Curriculum

Numeracy

At St Aloysius' every student is a Mathematician! We focus on building maths basics through explicit mathematical teaching and 'hands on' experiences. Our students are assessed using various assessment tools which assists in targeted teaching toward individual needs. Competence in Mathematics enhances both our understanding of the world and the quality of participation in society. In 2025, St. Aloysius' began to implement the Victorian Curriculum Mathematics 2.0, which fosters the development of proficiency with mathematical concepts, skills, procedures, processes and use them to demonstrate mastery in mathematics as they pose and solve problems.

Through learning mathematics children will work towards:

building up a bank of strategies to solve problems
developing knowledge and skills in using mathematics for everyday situations
enjoying the challenges of and discoveries in how number works
using materials and technology appropriately and effectively to support the learning of mathematics.

Literacy

At St. Aloysius’ School, Literacy development is one of our highest priorities. Developing competency in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening is obtained through careful planning, targeted teaching, formative and summative evaluation of student performance, and regular professional learning for our staff to ensure contemporary approaches to teaching are maintained.

St Aloysius incorporates Spelling Mastery and Heggerty's Phonological Awareness programs at different learning areas throughout the school. We prioritise vocabulary, phonological awareness (sounds within words), story grammar (how writing is structured) and complex questioning. The Writing curriculum is taught using ‘Bump it up Walls’ where students self-assess their progress and teachers provide feedback for improvement. We have a daily commitment to literacy learning where uninterrupted reading and writing learning takes place. In 2025, St. Aloysius' began a three-year commitment to Structured Literacy. We are excited for what is ahead for our students at St. Aloysius' in Literacy!

Digital Technology

St Aloysius' students participate in weekly Digital Technology lessons. In this time, staff and students work to investigate, design, analyse, seek improvement in often open-ended design tasks. Students have access to digital learning such as programming, coding and robotics. It is a highly engaging and exciting initiative for our school. Children use ‘Sphero’ and ‘Beebot’ robots to support their learning. Digital Technology encompasses a diverse range of modes of interactions between people and devices.

Children have access to computers across the learning areas with students from Years 3-6 using 1:1 Chromebooks and IPads used throughout the junior school to support learning. Online resources are made available to the children which challenges their understandings and assists in developing fundamental life skills. St. Aloysius' understands that digital technologies are wonderfully supportive tools for learning.

Cyber safety is very important and St. Aloysius' are proudly school partners with Inform and Empower Digital Safety and Wellbeing. This program helps students learn how to navigate some of the challenges of the online world and helps students understand the balance between screen time and green time!

Library

Our library aims:

to develop independent readers who want to read, enjoy reading, and who can justify and support opinions through reading.
to expose students to a wide range of experiences and values through literature
to develop research skills in a range of topics using print and online mediums
to develop early habits in reading can lead to a lifetime love of books and literature

We encourage all children to borrow regularly from the library. Classrooms have access to the library each week.

Religious Education

At St. Aloysius we aim in our Religious Education programs and teaching to share, in a meaningful way, the message of the Gospel.

We aim to relate this to issues and concerns experienced by our children as they see them impacting on their daily lives.

Our Religious Education program and teaching is focused on sharing the message of Jesus Christ and the Church, making use of the best of current research, theory and practise in education, leading the children to a full and rich appreciation of the Christian life

Christian attitudes are foremost in our content, teaching and modelling integrated through all learning areas ensuring the development of each individual and unique child in our care. Each year of schooling the children's' understandings and experience is enriched according to their stage of development.

We aim to foster a sense of belonging in the life of the Church by providing assistance in:

developing an awareness of, an understanding of, a response to, and celebration of the child in relationship to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit, to the Church and to the world.

The Diocese of Ballarat uses as their primary resource, 'Awakenings': a religious education curriculum developed specifically to meet the religious educational needs of the students.

"Awakenings" is a comprehensive and sequential curriculum framework that is informed by the Doctrine of the Catholic Tradition and is presented to teachers and students in a way that reflects current understandings about teaching and learning. "Awakenings" (p.55) states that:

Religious Education intends to awaken us intellectually:

By encouraging critical thinking and inquiry;
By firing our imaginative capacity;
By enlightening our experiences with reason;
By broadening our perspectives through Scripture and Tradition.

Religious Education intends to awaken us ethically:

By forming moral character;
By arousing our desire for wisdom;
By attuning us to the attitudes of Jesus;
By promoting responsibility and integrity in living.

Religious Education intends to awaken us spiritually:

By relating our life to the mystery of God;
By valuing our interior life and capacities;
By developing prayerful and liturgical habits;
By connecting compassion with justice.

Parish Based Sacramental Program

The Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist are offered to children through a planned program over a two-year cycle. Preparation and support is extended through our Parish Based Sacramental Program, the Parish Sacramental Team and through complementary school programs. For more information on the dates and times of the program please contact the Parish Office on 5335 9460.

Inquiry Learning

In order to provide our students with the best model of learning possible, the school uses Inquiry units of work across a number of curriculum areas, focusing on the Strands and Domains specified in the Victorian Curriculum.

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.

Inquiry Learning Units are planned in line with the Victorian Curriculum. Two-year cycles of units of work are planned, in advance, through a study of the curriculum focus statements of each Learning Area and taking into account the interests of the students, the world and local events, and the available resources.

Key Capabilities are woven through each Inquiry Learning Unit and are also in line with the Victorian Curriculum.

Each unit of work is planned with the assessment criteria already selected. It is our hope that Inquiry learning at St. Aloysius' encourages questioning, new ideas, collaboration and new discoveries.

Physical Education

A significant aspect of young people’s lives is their physical, social and emotional development. The Health and Physical Education program at St. Aloysius' recognises the challenges faced by young people as they grow and develop, and the many contexts in which they form and negotiate relationships with family, friends, partners and groups. St. Aloysius' has a dedicated specialist Physical Education Teacher.

Participation in physical activity provides opportunities for relaxation, enjoyment, recreation, fitness, social interaction and competition. The experience of physical activity in play, recreation, sport, fitness and outdoor environments, provides challenge, personal growth and enjoyment. One major highlight in our Physical Education Program is our Athletics Carnival held in Term 1 each year. Held at Llanberris oval, students participate in athletic events such as sprints, hurdles, lonh jump, shot put and there are sack and egg and spoon races for our students in the junior years.

St. Aloysius' also participates in an intensive swimming program held at Shayne Reese Swimming Centre. Held over a week, students engage in swimming and safety skills in each lesson.

Japanese

At St. Aloysius' the children are taught Japanese as part of their weekly program. This study includes language and cultural studies.

The ability to use a language other than English and move between cultures is essential for full participation in the modern world. This is especially so given an increasingly global society and Australia’s cultural diversity.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at St Aloysius School is providing a wonderful learning platform for the children to share in pleasurable food experiences and development of their understanding of environmental sustainability through growing their own produce.

The Kitchen Garden Program challenges and inspires the children by providing a ‘real life’ food education experience, they are not just learning about how to produce food, they are experiencing it … and loving it!

In the garden, the children work together in small groups, learning practical skills, growing fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs whilst delighting in the simple joy of digging the soil, planting seedlings, composting and harvesting glorious fresh produce.

In the Kitchen, inspired by their fresh harvest the children research and create recipes to enjoy the simple pleasure of preparing and sharing in a meal of nutritious seasonal food together.

Pastoral care

St Aloysius’ is proud to offer Professional Pastoral Care at school. This involves having a trained Pastoral Care Worker in our school for three days per week to work with children and families.

Our Pastoral Care Policy aims to develop children to have a sense of self-worth, a sense of responsibility for others and honesty in thought and action.

Our policy aims to develop such life skills as:

recognition of the value of the human person
respect for the rights and responsibilities of individuals
fostering of the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness