Curriculum for Foundation to Yr 8

Year-Level Descriptions

Year-level descriptions provide a focus of study at each year level. The descriptions identify the key concepts that are to be the focus for understanding and articulating how students’ knowledge, understanding, and skills are to be developed. They also emphasise the interrelated nature of the three strands and the expectation that planning will involve integration of content from across the strands.

Doctrinal Concept

The expression of Church doctrine within a conceptual framework. Doctrinal Concepts are prescribed for each Year Level and referenced to the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Profession of Faith (the Creed); the Sacraments of faith; the Life of Faith (the Commandments); Prayer in the Life of Faith (the Lord’s Prayer).

Content Descriptions (Level Focus)

GNFL includes Content Descriptions (Level Focus) that describe the Knowledge & Understanding and Skills for each year level. 

Understandings

Derived from the Doctrinal Concepts and Content Descriptions (Level Focus), the anticipated Understandings that students will acquire are identified in order to give clear direction to the learning and teaching at each year level. They are sequenced from Foundation to Year 8 as knowledge and understanding increases and deepens at each successive stage. Moreover, it is through meaningfully and coherently organised and sequenced units of learning and lessons, for the explicit teaching of the prescribed content and Understandings, that students develop their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith. 

Content Statements (Elaborations)

Content Statements (Elaborations) are provided for each year level to assist the teacher by describing the prescribed knowledge and skills to be taught in order to develop students' understanding.

Achievement Standards

The Achievement Standards describe expected student achievement at each year level. They emphasise the deepening of conceptual understanding, the development of skills, and the growth in the ability to apply essential knowledge expected of students.

Glossary

A glossary is provided to support a common understanding of key terms and concepts in the content descriptions.

Student Diversity

The three-dimensional design of the Australian Curriculum, comprising learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities, provides teachers with flexibility to cater for the diverse needs of students across Australia and to personalise their learning. More detailed advice has been developed for schools and teachers on using the Australian Curriculum to meet diverse learning needs; it is available under “Student Diversity” on the Australian Curriculum website.