The Australian Curriculum
AISPP uses the Australian Curriculum as the basis for content when planning IB units. The curriculum is designed to teach students what it takes to be confident and creative individuals, and become active and informed citizens. From the first year of schooling, students develop knowledge and skill in eight learning areas:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Health and Physical Education
- Humanities and Social Sciences
- The Arts
- Technologies
- Languages
In the Early Years, priority is given to literacy and numeracy development as the foundations for further learning. As students make their way through the Primary Years, they focus more on the knowledge, understanding and skills of all eight learning areas.
In the Secondary school, students are taught by specialist teachers. The curriculum is designed to develop skills for civic, social and economic participation.
The Australian curriculum is organised into learning areas and subjects. Some learning areas bring a number of subjects together: humanities and social sciences includes history, geography, civics and citizenship, as well as economics and business; the arts includes dance, drama, media arts, music and visual arts; technologies includes design and digital technologies.
General capabilities are included in the content of the learning areas. These are the skills and abilities intended to help prepare young people to learn, live and work in the 21st century. The Australian curriculum has seven general capabilities:
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- Personal and Social Capability
- Ethical Understanding
- Intercultural Understanding
