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CURRICULUM DELIVERY POLICYEach board of trustees is required to foster student achievement by providing teaching and learning programmes which incorporate The National Curriculum as expressed in The New Zealand Curriculum 2007 or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. 1. PURPOSES: As set out in the Ministry of Education's NAG1 documentation, each board, through the principal and staff, is required to: (a) develop and implement teaching and learning programmes: i. to provide all students in years 1-10 with opportunities to achieve for success in all areas of the National Curriculum; ii. giving priority to student achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially in years 1-8; iii. giving priority to regular quality physical activity that develops movement skills for all students, especially in years 1-6. (b) through a range of assessment practices, gather information that is sufficiently comprehensive to enable the progress and achievement of students to be evaluated; giving priority to: i. student achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially in years 1-8; ii. the breadth and depth of learning related to the needs, abilities and interests of students, the nature of the school's curriculum, and the scope of The National Curriculum as expressed in The New Zealand Curriculum or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa; (c) on the basis of good quality assessment information, identify students and groups of students: i. who are not achieving; ii. who are at risk of not achieving; iii. who have special needs (including gifted and talented students); and iv. aspects of the curriculum which require particular attention; (d) develop and implement teaching and learning strategies to address the needs of students and aspects of the curriculum identified in (c) above; (e) in consultation with the school's Māori community, develop and make known to the school's community policies, plans and targets for improving the achievement of Māori students; and (f) provide appropriate career education and guidance for all students in Year 7 and above, with a particular emphasis on specific career guidance for those students who have been identified by the school as being at risk of leaving school unprepared for the transition to the workplace or further education/training. Additionally, the board at Onewhero Area School intend to ensure that sufficient resources are made available for curriculum delivery. 2. RATIONALE: Our Rationale is to meet the requirements of National Administration Guideline 1, so that the Board of Trustees can foster student achievement by providing a balanced curriculum in accordance with the New Zealand Curriculum. This "balance" is essential if we are to attain The New Zealand Curriculum's "vision of our young people as life-long learners who are confident and creative, connected and actively involved". Our curriculum is aligned with the NZC, being designed with the intention of enabling our students to develop the competencies they need for study, work and lifelong learning, so that they will go on to realize their potential. It is built upon the following Principles: • High expectations • Learning to learn • The Treaty of Waitangi • Community engagement • Cultural diversity • Coherence • Inclusion • Future focus Guiding these Principles are the Values which Onewhero Area School has identified as representing the school and community's most deeply held beliefs, namely: respect for individual students, staff and the community; excellence in all activities; the integrity to do what is right; and an effective partnership between school and community which celebrates participation. The Curriculum is delivered in accordance with the National Education Guidelines, as expressed in The Education Act 1989, and Amendments. It therefore adheres to: • National Education Goals: The highest standards of achievement, through programmes which enable all students to realise their full potential as individuals, and to develop the values needed to become full members of New Zealand's society. • New Zealand Curriculum's Principles, Values, Key Competencies, Learning Area Statements and Achievement Objectives • National Standards • National Administration Guidelines 3. GUIDELINES: A. Whole school: Teachers will: 1. Implement the learning philosophies, principles, aims, attitudes and achievement objectives, as outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum. 2. Use of variety of learning/teaching style and strategies that are appropriate to the needs of the students. 3. Monitor and record student progress against National Standards and N.C.E.A Achievement Objectives using a variety of planned assessment procedures integrated into the teaching and learning programmes. 4. Identify barriers to learning for students and implement strategies to address these. 5. Provide equal opportunities for all groups of learners. 6. Respect and draw upon the significant features of our diverse ethnic and cultural New Zealand heritage. 7. Develop curriculum plans for the eight learning areas identified in the New Zealand Curriculum that reflect the special nature of the Onewhero community. 8. Recognise parents as educators. 9. Undertake professional development as the necessary foundation for successful curriculum delivery. Sufficient funding will be allocated to ensure delivery of all curriculum areas (see Curriculum/Budgeting). B. Syndicates: 1. Junior School i) Individual teachers will be responsible for identifying the learning needs of pupils in their allocated class. ii) Sufficient funding will be allocated to ensure delivery of all curriculum areas (see Curriculum/Budgeting) iii) Individual teachers will deliver the curriculum to their class according to New Zealand Curriculum guidelines. iv) Individual teachers will draw upon standardized diagnostic test outcomes, learning conversations and student observations to make judgements on each student's progress in Numeracy, Reading, and Writing, according to the National Standards. v) Suitable planning, teaching and evaluation will take place to ensure that effective learning takes place that caters for the needs of each individual student. 2. Middle School i) Classes are organised in to year levels. ii) In Years 7 and 8, homeroom teachers will draw upon test outcomes, learning conversations and student observations to make judgements on each student's progress in Numeracy, Reading, and Writing, according to the National standards. iii) Individual teachers will be responsible for identifying the learning needs of pupils in their allocated class and/or Learning Area. iv) Sufficient funding will be allocated to ensure delivery of all curriculum areas (see Curriculum/Budgeting). v) Individual teachers will deliver the curriculum to their class according to New Zealand Curriculum guidelines. vi) Suitable planning/teaching/evaluation will take place to ensure effective learning takes place. vii) The following core programme will be offered: • Year 9: Maths, Science, Social Studies, Transition, Physical Education, The Arts, Technology. • Year 10: Maths, Science, Social Studies, Transition, Physical Education, The Arts, Technology. viii) The following options may be available: • Years 7 & 8: Textiles, Food Technology, Hard Technology, Computer Studies, Ceramics. • Years 9 & 10: Textiles, Food Technology, Hard Technology, Computer Studies, Ceramics, Art, Graphics and Drama. 3. Senior School i) Classes are organised in to year levels. There may be times when more than one year level is designated in an instructional class. • Year 11, 12 and 13: subjects available include: English, Mathematics, Science, Transition, Physical Education • Year 11 to 13 students will be offered a variety of options dependent on staff expertise. ii) Where appropriate, programmes will be delivered by specialist staff. iii) Correspondence School courses will be used to supplement those subject areas not covered. iv) Individual teachers will be responsible for identifying the learning needs of pupils in their allocated class and/or Learning Area. v) Sufficient funding will be allocated to ensure delivery of all curriculum areas (see Curriculum/Budgeting) vi) Individual teachers will deliver the curriculum to their class according to New Zealand Curriculum guidelines. 4. CURRICULUM PLAN: Onewhero Area School staff, heads of departments and principal, in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, will provide the detail for this whole school curriculum plan. The purpose of the plan is to give a statement of shared expectations that will form the basis for reporting and reviewing the quality and impact of teaching and learning. Within the management plan for curriculum the following are to be included: 1. A Statement of prescription for school wide planning requirements including: • Term overviews • Unit Planning • Short and long term plans • Curriculum delivery • Formative assessment to inform future teaching • Summative assessment for recording and reporting purposes 2. Catering for Individual Needs: this should include: • Gifted and Talented programmes • Learning programmes for students who need special assistance • Individual Education programmes • A Special Needs Register • The use of the SEG and TFEA grants • Any other special assistance programmes in place in the school 3. Related Procedures • The Monitoring of Student Achievement • Maori Student achievement • Homework • Provision of career education and guidance • Identification of students at risk • Student Management • Consultation with Parents • Parental Involvement in the School 5. CURRICULUM LEARNING AREAS: The Curriculum acknowledges the 8 Learning Areas identified in the New Zealand Curriculum: English, The Arts, Health and Physical Education, Learning Languages, Mathematics and Statistics, Science, Social Sciences, and Technology. The essential purpose of each is outlined below. English Understanding, using, and creating oral, written, and visual texts of increasing complexity is at the heart of English teaching and learning. English is structured around two interconnected strands, each encompassing the oral, written, and visual forms of the language. The strands differentiate between the modes in which students are primarily: • making meaning of ideas or information they receive (Listening, Reading, and Viewing); • creating meaning for themselves or others (Speaking, Writing, and Presenting). The Arts Arts education explores, challenges, affirms, and celebrates unique artistic expressions of self, community, and culture. Learning in, through, and about the Arts stimulates creative action and response by engaging and connecting thinking, imagination, senses, and feelings. The Arts learning area comprises four disciplines: dance, drama, music - sound arts, and visual arts. Within each, students develop literacies as they build on skills, knowledge, attitudes, and understandings at each of the eight levels of the curriculum. Health and Physical Education Through learning and by accepting challenges in health-related and movement contexts, students reflect on the nature of well-being and how to promote it. Four underlying and interdependent concepts are at the heart of this learning area: Hauora, Attitudes and values, The socio-ecological perspective, and Health promotion The learning activities in health and physical education arise from the integration of these four concepts, and the following four strands and their achievement objectives: • Personal Health and Physical Development • Movement Concepts and Motor Skills • Relationships with Other People • Healthy Communities and Environments The seven key areas of learning are: mental health, sexuality education, food and nutrition, body care and physical safety, physical activity, sport studies, and outdoor education. Learning Languages This learning area puts students' ability to communicate at the centre by making Communication the core strand. This strand is supported by two further strands, which are directed specifically at developing the linguistic and cultural awareness needed for communicative competence. In the core Communication strand, students learn to use the language to make meaning. In the supporting Language Knowledge strand, students study the language in order to understand how it works. In the supporting Cultural Knowledge strand, students learn about culture and the interrelationship between culture and language. Mathematics and Statistics By studying Mathematics and Statistics, students develop the ability to think creatively, critically, strategically, and logically. They learn to structure and to organise, to carry out procedures flexibly and accurately, to process and communicate information, and to enjoy intellectual challenge. The achievement objectives are presented in three strands. It is important that students can see and make sense of the many connections within and across these strands. Number and Algebra: Number involves calculating and estimating, using appropriate mental, written, or machine calculation methods in flexible ways. Geometry and Measurement: Geometry involves recognising and using the properties and symmetries of shapes and describing position and movement. Measurement involves quantifying the attributes of objects, using appropriate units and instruments. Statistics involves identifying problems that can be explored by the use of appropriate data, designing investigations, collecting data, exploring and using patterns and relationships in data, solving problems, and communicating findings. Science Science is able to inform problem solving and decision making in many areas of life. Many of the major challenges and opportunities that confront our world need to be approached from a scientific perspective, taking into account social and ethical considerations. By studying Science, students: • develop an understanding of the world, built on current scientific theories; • learn that science involves particular processes and ways of developing and organizing knowledge and that these continue to evolve; • use their current scientific knowledge and skills for problem solving and developing further knowledge; • use scientific knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about the communication, application, and implications of science as these relate to their own lives and cultures and to the sustainability of the environment. The Nature of Science strand is the overarching, unifying strand. Through it, students learn what science is and how scientists work. They develop the skills, attitudes, and values to build a foundation for understanding the world. The Living World strand is about living things and how they interact with each other and the environment. The Planet Earth and Beyond strand is about the interconnecting systems and processes of the Earth, the other parts of the solar system, and the universe beyond. Students also learn that Earth provides all the resources required to sustain life except energy from the Sun, and that, as humans, we act as guardians of these finite resources. The Physical World strand provides explanations for a wide range of physical phenomena, including light, sound, heat, electricity, magnetism, waves, forces, and motion, united by the concept of energy, which is transformed from one form to another without loss. The core strand, Nature of Science, is required learning for all students up to Year 10. The other strands provide contexts for learning. Over the course of years 1-10, The Science programme includes learning in all four context strands. Students in years 11-13 specialise in one or more science disciplines. Social Science Through the Social Sciences, students develop the knowledge and skills to enable them to: better understand, participate in, and contribute to the local, national, and global communities in which they live and work; engage critically with societal issues; and evaluate the sustainability of alternative social, economic, political, and environmental practices. Achievement objectives for social studies at levels 1-5 integrate concepts from one or more of four conceptual strands: Identity, Culture, and Organisation, Place and Environment, Continuity and Change, and The Economic World. Learning based on the level 1-5 social studies achievement objectives establishes a foundation for the separate social science disciplines offered in the senior secondary school. At levels 6-8, students specialise in Geography or Social Science Integrated History and Geography). Technology The aim is for students to develop a broad technological literacy that will equip them to participate in society as informed citizens and give them access to technology related careers. They learn practical skills as they develop models, products, and systems. The learning area comprises three strands: Technological Practice, Technological Knowledge, and Nature of Technology. Teaching and learning programmes integrate all three, though a particular unit of work may focus on just one or two. In the Technological Practice strand, students examine the practice of others and undertake their own. They develop a range of outcomes, including concepts, plans, briefs, technological models, and fully realised products or systems. Through the Technological Knowledge strand, students develop knowledge particular to technological enterprises and environments and understandings of how and why things work. Through the Nature of Technology strand, students develop an understanding of technology as a discipline and of how it differs from other disciplines. They learn to critique the impact of technology on societies and the environment and to explore how developments and outcomes are valued by different peoples in different times. In years 11 to 13, students work with fewer contexts in greater depth, choosing from Food Technology, Soft Materials and Hard Materials. Board of Trustees Chairperson: ________________________ 27/10/2010 Policy reviewed: October 2010. Next review date: October 2013. |
