Curriculum

The Secondary campus offers a year 7 to 10 Victorian curriculum, Vocational Education Training program (VET) and Foundation Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL). The year 7 to 10 Victorian curriculum incorporates  an Integrated Curriculum which enhances students’ knowledge and skills, focusing on the acquisition of communication, mobility and positive social behaviours.

All students have an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) where student goals are developed at their point of readiness to learn.

An integrated approach to teaching and learning is implemented to enhance student understanding, learning and outcomes by making logical connections between curriculum areas.

English

The English curriculum aims to ensure that students learn to listen to, read, view, speak, write, create and reflect on a variety of spoken and written texts. Students learn to appreciate, enjoy and use the English language in all its variations to evoke feelings, convey information, form ideas, and facilitate interactions with others in a meaningful way.

Our English curriculum is based on the Daily Five Literacy Model. Daily 5 is a literacy framework that instills behaviors of independence, creates a classroom of highly engaged readers, writers, and learners, and provides teachers with the time and structure to meet diverse student needs. Programs are developed in collaboration with the Therapy team, responding to individual learning needs such as communication or sensory input.

Mathematics

The Mathematics curriculum aims to develop useful mathematical and numeracy skills for everyday life. Students see connections and apply mathematical concepts. The curriculum is organised by the three strands of Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability.

The Mathematics curriculum is used to develop understanding from the students point of need and is delivered to suit the unique learning needs and styles of each student. This is facilitated by the use of whole group, small group, peer learning and one-to-one, aimed  to target skill acquisition through modeled, guided and shared understandings.

Science

The Science curriculum aims to ensure that students develop an interest in science as a means of expanding their curiosity and willingness to explore, ask questions about and speculate on the changing world in which they live. The curriculum is organised by two strands Science Understanding and Science Inquiry Skills. At the Secondary campus year 7 to 10 , science is highlighted as a termly sub-focus and integrated into classroom programs. Students are encouraged to experience science through their senses, making observations, predictions and gathering understandings from simple scientific investigations.

Humanities

At the Secondary campus year 7 to 10, the Humanities curriculum is organised by two strands: Geography and History. The humanities curriculum provides a framework for students to examine the modern world, in a context that is meaningful to their own lives and the lives of those around them understanding the uniqueness of cultures including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Geography and History are highlighted as a major focus and integrated into classroom programs.

Health and Physical Education

Health and Physical Education focuses on students enhancing their own and others’ health, safety, wellbeing and physical participation in varied and changing contexts.

HPE is incorporated into daily classroom programs in consultation with the Therapy Team.  The delivery of the learning area of HPE recognises the individual learner and their unique learning style. The HPE program focuses on movement and physical activities, therapies, building social competencies, wellbeing, healthy lifestyle and self-care.

The programs offered at the Secondary campus are:

  • Weekly Wellbeing with a specialist teacher (years 7 – 12)
  • Daily Sensory Motor Program (years 7 – 12)
  • Weekly Swimming lessons with a specialist swim teacher (years 7 -8)
  • Interschool Sports program (year 9)
  • Tennis program (year 10)

Technologies

The Technologies provide a framework for students to learn how to use technologies for a range of purposes. The curriculum has been designed to provide practical opportunities for students to explore the capacity of information systems (e.g. Interactive Whiteboards, Computers and iPads) for the purpose of learning. Sunbury and Macedon Ranges Specialist School is an eSmart school where Students are encouraged to employ digital technologies safely and responsibly. 

Arts 

The Arts enables students to develop their creative and expressive capacities by learning about different practices, disciplines and traditions. Students are both artist and audience in the Arts.  The Arts are incorporated into daily classroom programs reflecting the needs of the individual learner and responding to each  unique learning style.

Personal and Social Capabilities

SMRSS recognises the individual learners and the need to teach students to understand themselves and others.  Personal and Social Capabilities are taught within structured classroom programs and incidentally throughout the school day.  This is facilitated by the use of whole group, small group, peer learning and one-to-one learning experiences, aimed to target skill acquisition through modelled, guided and shared understandings. Formal programs at the Secondary campus include: Wellbeing, The Zones of Regulation, School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), and Respectful Relationships.

Note. VCAL is offered for Year 11 and 12 Students.