Inquiry

In order to provide the students with the best model of learning possible,

the school has made the decision to Integrated units of work across a number of curriculum areas, focusing on the Strands and Domains specified in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards.

This model of learning is based on the Kath Murdoch "Inquiry Approach", and invites students to actively participate in a thinking curriculum designed to encourage life-long learning. This features Key Questions and Rich Assessment Tasks to promote the children's quest to gain understanding and to be able to access, understand and present information and ideas about their learning.

They program is based on a two-year cycle, drawing units of work from the main the three Strands, specifically the Domains of Interpersonal Development, Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship, The Arts, Humanities, Science, Thinking, Communication, and Information & Communication Technology. The units will focus on "Developing Understandings About the World".

Two-year cycles of units of work are planned, in advance, through a study of the curriculum Focus statements of each Domain, and taking into account the interests of the students, the world and local events, and the available resources.

Teachers plan units of work in advance. Where possible teachers are encouraged to plan with a partner, in order to depth the pedagogical skills and teaching ideas that could augment the program.

Each class organises their timetable according to their own needs. It would be expected that a minimum of three teaching sessions per week be devoted to this program. In the senior classes integration of the unit of work into other learning domains is desirable and necessary due to time constraints. Integration of English with the planned Unit of Work is both desirable and necessary.

Each unit of work is planned with the Assessment criteria already selected. Teachers are required to complete the evaluation of the unit section of the Unit Planner after the completion of the unit.