Read below for course information about Year 7 subjects. 

English / Length: Full Year

Course Content

The English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of:

• Language: knowing about the English language

• Literature: understanding, appreciating, responding to, analysing and creating literature

• Literacy: expanding the repertoire of English usage

Students extend their knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret and evaluate a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts. These include newspapers, magazines and digital texts, early adolescent novels, nonfiction, poetry and dramatic performances. Students develop their understanding of how texts, including media texts, are influenced by context, purpose and audience. Students create texts for a range of purposes and audiences. They make presentations and contribute actively to class and group discussions. When creating and editing texts they demonstrate understanding of grammar, use a variety of more specialised vocabulary, accurate spelling and punctuation. Students participate in the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Assessment

Students are assessed against the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standard. There will be a range of major assessment pieces around writing, speaking, creating, viewing and listening. 

Additional Details

• There may be a cost throughout the year for activities and opportunities that align with the Learning and Assessment Plan. 

Mathematics / Length: Full Year

Course Content

There is a strong focus on improving students’ understanding, fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills in Mathematics to develop successful lifelong learners. Students work mathematically in the following strands:

• Number and Algebra: place values of number, real numbers, money and financial Mathematics, patterns and algebra

• Measurement and Geometry: units of measurement, shape, location and transformation

• Statistics and Probability: chance, data representation and interpretation

Assessment

Assessment is continual and in accordance with the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards. Students are assessed via written tests, problem-solving tasks, observations, workbooks and assignments.

Science / Length: Full Year

Course Content

Students will learn about Biological Science (classification and food webs), Chemical Science (mixtures and solutions), Physical Sciences (motion and forces) and Earth and Space Science (seasons and renewable resources). Students will learn through scientific inquiry and have the opportunity to further develop their skills and understanding of the Science curriculum by accessing the laboratories. 

Assessment

Students are assessed on both science understanding and science inquiry (practical). Assessment may include research work, inquiry tasks, practical lab work and oral and written responses. 

Global Studies / Length: Full Year

Course Content

During the year, Global Studies will provide students with a broad understanding of the world that they live in and how they can participate in that world as active and informed citizens. They will study History, with a focus specifically on ancient cultures. They will also study Geography, with a focus on place and liveability, as well as water around the world.

Assessment

Students are assessed against the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards. There will be a range of major assessment pieces using a variety of written, spoken and multi-modal forms which encourage students to question, think critically, solve problems and communicate effectively.

Additional Details

• There may be a cost involved throughout the year for activities and opportunities that align with the learning and assessment plan.

Health and Physical Education (HPE) / Length: Full Year

Course Content

This is a compulsory course that is designed to enthuse students with a joy for movement and enhance the development of lifelong physical activity habits. It will provide the opportunity to develop motor skills through the performance of a variety of physical activities as well as the collaborative skills used to make performance more effective. Students also study a range of age-appropriate health issues as outlined within the SHINE program. Students also study the role nutrition and physical activity have in the "energy balance" a person has and the impact it can have on health.

Assessment

• Practical: coordination of movement concepts, strategy and tactical analysis, learning through movement, collaboration, inclusivity and fair play (70%)

• SHINE portfolio: 3 tasks (15%)

• Nutrition task (15%)

Inquiry / Length: 1 Semester

Course Content

The Inquiry subject is designed to give students the opportunity to develop the skills and dispositions that will help them be successful in high school, while also supporting the transition to high school through having an additional class with their home group teacher. Through the successful completion of this learning program students will develop an understanding of self through ongoing reflection, learn to utilise wellbeing and resilience strategies to support future learning and support their movement to high school. Furthermore, students will develop skills to engage in inquiry-based learning and to effectively use ICT. They will also be able to appropriately and effectively contribute to group and collaborative work. This will be achieved and demonstrated through the completion of a collaborative and self-directed Inquiry project.

Assessment

• Metacognition tasks

• Class inquiry

• Individual/small group inquiry

Arts / Length: 1 Semester

Students complete a compulsory semester of either Drama and Film or Art and Design.

Drama and Film

Course Content

The Drama and Film program develops the knowledge and skills required for drama and film making. Students create and perform their own drama for stage. Small groups create film products as short films or combined live and filmed performance. Acting and technical roles are explored including lighting, sound, camera operation and editing. Performance opportunities are available throughout the year. 

Assessment

Arts making and responding.

Art and Design                       

Course Content

Students have the opportunity to work in a variety of areas including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital design and media arts. Students are encouraged to express individuality in their creative visual art and design projects and appreciate works of the visual arts, artists and their cultures. Students will be introduced to skills, individually or collaboratively. 

Assessment

Arts making and responding. 

Technologies / Length: 1 Semester

Course Content

Technologies includes two distinct but related subjects:

• Design and Technologies, where students will design, generate and then finally create a product. They will learn about how to design their own products, generate their design and then finally make their product.

• Home Economics, in which students will learn different culinary practices. They will be cooking, learning about food safety and hygiene as well as knife skills throughout this program.

Assessment

• Design and Technology Assessment (50%)

• Home Economics Assessment (50%)

Languages / Length: 1 Semester

Course Content

French or German or Japanese

Year 7 Languages is designed to introduce students to the language and culture within one of our languages: French, German or Japanese. Students develop the basic vocabulary, grammar and communicative skills in topics such as self-introduction, numbers, the days of the week, animals and culture as well as expanding their appreciation of culture and diversity through authentic learning and intercultural opportunities. 

Assessment

Students are assessed through the specific Achievement Standards of the Australian Curriculum on both the receptive (listening and reading) and productive (writing and speaking) skills of their language and complete a variety of cultural learning tasks. 

Additional Information

• There may be associated costs throughout the semester for excursions and other learning opportunities.

• No prior experience in the language is required.

Arts Academy / Length: 1 Semester

The Arts Academy is an additional opportunity for students with a passion for the Arts. Students need to have successfully applied during transition into high school to be considered in the Arts Academy for Year 7. Arts Academy students will be invited to attend enrichment activities throughout the year as well as having priority access to be presenters in our various Arts events such as Fringe@REC, exhibitions, music, drama and film nights and the whole school production. See the Arts Academy section of the school website for more information.

Arts Academy: Dance 

Course Content

Students will study contemporary dance, hip hop and jazz. They will learn safe dance practice and the fundamental requirements for effective dance composition. Students will use technology as they explore dance performance and the stagecraft of lighting, sound and costuming for performance. Students will participate in performance opportunities such as Fringe@REC, the Arts showcase or the whole school production.

Assessment

Practical participation and performance skills demonstration, composition, theory and written tasks.

Additional Details

• Students are required to have successfully applied to the Arts Academy program. 

• Students in this program are expected to attend additional out of class rehearsals.

Arts Academy: Music 

Course Content

Students will study the basics of contemporary music, sound and notation as well as playing various instruments. Composition will also be studied using music technology and the elements of music will be discussed in various musical genres. Students will participate in a class band on their chosen instrument and learn solo playing skills. Students are expected to participate in either Concert Band or Choir. Students will explore percussion, keyboard, guitar, class band, solo playing skills, composition and arranging.

Assessment

Practical participation and performance skills, composition, theory and written tasks.

Additional Details

• Students are required to have successfully applied to the Arts Academy program and are expected to actively learn an instrument within the school’s instrumental music program or private tuition. 

• Instrumental hire and administration fees apply to students learning an instrument within the instrumental music program.

Arts Academy: Visual Art

Course Content

Students will extend their knowledge and skills in a variety of areas including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and digital design. Students are encouraged to express individuality in their creative visual art projects and appreciate works of the visual arts, artists and their cultures.  Visual Art Academy students will also engage in a range of school and community-based art projects including mural design and creation, arts grant applications, guest artist workshops and support productions and events with prop and set design and creation. 

Assessment

Arts making and responding.

Additional Details

• Students are required to have successfully applied to the Arts Academy program. 

Innovators Academy - STEM / 1 Semester

Course Content

The course is focused on problem and inquiry based learning where students will apply science, mathematical and technology theory to everyday problems in order to engineer innovative design solutions. Design challenges are student led and supportive of students improving perseverance, self-management and self-confidence. The course begins with a focus on teamwork and communication skills whilst developing students' critical and creative thinking skills, to prepare them for the coming tasks. These tasks will be derived from individually selected real world problems/issues. Students will work collaboratively in teams to realise solutions to the problems or issues that they have identified. The intended outcome is that STEM participants will be successful, confident and creative independent learners as well as active and informed citizens.

Assessment

Is in accordance with the Australian Curriculum, with a specific focus on the curriculum’s general capabilities, and structured to suit SACE Integrated Learning. Assessment is based on 3 different pieces: practical enquiry (30%), personal endeavour (40%) and connections task (30%).

Additional Details

• Acceptance into the Innovators Academy is by application. See the Innovators Academy section of the school website for more information.