Year 7 to 10 Curriculum Handbook
Welcome
Seeing each student as an individual
FOCUS OF LEARNING
Learning in Years 7 and 8 focuses on skill and concept development, critical thinking and problem solving. At the core of the development approach is helping students to understand themselves as learners and work independently. Students are encouraged to think critically, investigate broadly, work co-operatively and take responsibility for their learning. The honing of information and communication technology skills are embedded across all subjects.
Students in Years 9 and 10 find themselves at an exciting stage in their schooling. They are ready to look beyond the immediacy of school and focus on their future directions. There are more elective choices, as the curriculum moves away from a generalist approach and takes a more complex and specialist focus. With this wider choice offered to students also comes greater responsibility and commitment.
Students work to develop and consolidate the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for Year 11 courses and become independent as learners. Crucial factors to be developed are a willingness to seek and act on feedback, an ability to review understanding, ask critical questions, and an effective structure for managing study and revision.
Each Perth College student is an individual with their own set of capabilities, interests and learning experiences. Thus the School aims to support and challenge each student as they make progress toward their individual goals and achieve their personal best. Within the framework of the curriculum, programs are tailored to allow opportunities for difference and create space for students to flourish as learners.
BREADTH OF EDUCATION
Underpinning curriculum design is an awareness of the need to prepare our students for participation as citizens in a global world. The seven General Capabilities (Literacy, Numeracy, ICT Capability, Creative and Critical Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding and Intercultural Understanding) inform learning across the curriculum. In co-curricular programs, they build an integrated and interconnected set of knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that students develop and use in their learning.
Experiences in Entrepreneurship, Enterprise and Careers, Leadership and Citizenship form the basis of learning experiences, underpinned by the School's values of Capable, Courageous and Caring, and are grounded in the School's positive education philosophy. Through the sparc framework, students are offered a unique future-focused curriculum designed to prepare them for the post-school world.
These modules are sequenced across year levels to build the range of competencies that students need for their future, such as:
• Critical and creative thinking
• Financial literacy
• Learning strategies
Effective teamwork and communication
• Empathy and perspective
The learning in these experiences challenge students to demonstrate agility, resilience and determination – adding to their academic knowledge, and growing them as young people of humanity who can speak and act for themselves and contribute to the world.
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM
Courses are based on the Western Australian Curriculum. This provides the content and achievement standards used to plan learning programs and assess progress.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The core curriculum is organised into a set of compulsory and elective subjects. Choices in the areas of The Arts and Technologies increase as students move from Year 7 to Year 10, and breadth of learning is strongly encouraged when choosing. All students study English, Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Health and Physical Education and Beliefs and Values.
Studies in Languages is an important part of the learning program. Students study either French or Chinese in Years 7 to 9 and have the option to continue this study into Year 10 and then at ATAR level.
In Years 7 to 9, students study one language for the full year and experience a range of units from The Arts and Technologies learning areas.
In Year 10, students are strongly encouraged to continue the study of a language and can select from a broader range of options in The Arts and Technologies. They can choose to study one language for the full year or two options per semester (four throughout the whole year).
While every effort is made to ensure that option selections are met, sometimes there are insufficient numbers for an option to remain viable on the timetable. In this case, a reserve choice will be allocated.
OPTION FOR YEAR 13
Year 13 is an option for all students, whereby Years 11 and 12 are completed over 3 years. The reasoning for this option may vary, from academic capacity, external commitments or mental health. Students interested in this option are requested to speak with the Director of Learning and Teaching. The selection may be enacted at various stages in Years 11 or 12, to permit flexibility in its use and support at point of need.
Curriculum Structure
SUBJECTS
Course Structure
YEAR 9 COURSES
YEAR 10 COURSES
Learning Engagement
Encouraging growth across all subjects
At Perth College, we endeavour to take into account each student’s relative strengths and areas for growth across all of their subjects.
We believe that learning outcomes are optimised through close liaison and open communication with families.
Differentiation within units of work caters for the needs of most students, and intervention or extension options are offered to students who would benefit from adjustments to content delivery, learning process or assessment structure. Some students with diverse learning needs may require additional curriculum adjustment to ensure they are working in their optimal learning zone.
Students may be clustered into either heterogeneous or ability grouped classes in response to their readiness to learn or specific learning needs. This clustering may be at a course level, or for a particular topic or skill. Groupings are formed using ability and performance data, teacher observation and consideration of background information. These groupings remain fluid and are reassessed at the end of learning cycles to determine growth and respond to changes in student needs.
Students identified with diverse learning needs are involved in the development and review of their individual learning profiles and documented plans. These may include Individual Education Plans (IEP) and Learning Adjustment Plans (LAP).
In Years 7 to 10, we work from a Response to Intervention model where we recognise that all students benefit from a differentiated classroom.
However, for students with Specific Learning Disabilities,
we acknowledge they may require ongoing remedial support. We offer specific programs for these students that focus on literacy intervention, numeracy support and metacognitive learning strategies, as well as offering in-class support where needed. In Year 10, these programs include specific preparation for the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) for students engaged in this process.
The Learning Engagement team also ensures the needs of students identified as high ability are documented in an Gifted Educational Profile (GEP), and are offered mentoring for goal setting and developing personal learning pathways. Differentiated opportunities are offered to these students through the Eudaimonia program, and in class support is offered to extend and deepen their learning, and the acceleration process is used where needed. Students are encouraged to participate in co-curricular activities that complement their passions or strengths through involvement in various opportunities such as Tournament of Minds, Debating, Creative Edge Thinking workshops and Talented Young Writers program.
For our students with English as an Additional Language/ Dialect, we use the English Progress Maps to assess and monitor their growth in Australian English language proficiency and are supported through EAL/D Learning Adjustment Plans. In their first few years, targeted and personalised programs support students with their transition into learning English as an additional language. We work closely with classroom teachers to accommodate the individual needs of these students in the classroom.
Homework and Study
Fostering lifelong learning habits
HOMEWORK
Homework helps students by complementing and reinforcing classroom teaching, fostering lifelong learning habits and developing the self-discipline that forms the foundation of successful learning. Homework provides regular opportunities for students to learn to be responsible for their own learning and to set and achieve their goals.
TYPES OF HOMEWORK
Homework is best understood as work at home and comprises the range of activities that students do outside the classroom. Regular practice exercises provide students with opportunities to apply new knowledge or to review, revise and reinforce newly acquired skills.
Preparatory homework provides opportunities for students to gain background information so they are better prepared for future lessons. Assignments, investigations, research and other such work items encourage students to pursue knowledge individually and imaginatively. Test review, and the preparation and organisation of notes, are also effective uses of homework time.
ORGANISATION AND STUDY PLANNERS
Each term, students are encouraged to populate a study planner. This allows them to map their workload, co-curricular commitments and rest time in a visible and realistic manner. The overarching goal of this planning is that students work towards balancing their time outside of the classroom in ways that increase their engagement and success as learners.
STUDY SKILLS
Students in Years 7 to 10 learn a range of study strategies that are scientifically proven to assist in the long-term revision, retention and retrieval of learning. The goal is that they enter the final years of Senior School equipped with a range of study strategies adaptable to different subjects and contexts that work for them to enhance learning in Year 11 and 12.
The School currently runs two additional programs to assist students with their study. Brain Boost Homework Club runs every Tuesday to Thursday afternoon during the School term and offers students a place to study in a quiet and supportive environment. There is also PC+ which is an extended hours learning program that provides a supervised and structured environment for students to study in. For more information, refer to the PC+ Extended Day Program page of SPACE.
RECOMMENDED HOMEWORK TIME
Year 7
0.5 to 1 hour/night, five times a week
Year 8
1 to 1.5 hours/night, five times a week
Year 9
2 to 2.5 hours/night, five times a week
Year 10
2 to 2.5 hours/night, five times a week
These are only averages as the school year has ebbs and flows. In some weeks, students may be required to complete more homework than the average and, in others, less. Please see the guidelines on SPACE
Establishing priorities and developing organisation skills are important life skills. Students having trouble completing work should see their Kaya teacher for support with time management and study strategies.
Assessment Program
Students are assessed in a range of ways to determine mastery of the learning undertaken. Assessments may be formative (before learning to assess readiness and capacity), during learning (to assess development of skills and understandings) or summative (after learning to determine the degree to which the learning has been achieved).
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
In Years 7 to 10, a maximum of two (2) tests / assessments / assignments (or equivalent) can be scheduled on any one day.
Students are encouraged to monitor their schedule of assessments and to work progressively towards preparing and completing them. They are also encouraged to work with their Kaya teacher to develop their organisational strategies and study skills, and to advocate for themselves if they foresee a scheduling issue or a period where their personal assessment loading could be challenging. Students are made aware of their responsibility for the completion of their assessment program and empowered to speak up when faced with concerns.
CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK
Each student’s progress is recorded and tracked by teachers within SPACE. Feedback on achievement, as well as strategies for further improvement, are provided for all assessment tasks. This feedback is written for students but it is accessible by parents on their child's continuous feedback page within SPACE. Parents receive a notification when teachers post feedback, and are encouraged regularly to discuss academic progress and steps for further improvement with their child.
Wellbeing
Personal wellbeing
Developing Character and Resilience
In the Senior School, opportunities are provided to help students strive for optimal wellbeing. The InsideOut and pastoral programs help students to fill their toolkit to navigate life’s joys and challenges by building resilience, emotional regulation, humility, empathy and positive relationships. Students are encouraged to achieve their personal best and become grounded and compassionate citizens of the world.
YEAR 7: MAKE CONNECTIONS
Year 7 is a time of growth and change, therefore adaptability is a key concept for this year group. In this year, a sense of belonging is nurtured through developing strong connections to space, place and people, alongside the physical and emotional transitions from childhood to adolescence. Students use a strengths-based approach to develop self-awareness, build communication skills and begin to explore identities. They also understand and have opportunities to practice the social skill set that underpins healthy, flexible friendships, including digital relationships.
YEAR 8: BUILD STRENGTH
Students in Year 8 understand how independence is achieved through growing their personal and social responsibility, including their understanding of digital citizenship. A key focus in building strength is learning how to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. Exposure to a range of perspectives allow students to experience the attributes that underline tolerance of self and others.
YEAR 9: CHOOSE COURAGE
Students in Year 9 develop their perceptions of how to nurture relationships by focusing on the qualities of forgiveness, empathy and self-awareness. They will sharpen their moral compass through a consideration of the values that underpin living courageously, deepen their understanding of what it means to use their initiative ivwn service to others, and grow in independence by embracing challenges.
YEAR 10: STEP UP
Students in Year 10 examine what it means to have the confidence to embrace optimism and live by their own values. They explore what it means to have adaptability and grit in the face of peer pressure and develop a self-reflection toolkit to understand ideas that challenge their thinking. They experiment with goal setting and plan ways to step up to make good choices for their future.
InsideOut
A self-leadership program to help students flourish
InsideOut is Perth College's pioneering initiative for cultivating one simple yet remarkable premise: to promote flourishing in our School community. InsideOut is much more than just a program; it is a lighthouse for our students' educational experience and for how we are as a School.
The genesis of InsideOut was established in our original School prospectus over 100 years ago. The Sisters gave explicit description that, alongside and of equal importance to academics, Perth College students be equipped for excellence in ‘the greater business of life’.
We are committed to being astute to the ever-changing nature of what 'the greater business of life' means for our students. This means that InsideOut is anchored in our heritage, whilst also being agile and dynamic to real-world contexts and complexities.
InsideOut is led by a Clinical Psychologist in collaboration with our Wellbeing Leadership Team. The bespoke and sequential framework integrates contemporary social, emotional and cognitive research, theories and strategies. We explicitly teach skills across all year groups, giving additional care to flagship timepoints for each of our cohorts.
EXAMPLES OF THIS INCLUDE:
Year 7 - Sessions focused on supporting social connections, navigating friendship changes, and cultivating compassion for self and others.
Year 8 - Kaya and whole-year group time exploring and understanding resilience in a real-life and every-day PC context.
Year 9 - Peer leader training, strengths-focused pre-camp activities, and students creating resources that contextualise flourishing within PC academic and co-curricular activities.
Year 10 - Each student engages in our endorsed program Step Up!, which is a curated schedule of workshops and self-reflection activities in addition to the end of year Cape to Cape camp experience in WA’s South West.
Sports Development and Performance
Redefining sporting possibilities for our students
OVERVIEW
The Sports Development and Performance Program is an exclusive initiative for Perth College students, designed to engage, nurture, and accelerate sports participation across all year levels. This unique program ensures full inclusivity, offering students positive experiences throughout the School while promoting a lifelong commitment to sports and physical activity.
Motivated by recent research showing a decline in female sports participation rates across Australia, the program caters to all ability levels and establishes key community partnerships to enhance learning environments and provide direction for sports participation opportunities both within and outside the School. The Sports Development and Performance Program works closely with the Health and Physical Education department to deliver comprehensive sports offerings to our students, including programs that are highly innovative and delivered with great expertise.
The Program offers two distinct pathways: Community Sport Pathway and Performance Pathway.
COMMUNITY SPORT PATHWAY:
Competitive and Non-Competitive Sporting Opportunities
The Community Sport Pathway is made up of six key programs that cover a range of sports and provide introductory opportunities to participate in external sporting competitions.
Perth College Swim Academy
Perth College has an onsite swimming program that offers a range of choices for our students. We believe that learning to become a strong swimmer is a vital skill and offer Learn to Swim for senior school alongside a Swim Squad program for those students looking to extend their capabilities in the pool Our swim squads train year round with students preparing for interschool swimming competitions and internal squad meets.
WA Volleyball Junior League
Perth College has a number of teams competing during the WA Volleyball league Season. Through our partnership with Balcatta Cats Volleyball Club, our students in Years 7-10 can continue their passion for volleyball in a supportive club environment. The competition runs during Terms 2 and 3 and is an extension of the Term 1 IGSSA Volleyball program.
Perth College Netball Academy
The Perth College Netball Academy (PCNA) is one of the largest school-based clubs in Western Australia and provides our students with an opportunity to play in a competitive, fun and exciting team atmosphere. Our students are encouraged to umpire and coach as they progress through their netball journey; supported by expert PCNA staff.
Fitness Club Program
Each Friday morning, we bring together our Junior and Senior School communities to promote physical activity and build our fitness levels. We're incredibly lucky to have Perth College Old Girl and Olympian, Sarah Jamieson, taking running sessions in the Summer months and our strength and conditioning program partner, Athlete Alliance, delivering engaging and challenging circuit training sessions throughout Winter.
PERFORMANCE PATHWAY:
High-Performance Sporting Opportunities
The Performance Pathway provides opportunities for students of all athletic ability to access, age-appropriate, movement development and strength training under the supervision of accredited professionals. Delivered through our Athlete Development Program and PC Strong, we’re providing our students with opportunities to expand their physical abilities and develop lifelong fitness skills and habits.
Athlete Development Program
Since its inception in 2022, the Athlete Development Program has been providing personalised support to select high performing senior school athletes, allowing them thrive both in school and in their chosen sport.
The program’s foundations are grounded in developing athletic ability, fostering wellbeing, performance health education and building confidence.
Athletes selected in the program receive a suite of performance related services including personalised strength and conditioning sessions, nutrition and sleep education, goal setting and mentoring and rehabilitation support.
PC Strong
Throughout senior school, students representing Perth College at IGSSA Swimming, Cross-Country and Athletics carnivals are offered year-round resistance training sessions to support their sporting journey. These engaging “PC STRONG” sessions focus on injury prevention, building confidence and competence in the gym and improving physical capacity.
Delivered by our accredited Strength and Conditioning Coaches, we consider the long term athletic development of our students as we deliver engaging, age-appropriate and genuinely fun programs to help foster a positive relationship with physical fitness
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
To find out more about the Sports Development and Performance Program and participation opportunities that exist for your daughter, please visit our website or contact the Sports Development and Performance team at sdpp@pc.wa.edu.au
SPARC
Opportunities for lifelong learning
OVERVIEW
Sparc is a Perth College initiative, blending a unique, futurefocused framework designed to prepare our students with the knowledge, skills, attributes and values that will see them flourish now and into the future. It is based on experiences that:
Spark passion, grow attributes and build relationships to contribute to the world.
Each Perth College student will be involved in experiences that focus on Innovation, Leadership and Citizenship. The basis of these learning experiences are underpinned by the School’s values of Capable, Courageous and Caring and are grounded in the School’s positive education philosophy. These experiences are embedded in the timetable from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 10 and are guided by the School's Strategic Intent, Learning and Teaching Statement.
The assessment of sparc is completely formative and is driven by the students with support from their mentors. Students will not receive a grade for sparc, however, they will engage in reflection, creating and collecting evidence of their learning journey, and using their experiences to further develop themselves. We encourage you to engage in conversation with your child about the sparc experiences they have completed.
Our students will explore themes and work through experiences relating to specific stages of development, to help them feel more prepared for challenges they may encounter.
The experiences of sparc will provide students opportunity, beyond the curriculum requirements to:
Grow curiosity, imagination, resilience, self-regulation.
• Respect and appreciate the ideas, perspectives, and values of others.
• Cope with failure and rejection
• Move forward in the face of adversity
• Care about the wellbeing of their friends and families
• Care about their communities and the planet.
Co-Curricular Program
Co-Curricular Program
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
Students are encouraged to engage in the variety of clubs and activities that operate throughout the year which are held before and after school as well as lunchtimes. With these commitments, students are always reminded to not overcommit themselves to too many options.
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
AGED CARE SUPPORT HYPATIA: MATHS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
ANGLICARE SLEEP OUT MOCK TRIALS
BARISTA CLUB MYOLA
CHESS CLUB HOMEWORK CLUB
DEBATING - AHISA ROTARY 4 WAY SPEAKING COMPETITION
DEBATING - WADL RUNNING CLUB
DJOOK DJINDA HOMEWORK GROUP SCIENCE CLUB
EVATT COMPETITION SOCIAL JUSTICE CLUB
FITNESS CLUB SUSTAINABILITY CLUB
VR CLUB TOURNAMENT OF MINDS
EQUESTRIAN THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Perth College offers an extensive range of co-curricular options that allow students to broaden and enhance their educational experiences.
THE ARTS
The Arts provide plenty of opportunities for students in Years 7 to 10 to involve themselves in co-curricular activities at Perth College. Whether their interest is in drama, dance or music, there is a co-curricular activity for them including the School musical, jazz bands, SP!N dance collective and art club to name a few.
ARTS OPPORTUNITIES
ART CLUB
ART STUDIO SESSIONS
EP!C SENIOR PRODUCTION
EP!C JUNIOR PRODUCTION
MUSICAL THEATRE CLUB
CHORAL CONCERT
MUSIC NIGHT
SCHOOL MUSICAL
DANCE COLLECTIVE
SPORT
Participation in sport is voluntary, but highly recommended. There is a comprehensive range of House and IGSSA sport competitions where students of all levels and abilities are catered for and the emphasis is placed on enjoyment and growth through participation
SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES
ATHLETICS LEARN TO ROW
AUSTRALIAN RULES
FOOTBALL NETBALL
BADMINTON ROWING
BASKETBALL SOCCER
CRICKET SOFTBALL
CROSS COUNTRY SWIMMING
DANCE TENNIS
HOCKEY VOLLEYBALL
WATER POLO
THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S INTERNATIONAL AWARD
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award was founded by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in 1956. This fully inclusive program empowers young Australians aged between 13 to 25 to explore their full potential regardless of their location or circumstance.
There are three levels to the Award: Bronze, Silver, and Gold, each progressively more challenging. To earn an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical wellbeing, volunteer in their community and experience a team adventure in a new environment. Students can use co-curricular school activities as well as club or personal pursuits in the community towards their Award. If the Award is completed in Years 10, 11 or 12, it can be included as an endorsed WACE program.
Today more than 130 countries have adopted The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program with over 8 million young people having participated worldwide. Achieving an Award recognises individual goal setting and self-improvement through persistence and achievement.
Camps
YEAR 7
The aim of the Year 7 camp is to continue students' comprehensive induction into the Senior School by focusing on key issues that will have an impact on the Year 7 cohort throughout the year. This includes aspects such as transition, working together and bonding as a year group, understanding friendships and discovering what it means to be a Perth College student.
YEAR 8
This camp provides students with an opportunity to challenge themselves and to recognise some of their strengths. They will be presented with opportunities to problem-solve and to develop leadership skills while working closely with their peers. Having fun completing a variety of adventure activities is an integral part of the program.
YEAR 9
The Year 9 camp revolves around community living where students become responsible for themselves and other members of their group. They are encouraged to heighten their awareness and respect for themselves, others and their surroundings. The camp aims to increase self-esteem and confidence by creating experiences that challenge students in a supportive group environment.
YEAR 10
This outdoor learning experience will foster personal growth and develop resilience through participation in challenging outdoor-based activities in an unfamiliar environment. There is a strong emphasis on teamwork, collaboration, dealing with adversity and leadership.
Communication and Contact
PARENT INQUIRY OR CONCERN
SENIOR SCHOOL
General / Administration
Pastoral Care / Health
Parent emails or phones Subject Teacher.
Contact Reception who will direct you to the appropriate person if they are unable to address you query.
Parent emails or phones Kaya Teacher.
emails or phones appropriate Head of Year.
Kaya Teacher.
Contact the Vice Principal to discuss your concern. If
please contact the Principal.
EMAIL CONTACT
Staff can be contacted by email using the following: firstname.surname@pc.wa.edu.au
It is reasonable to expect a reply to a parent communication within two working days.
PARENT-TEACHER CONTACT
Learning conferences are held once a year and offer an opportunity for feedback and discussion between parents and teachers about each student's progress.