Increasingly, we live in an interconnected, globalised world. Successful participation in such a world requires critical thinking skills and an international perspective. Our curriculum is framed by Gardner’s ‘Five Minds for the Future’ (2008) and the OECD’s ‘Learning for Tomorrow’ approach (2004). These frameworks provide students with an underlying philosophy for life which aims to place their studies within a broader social and ethical context, providing the basis for an understanding of the relevance of these studies now and in the future.
Gardner (Project Zero, Harvard University – 2008) postulates the elegant argument that all successful participation in society requires a range of thinking capacities (his “minds”). He proposes that these capacities include
- Discipline: the ability to master a specific scholarly discipline, craft or profession;
- Synthesis: the ability to take information from disparate sources, understanding, evaluating and combining this information effectively;
- Creativity: the ability to put forth new ideas, pose unfamiliar questions, conjure up fresh ways of thinking and arrive at unexpected answers;
- Respect: the ability to note and welcome differences between human individuals and human groups, and
- Ethics: the ability to conceptualise how workers can serve purposes beyond self-interest and how citizens can work unselfishly to improve the lot of all.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a unique forum where the governments of thirty democracies from around the world are working together to address the challenges of globalisation our youth will face as they become adults. The OECD model for future learning is a simple and practical one.
Learning for Tomorrow’s World: A Global Perspective
- Learning to Know
- Learning to Do
- Learning to Be
- Learning to Live Together
OECD, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2004),
Learning for Tomorrow’s World, Conference Paper.
Year 9 Curriculum
The Year 9 curriculum is based on the AusVELS, which incorporates the Australian Curriculum F-10 for English, Mathematics, History and Science within the Victorian Essential Learning Standards framework. This curriculum framework is interdisciplinary in approach and describes the skills, knowledge and behaviours considered essential in the education and development of students to prepare them for further education, work and life. It includes Standards by which student achievement and progress is measured within 3 core interrelated Strands and 16 Domains. The 3 Strands and their associate Domains include:
Physical, Personal and Social Learning
- Health and Physical Education
- Interpersonal Development
- Personal Learning
- Civics and Citizenship
Discipline-based Learning
- The Arts
- English
- The Humanities
- Mathematics
- Science
- Languages
- Economics
- Geography
- History
Interdisciplinary Learning
- Communication
- Design, Creativity and Technology
- ICT
- Thinking Processes
A central aim of the Nossal High School curriculum is to provide students with relevant and challenging opportunities to prepare them for a successful future and learning experiences that prepare them for a future of unknowns. The curriculum at Nossal High School is outward looking and ‘taps into’ and ‘draws from’ the latest in cutting edge educational research. Our close links with Monash University support this endeavour, combined with our highly accomplished and dedicated staff.
Throughout their first year at Nossal High School, Year 9 students participate activities including:
- Restorative Practice/Peer Coaching
- Roses Gap Adventure Camp in the Grampians
- ‘City Week’ Program based in the Melbourne central business district.
These activities are designed to facilitate the development of friendship groups amongst the students and increase the cohesion of the entire level, given that the students have come to Nossal High School from a wide range of schools, geographical locations, and social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The Roses Gap Camp and City Week Program provide an engaging environment for the students to socialise with their peers and get to know their teachers in a different light.
Senior Curriculum
At Nossal High School our Senior Curriculum begins in Year 10. It is designed to build on the foundations established in Year 9
At Year 10, in addition to the core subjects of Mathematics and English, we provide a broad range of subject offerings. There are guidelines which help to ensure that students are able to follow their areas of special interest while still engaging with ideas from across the academic spectrum.
In Year 11 and 12, we offer a broad range of VCE subjects. We invite our students to select a personalized learning plan with subjects that will challenge and engage them in preparation for their future.
The Senior School Handbook is published annually and distributed to all students in Years 9 to 11 in the lead-up to course counselling and subject selection. It articulates the guidelines for subject selection, and acts as a resource for students and their families.
In any given year, it is anticipated that some students completing Year 12 will have the opportunity to undertake a ‘Higher Education Study’ (formerly ‘Enhancement Studies’). In addition, opportunities for students to undertake VET (Vocational Education and Training) studies can be explored to meet student needs and pathways.
Selecting subjects for the senior years is important and should be a collaborative process between the student, the family and the school. Subject selection needs to be approached carefully and thoughtfully. Subject counseling, advice and assistance are available and students have access to specific career advice and support. The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) has set course requirements that must be adhered to for satisfactory completion.