What is curriculum?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between a syllabus and the curriculum? A syllabus is a mandated document produced by NESA to inform teachers of what they're required to teach students and why.

Each syllabus includes the rationale, aim, outcomes, course, specific content, and any mandated assessment requirements. After receiving the syllabus from NESA schools, then use this to develop the curriculum.

The curriculum is a plan for learning that every school develops for each key learning area. It includes all relevant syllabuses and other relevant information to support teachers, including system policies and procedures. Schools prioritise how the content is planned to be taught and the resources chosen. The curriculum provides an opportunity for teachers to plan, evaluate and modify teaching programs to improve student learning.

Curriculum Reform.

The NSW education system is reforming the curriculum which will be taught in all classrooms from Kindergarten to Year 12. The new curriculum, as a result of the NSW Curriculum Reform, will give students more time to focus on key learning areas so that they can acquire a deeper understanding of central concepts. It will ensure students develop strong foundations for learning, life and work in a complex and fast-changing world.

This reform has been informed by extensive consultation with teachers, parents and education experts, and is underpinned by extensive research. Curriculum reform involves change that spans many aspects of schooling, including teaching, learning, assessment and reporting to parents. New syllabuses provide schools with a unique opportunity to refocus and place curriculum at the heart of school planning. Key curriculum changes include:

• Building strong foundations for future learning with new English and Mathematics syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 2
• An entirely new curriculum from 2022 with new syllabuses focused on what is essential to know and do in the early and middle years of schooling, and key learning areas in the senior years

The new curriculum will ensure every student develops strong foundations for learning, life and work. The reforms are vital for the young people in our schools 

Mentor Texts

A mentor text is a text that is studied as an example to show how specific textual features are crafted. The text provides students with a model to emulate when crafting their own text (NESA, 2021). Supporting texts provide further opportunities to extend and deepen learning.

Mentor texts:

• address the identified outcomes and content
• align to the same mentor or supporting textual concept.