Primary Matters

In February the Board of Studies is conducting consultation to gather feedback about the quality and suitability of the draft F-12 Australian Curriculum: Geography for NSW schools. The focus of the Board of Studies consultation is F (known as Kindergarten in NSW) to Year 10.

We encourage K-10 teachers and interested members of the public to register for a face-to-face consultation meeting and complete the Board’s online survey. Consultation feedback will inform advice to the Minister for Education and feedback to ACARA.

The Board of Studies consultation closes on 16 March 2012.

Read about the Australian Curriculum in NSW.

• Albury: 15/03/12; CSU Thurgoona Campus, Leahy Ave, Albury
• Bathurst: 14/03/12, Government Building Bathurst, 140 William St, Bathurst
• Bourke: 27/02/12; Bourke TAFE, Oxley Street, Bourke
• Dubbo: 20/02/12; Dubbo TAFE, Room CG22, Myall Street, Dubbo
• Foster: 01/03/12; Camden Haven High School, Valley View Rd, Laurieton
• Grafton: 09/03/12; Grafton TAFE, 1 Clarence St, Grafton
• Green Point: 01/03/12; Green Point Christian College, 382 Avoca Drive, Green Point
• Griffith: 14/03/12; Wade High School, Poole St, Griffith
• Hawkesbury: 27/02/12; Richmond TAFE, Cnr Blacktown and Campus Roads, Richmond
• Katoomba: 08/02/12; Katoomba TAFE, Block A, Room KAG13, Parke Street, Katoomba
• Kingscliff: 16/03/12; Kingscliff TAFE, Cudgen Rd, Kingscliff
• Maitland: 23/02/12; Maitland Grossmann, Cumberland St, East Maitland
• Moree: 12/03/12; Moree TAFE, Frome St, Moree
• Moruya: 27/03/12; Moruya TAFE, 2857 Princess Hwy, Moruya
• Narara Valley: 08/03/12; Narara Valley High School, Fountains Rd, Narara Valley
• Newcastle: 29/02/12; State Office Block, 117 Bull St, Newcastle West
• North Rocks: 13/03/12; Board Of Studies Office, 6 Lenton Pl, North Rocks
• Orange: 15/03/12; Orange TAFE, Conference Room, Block A, March St, Orange
• Port Macquarie: 23/03/12; Port Macquarie TAFE, 70 Widderson St, Port Macquarie
• Tamworth: 09/03/12; Level 1 Conference Room, Noel Park House, 155 Marius Street, Tamworth
• Wollongong: 13/03/12; State Office Block, 84 Crown St, Wollongong
• Yass: 22/02/12; Yass High School, Grampian St, Yass

• Albury: 23/02/12; Xavier High School, James Fallon St, Albury
• Bathurst: 01/03/12; Bathurst TAFE, Panorama Ave, Bathurst
• Bourke: 28/02/12; Bourke TAFE, Oxley St, Bourke
• Coomealla: 10/02/12; Coomealla High School, Silver City Hwy, Dareton
• Cootamundra: 21/02/12; Cootamundra High School, Poole St, Cootamundra
• Deniliquin: 09/02/12; Deniliquin High School, Harfleur St, Deniliquin
• Dubbo: 21/02/12; Dubbo TAFE, Myall Street, Dubbo
• Glenfield: 10/02/12; DEC Glenfield Office, Roy Watts Rd, Glenfield
• Grafton: 10/02/12; McAuley Catholic College,Lot 21, Pacific Highway, Clarenza
• Griffith: 27/02/12; Griffith High School, Coolah St, Griffith
• Moree: 24/02/12; Moree TAFE, Frome St, Moree
• Moruya: 23/02/12; Moruya High School, Albert St, Moruya
• Orange: 23/02/12; Orange TAFE, Conference Room, Block A, March St, Orange
• Sydney: 28/02/12; Board of Studies office, 117 Clarence St, Sydney
• Sydney: 29/02/12; Board of Studies office, 117 Clarence St, Sydney
• Sydney: 06/03/12; Board of Studies office, 117 Clarence St, Sydney
• Sydney: 09/03/12; Board of Studies office, 117 Clarence St, Sydney
• Tamworth: 06/02/12; Carinya Christian School, Boronia Dr, Calala, Tamworth
• Wagga Wagga: 28/02/12; Mt Austin High School, Leavenworth Dr, Wagga Wagga
• Wollongong: 07/02/12; Illawarra Senior College, Military Rd, Port Kembla

Welcome to the first Board Bulletin for 2012. The Board Bulletin is primarily designed to assist teachers, principals and other school staff to keep up-to-date with the latest news from the Board of Studies NSW.

This is a busy and exciting time for the education sector in Australia. Perhaps more than ever the community’s attention is focussed on issues related to quality learning.

In NSW and nationally, the Board is an important contributor to policy that seeks to achieve improvements in schooling and related educational services. This year the Board will again continue to work across all the NSW school sectors to ensure quality curriculum, and to support quality learning opportunities for all.

It is important also that we remain aware of the relationship between the curriculum and community interests and that we all strive to meet the expectations and ambitions of teachers, students and the broader community.

As we start the new school year, there are a number of operational issues that I would like to draw your attention to:

• A second round of consultations on the K-10 draft syllabuses for English, Mathematics, History and Science will commence in February. These draft NSW syllabuses incorporate Australian curriculum content. Updates on the consultation process will be included in future editions of the Board Bulletin. I would take this opportunity to remind schools that Australian curriculum content is not required to be taught in schools until 2014 and the existing syllabuses should continue to be taught.

• The Board is working hard on developing a new credential for those students who complete Year 10, but leave school before receiving their HSC. We have provided a short powerpoint presentation to help clarify arrangements for students entering Year 10 in 2012. More details will be provided throughout the year, and the key messages for now are to enter students as per normal, and continue to provide school-based assessments.

• Along with our weekly Board Bulletins, I encourage principals and teachers to stay in touch via the Board’s website and subscribe to the Board Bulletin.

I look forward to working with you this year and trust that you will make use of the resources and advice available from the Board of Studies NSW.

Tom Alegounarias

President

This past year has seen an enormous amount of work on the development of new syllabuses to incorporate the Australian curriculum content.

The level of engagement from teachers and stakeholders has resulted in extensive feedback, which is so important if NSW is to maintain the high standards expected of its curriculum.

The Minister for Education’s announcement that the new K-10 syllabuses for Mathematics, English, Science and History will not be required to be taught before 2014 has allowed the Board additional time to consult with stakeholders and prepare support materials. We know this additional time is particularly important for primary teachers who face a challenging time implementing four new syllabuses.

A second round of consultation on the draft syllabuses for K-10 English, Mathematics, Science and History will begin in Term 1, 2012.

2011 also saw the end of an era with the final School Certificate tests held last month. The School Certificate has played an important role in education in NSW but with the increase in the school leaving age there is no longer a need to provide large numbers of students with an exit credential at the end of Year 10.

Consultation on the new credential for students who do leave school before completing their HSC is currently underway. There is widespread community support for a record of school achievement that:

• reports results for all courses completed in Years 10 and 11 using moderated, school-based assessment;
• is available when a student leaves school any time after they complete Year 10;
• will allow reliable comparisons between students across NSW; and
• offers the ability to record a student’s extracurricular achievements.

Earlier this term the Board held the first of its Building our Cultural Capital lecture series. The lectures provided new opportunities to engage with the community, initially in the areas of Arts and Business, and to start an important conversation about the Board’s role in developing a shared vision. The response to the series was very encouraging and I look forward to next year’s continuing series.

As 2011 draws to a close I would like to thank all the Board’s officers for their hard work throughout the year. In particular, our Chief Executive, Carol Taylor has continued to lead the operation of the Board with great energy and insight. 2011 has been a year combining both innovation and consolidation – never an easy combination but one which the Board, under Carol’s leadership, has executed with great success.

In closing, I want to also acknowledge the work of teachers and staff in all NSW schools. The Board is always conscious of the need for our work to hold at its centre the requirements and expectations of teachers and students. We are grateful for the generosity shown by hundreds of teachers throughout 2011 to make a contribution to the work of the Board.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season and I look forward to the start of another successful year in education.

BOS 42/11

Who needs to read this notice: Principals

In 2010, the Minister for Education approved a common code for the attendance registers of all New South Wales schools. The Registered and Accredited Individual Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual and the Registration Systems and Member Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual were amended in May 2011 to reflect this requirement.

The codes must be used from the start of the 2012 school year. The codes for use in either manually updated attendance registers or electronic attendance registers are published on the websites of the NSW Association of Independent Schools (AIS) and the NSW Catholic Education Commission (CEC). The contact for the AIS is Robyn Yates on (02) 9299 2845. For the CEC, the contact is Rosalie Nott on (02) 9287 1560.

For further information:
Anne Keenan
Manager, Registration and Accreditation
(02) 9367 8424
anne.keenan@bos.nsw.edu.au

Board of Studies consultation on the draft Australian curriculum for Geography has begun.

Primary and secondary teachers, and interested members of the public, can complete the Board’s online survey available until 16 March 2012.

The survey refers to the draft Australian curriculum for Geography. The focus of the Board’s consultation is the Foundation (known as Kindergarten in NSW) to Year 10 curriculum.

The Board’s consultation program will continue in Term 1, 2012 with face-to-face meetings in metropolitan and regional areas of NSW. Details about these meetings, including an online registration facility, will be available in early 2012.

Consultation will inform NSW feedback about the draft Australian curriculum for Geography.

For more information read about the Australian curriculum in NSW.

Register your interest as a curriculum writer and reviewer.

BOS 37/11

Who needs to read this notice:
Principals
Curriculum Co-ordinators
All K-12 Teachers

The Minister's announcement on 9 August 2011 about implementation of the Australian curriculum in NSW means that new K-10 syllabuses being developed for English, Mathematics, Science and History will not be required to be taught before 2014.

The Board advises all schools to continue to use the existing NSW K-12 syllabuses for 2012.

Non-government schools and proposed non-government schools applying in March 2012 for registration from 2013 should continue to base their applications on the current NSW syllabuses.

As for any period of transition to new syllabuses, in the year preceding adoption of the Board's new syllabuses, schools will need to have prepared a plan for implementation.

This notice replaces Official Notice BOS 27/11.

Read the NSW Minister's announcement.

Read the President's message to Principals.

Read more about the Australian curriculum in NSW.

Effective: Immediately

For further information:
Howard Kennedy
Assistant Director, National Programs
(02) 9367 8313
howard.kennedy@bos.nsw.edu.au

Anne Keenan
Manager, Registration and Accreditation
(02) 9367 8424
anne.keenan@bos.nsw.edu.au

The Board of Studies has released a document outlining proposals for the implementation of a new credential for students who leave school prior to receiving their HSC.

You can have your say by reading the implementation proposals and then completing the online survey.

The implementation proposals are based on characteristics for the new credential agreed to by the NSW Government earlier this year.

Consultation on the implementation proposals will close on Monday 12 December, 2011.

A second round of consultation on the K-10 draft syllabuses for English, Mathematics, Science and History will be held during term 1, 2012.

The K-10 draft syllabuses are currently being revised taking into account the feedback received during the first round of consultation earlier this year.

Consultation in 2012 will include face-to-face meetings and an online survey. Details will be available early next year.

The consultation feedback will be used to guide the development of the final syllabus documents.

The K-10 syllabuses for English, Mathematics, Science and History will not be required to be taught before 2014. Read the Board President’s message to school Principals.

Please continue to check the Australian Curriculum in NSW for updated information on the development of NSW syllabuses and consultation opportunities.

The president of the Board of Studies, Tom Alegounarias has announced the winners of this year’s WriteOn competition.

Experienced teachers on the WriteOn judging panel selected nine gold, 13 silver and nine bronze award winners from schools across the state.

“Congratulations to all the students who entered WriteOn,” Mr Alegounarias said.

“The judges were amazed by the standard of writing and I’m sure anyone who reads this year’s winning entries will also be impressed by the quality of students’ work.

“The lighthouse features in many great literary works and it’s clear Nick Moir’s moody photograph of Macquarie Lighthouse has been a great inspiration for students this year,” Mr Alegounarias said.

WriteOn is sponsored by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald. Gold award winners will be presented with a certificate, Dymocks gift card and a 12-month subscription to these newspapers.

Certificates will be sent to students, care of their school, who achieved a Silver and Bronze award. Schools can also download a participation certificate from Schools Online for all students who entered the competition.

An anthology of students’ works will be published early next year and WriteOn 2010 is available through Shop Online.

The Board advises all schools to continue to use the existing NSW K-12 syllabuses for 2012.

Non-government schools preparing applications for renewal of registration and accreditation in 2012 should continue to deliver educational programs that are based on, and taught in accordance with, the current NSW syllabuses.

This notice replaces Official Notice BOS 18/10.

Implementation of the Australian curriculum in NSW

The Minister’s announcement on 9 August 2011 about implementation of the Australian curriculum in NSW will mean that new K-10 syllabuses being developed for English, Mathematics, Science and History will not be required to be taught before 2014.

Read the NSW Minister’s announcement.

Read the President’s message to Principals.

Read more about the Australian curriculum in NSW.

Effective: Immediately

For further information:
Howard Kennedy
Assistant Director, National Programs
(02) 9367 8313
howard.kennedy@bos.nsw.edu.au

Anne Keenan
Manager, Registration and Accreditation
(02) 9367 8424
anne.keenan@bos.nsw.edu.au

The Parents' Guide to the NSW Primary Syllabuses is being sent to all primary schools for distribution to parents of 2012 Kindergarten students as well as families who have moved to NSW from another state.

The guide gives a straightforward explanation of the six K-6 syllabuses in the NSW primary curriculum.

At a glance parents can see:

• examples of the kinds of things children can learn in each key learning area in each year of primary school
• the amount of time spent in different subject areas
• examples of classroom activities
• explanations of educational terms
• useful websites

The guide is freely available to view or download on the Board of Studies K-6 website, where it is also translated into a number of community languages.

Schools that require additional copies of the parents guide should contact:

Customer Service
Phone (02) 9367 8178
Fax (02) 9262 6270
Email service@bos.nsw.edu.au

The NSW Minister for Education has announced that the teaching of the Australian curriculum in NSW classrooms will be delayed until 2014.

This delay is consistent with the Board’s approach to developing syllabuses which are of a high quality; an approach based on working with teachers, and on ensuring sufficient time for professional development and preparation.

Finalisation of the draft syllabuses and the development of implementation support material will occur throughout the remainder of 2011 and 2012. This will mean that the implementation of professional development for teachers can take place in 2013, with Australian curriculum content delivered through NSW syllabuses from 2014.

This announcement will not impact on the consultation process currently underway for the draft K-10 syllabuses for English, mathematics, science and history.

The Board’s Australian curriculum webpage provides more information.

In addition to the K-10 draft syllabus consultation meetings advertised on the Board’s website, the Board is conducting a small number of focus group meetings for primary teachers.

Participants at these meetings will examine the K-6 content of the draft syllabuses for English, mathematics, science and history. The meetings will also explore broader primary curriculum issues related to the introduction of the new syllabuses.

A number of places are available at each venue for interested teachers who have their Principal’s approval to attend. Express your interest in attending by contacting:
Brigit Workman
Curriculum Support Officer, National Projects
(02) 9367 8452

K-6 focus group meetings
Friday 19 August: East Maitland Bowling Club, Banks Street EAST MAITLAND
Tuesday 23 August: Wagga RSL Club, Dobb Street WAGGA WAGGA
Friday 26 August: St Marys Band Club, 411 Great Western Highway ST MARYS

Time: 10am-3pm

The NSW Education Minister, the Hon. Adrian Piccoli, announced today that the implementation of the Australian curriculum in NSW will be delayed with schools not required to teach the new K -10 English, Mathematics, Science and History syllabuses until 2014.

Mr Piccoli said that the new timeframe will allow sufficient time for the syllabuses to be finalised, and for teachers to prepare for implementation.

All four K-10 syllabuses are currently in draft form and the Board of Studies schedule of consultations will not be affected by the announcement.

For more information, read the Minister's media release and the Board President’s fax to school Principals.