruce Pascoe, and poetry analysis unit of Maxine Beneba Clarke's It's The Sound Of The Thing, and a Persuasion in Advertising unit. Students explore personal connections to texts though the Fog a Dox unit and develop an appreciation and understanding of Australian Indigenous culture. In the unit on poetry students develop an understanding of poetic techniques as well as the conventions of writing a poem, and how to explore wider themes in alternative ways. In the study of advertising and its effects, students learn persuasive devices and then apply this knowledge to create an effective advertisement of their own about the environment. Students also build on their creative writing skills through the development of the Writer’s Notebook over the whole academic year.

Duration: 4 hours per week

In Semester 1, students study a unit on Fractured Fairytales where they explore some of the oldest documented stories and their hidden values. This study encourages students to review the values embedded within fairy tales, and how these have changed over time and between cultures. Students study Adeline Yen Mah’s memoire Chinese Cinderella, developing an interpretation of the text that is supported with relevant evidence. In the latter half of the semester, students examine the art of persuasion. They consider a range of factors that contribute to a persuasive text, including delivery, tone, appeals and audiences. They then apply this understanding to produce their persuasive video texts. The emphasis in English this semester is on textual analysis and the development of reading, writing and discussion skills

In Semester 2, students study a graphic novel adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students explore elements of graphic novels and also engage in close textual analysis. They respond to the ideas, characters and themes of the text in an analytical and creative manner. Students complete a personal response to the question of Shakespeare's relevance today. In addition, students analyse a range of media texts - both written and visual - and consider how different forms of media provide representations of society. The emphasis in English this semester is on construction of meaning through texts, and analysing the wider messages that texts convey to their relevant audiences. 

Additionally, students build on their creative writing skills through the development of the Writer’s Notebook over the course of the whole academic year. This focuses on fostering a love of writing and critical thinking. 

Duration: 4 hours per week

In Semester 1, students develop their understanding of: 1) operations with whole numbers, fractions and ratios; 2) lines, angles, shapes, objects; and 3) statistics. As part of these units, students work on their ability to reason, research and communicate effectively. During investigations, students explore ideas with the support of physical materials and digital technologies, working in both individual and group scenarios. 

In Semester 2, students study algebra, the Cartesian plane, properties of 2D and 3D shapes, decimals, percentages and probability. Students apply their understanding to solve familiar and unfamiliar problems and investigate concepts with and without digital technology, working in both individual and group scenarios.

Duration: 4 hours per week

In Semester 1, students develop their understanding of positive and negative numbers, angles, shapes, objects, congruence, indices, irrational numbers, algebraic expressions and equations, and statistics. As part of these units, students work on their ability to reason, research and communicate effectively. During investigations, students explore ideas with the support of concrete materials and digital technologies, working in both individual and group scenarios. 

In Semester 2, students study percentages, ratio, rates and linear relationships, probability and the properties of 2D and 3D shapes (length, area and volume). Students apply their understanding to solve new and familiar problems. They investigate concepts with and without digital technology, working in both individual and group scenarios. 

Duration: 4 hours per week

Semester 1

Students begin the year by exploring the nature and scope of science, including the many disciplines within it, and how science has evolved through human endeavour. They engage in both practical and theoretical investigations to explore the effects of forces on motion, learning how unbalanced forces cause changes in an object’s motion. Students then investigate predictable phenomena on Earth, such as seasons and eclipses, and explain these events based on the relative positions of the Sun, Earth and Moon. They also explore Earth’s natural resources, distinguishing between renewable and non-renewable resources, and consider how the use and management of these resources influences their lives and communities.

Semester 2

Students explore the diversity of living organisms, learning how classification systems are used to group and organise organisms based on their observable features. They investigate ecosystems, using food chains and food webs to describe interactions and energy flow, and consider how these systems can be impacted by human activity. Students explore mixtures, including solutions, and learn how their components can be separated using a range of physical techniques. They also investigate the particle model of matter to explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases in terms of particle behaviour and arrangement.

Throughout the year, students develop their science inquiry skills by planning and conducting fair tests, making accurate measurements, identifying and controlling variables, and analysing data to identify patterns and relationships. They use scientific representations to communicate ideas, make predictions, and propose and justify explanations based on evidence. Students reflect on how science knowledge is developed and refined over time and recognise the role of science in solving problems and informing decisions across personal, social and global contexts.

Duration: 2 hours per week

In Semester 1, the curriculum focus is on explaining phenomena involving Science and its applications. In Chemistry, they look at the properties of the different states of matter and how they can be explained in terms of the motion and arrangement of particles. They also examine the differences between elements, compounds and mixtures, which can be described by using the particle model. By the end of the unit, they should feel comfortable using the periodic table. Students then investigate how mixtures contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range of techniques. They investigate how water and some specific resources are recyclable and renewable, but others are not. They also delve into Microbiology with an introduction to cells and practice with a microscope.

In Semester 2, students investigate cells and how they are the basic units of living things and have specialised structures and functions. Multicellular organisms containing systems of organs that carry out specialised functions that enable them to survive and reproduce are examined. Students look at the interactions between organisms, how they can be described in terms of food chains and food webs and the impact of human activity. Students look at how predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons and eclipses, are caused by the relative positions of the Sun, Earth and the Moon. Students will also engage in future-focused sciences, whereby they will design and present solutions to real-life challenges, such as waste management on the Yarra River, promoting higher-order thinking and the development of 21st-century skills through authentic project-based learning.

Throughout the semester, students will also make accurate measurements and control variables in experiments to analyse relationships between system components and explore and explain these relationships using appropriate representations. They make predictions and propose explanations, drawing on evidence to support their views. As part of human endeavour, students seek to improve their understanding of the natural world. They learn that Science involves the construction of explanations based on evidence and that scientific knowledge must be changed as new evidence becomes available.

Duration: 2 hours per week

In Semester 1, students begin the year with a study of Civics and Citizenship, investigating the levels of government and how citizens can actively participate to support change. Students develop and present their own ideas for improvement in the local, state and federal areas of government. Students also undertake a study of history, focusing first on First Nations Australians history and then Ancient Greece. Students develop an understanding of historical evidence and analyse the reliability of historical sources. Students extend their source analysis skills while broadening their understanding of key historical concepts through a number of creative and analytical tasks.

In Semester 2, students undertake the studies of Business and Economics, and Geography. In Business and Economics, students build upon their economic reasoning and interpretation skills by investigating the principles of income, budgets and financial planning. Through their study of Geography, students practise their geospatial and mapping skills, investigating human settlement patterns and the liveability of places in Australia. In addition to this, students undertake the study of water and the role it plays both environmentally and culturally. 

Duration: 2 hours per week

In Semester 1, students focus on Civics and Citizenship, where they study the relationship between Australian citizenship, individual rights and participation in civil and democratic life. Students explore how laws are made, investigating contemporary political and social issues, while evaluating methods active participation. Students then move on to study History, where they are introduced to important historical skills through an exploration of Ancient Rome and the Renaissance. In these units, students delve into the time periods through analysis and comparison of historical sources to determine their relevance and reliability. Students focus on enhancing their skills as historians through the exploration and analysis of different historical perspectives. 

In Semester 2, students undertake the study of Business and Economics and Geography. Within the first unit, students examine market systems, focusing on the traits of demand and supply and their effect on consumers and producers. In their study of Geography, students develop their geographical inquiry skills through developing and applying key geo-spatial skills to real world scenarios, as well as a research-based project on a sustainability. Students explore the consequences of urban landscapes on the natural environment and the challenges of sustainable development. 

Duration: 2 hours per week

In Semester 1, students develop skills in reading, writing, speaking in and listening to French. Students learn about classroom communication in French. They also learn how to introduce and describe themselves and others, use numbers in context, discuss where they live and describe their family. In term 2 they continue the great tradition of the Berthe Mouchette poetry competition and recite a poem by heart. Students develop fundamental literacy skills by focusing on aspects of language such as recognising cognates, beginning to develop their knowledge of subject agreement and verb conjugation, word gender, placement of adjectives and the formation of questions. 

In Semester 2, students enhance their knowledge and appreciation of French-speaking nations and cultures through a focused exploration of cultural origins and the languages spoken in their communities and beyond. They also develop the language to discuss their sports and leisure activities, learn to make plans, and extend their knowledge of numbers through the context of phone numbers while building their understanding of French syntax and grammar in context. They build their speaking, listening and presentation skills through regular dialogue-based learning experiences as well as summative assessments.

Duration: 2 hours per week

The French Immersion Program (Programme d’Immersion française) is offered to students who have a bi-lingual background in French and who would like to maintain and build on those efforts in bilingualism. There is a core focus on learning and applying French grammar and vocabulary, while studying authentic texts such as French poetry, newspaper articles, novels and films. The online grammar and vocabulary enrichment platform, Projet Voltaire, allows students to work at their own pace and from an appropriate level. Students will be required to undertake regular reading in French. Written French is extended through a range of tasks that will also prepare them for advanced French studies in the VCE or IB. Students in the French Immersion Program are encouraged to sit the DELF B2 exams in year-9. After year-9, French Immersion Program students generally accelerate into year-11 VCE French. French Higher Level is an appropriate option for bilingual students planning to study in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the senior years.

Duration: 2 hours per week + 1 hour after school extension 

Leadership focuses on students enhancing their own and others’ health, safety, wellbeing and physical participation in varied and changing contexts. In Leadership, students will develop and refine a range of movement skills. Each program has a consistent focus on building students’ skills in personal responsibility, problem solving, communication, small-group teamwork, and resilience. 

The areas of study include martial arts, lifesaving, sailing, athletics, outdoor team challenges, fitness and health education. Sailing is run by experienced instructors at the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron for Year 7 and Albert Park Yacht Club for Year 8. Students learn about water safety, boat set-up and pack-up, and basic sailing techniques. Lifesaving is run in conjunction with Port Melbourne Lifesaving Club by accredited trainers, providing students with basic lifesaving techniques and water awareness. In Martial Arts, students work with specialist instructors where they explore resilience, respect, building and managing satisfying relationships. Finally, Health Education focuses on puberty, food and nutrition, relationships and well-being. Athletics, Outdoor Team Challenges and Fitness teach students about learning through movement, training programs and how to effectively collaborate with others.

Duration: 2 hours per week