PLC Sydney
Towards 2030: Vision Statement and Strategic Directions
Developing a Curriculum to Achieve our Aims
Before analysing how we will achieve each College aim, it is important to alert the community to our discussions regarding the curriculum providers. Our learning virtues influence how we learn in our College. They impact the tone and quality of our interactions. Seventy percent of the substance of our actual curriculum is set by the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA). All credentials in Australia need to fulfil the aims of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). NESA organise the Higher School Certificate and all of the curricula that lead up to it. Their courses fulfil the aims of ACARA. Other Internationallybased curricula such as the International Baccalaureate® (IB) and Cambridge International Assessments (Cambridge) are 8
accepted as part of schooling in Australia only if they fulfil the standards set by ACARA. As an independent and Presbyterian school we can also set some of our own curriculum. This includes courses like Christian Studies, Philosophy and Theology (PaTh), Careers Education, Sport, Clubs, Assemblies, Chapels and sessions connected to student well-being (friendship development, drug and alcohol education etc). We currently offer the Higher School Certificate (HSC) for all students and NESA courses from Pre-K to Year 12. In order to add a degree of rigour and enrichment, we also offer Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) courses to Years 9 and 10.
