K-6 Curriculum Support

The K-6 Curriculum Support site features:

• Important links to external and internal sites
• Professional learning
• Planning and programming support
• Assessment and reporting
• Professional reading

2025 Scope and Sequence resources

As schools continue to embed the K-10 English and Mathematics (2022) syllabuses, and with the release earlier this year of the CEDoW programming guidelines, the CEDoW sample Scope and Sequencing templates have been updated to support a coordinated whole school approach to planning through the design of whole school scope and sequences.

A whole school approach maximises learning by providing students with a highly-sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum that presents new material incrementally, connects new content to what’s come before, and gives students ample opportunities to practice. (Grattan, 2023)

Whilst the resources are available as a useful tool, their use is not mandatory, and schools are welcome to develop their own templates. Schools can go to the CEDoW programming guidelines or to NESA’s advice on elements of a Primary scope and sequence for further clarification on NESA’s minimum requirements.

These resources can be found here on the K-6 Curriculum Support site and will be available to access through the 2025 Programming Folders.

Supporting schools with the new CHPS syllabus implementation

To support the implementation of the new CHPS (Creative Arts, HSIE, PDHPE, and Science and Technology) syllabuses over the coming years, school and CEO personnel will collaborate to deepen their understanding of each syllabus and develop key resources. These resources will include a continuum of learning, whole-school scope and sequences, units of work and additional materials that schools may choose to use during implementation.

This initiative will involve the use of four working parties operating throughout 2025 and 2026. Expressions of interest for the Science and Technology and PDHPE working parties have now closed, and these groups will commence their work in Term 1, 2025. Schools will begin familiarisation with the Science and Technology and PDHPE syllabuses in Semester 2 2025, with the goal being to implement these two syllabuses in 2026.

In mid-2025, a second round of expressions of interest will be sought for participants in the Creative Arts and HSIE working parties, which will begin their work in 2026. The Creative Arts and HSIE syllabuses will be implemented in schools in 2027, aligned with NESA expectations. By 2028, the work of embedding all four CHPS syllabuses will be supported across the diocese.

The Importance of Language in English and Mathematics

“A rich vocabulary supports learning about the world, encountering new ideas, enjoying the beauty of language.” (2013. Beck, Mckeown and Kucan.)

NSW Syllabus K-10 Mathematics - The importance of language in Mathematics

What does the Syllabus say?

Students develop conceptual understanding and make connections in mathematics through language. Language plays a key role in mathematics teaching and learning. Language allows students to share their knowledge of mathematical content as well as their mathematical thinking.

The ongoing interaction with mathematical vocabulary helps reinforce students' understanding of the words and the mathematical ideas the words express. Students are communicating mathematically when they describe, represent, explain and reason about mathematical situations, concepts, methods and solutions.

Encouraging students to reflect on and discuss the strategies they used and the knowledge and skills they required assists them in learning to work mathematically. Students learn to think more deeply by:

• Reflecting on what they have done
• Organising their thoughts
• Deciding how to express those thoughts.

NESA K-10 Mathematics Syllabus 2022 (Teaching and Learning Support)

The Teaching and Learning Support NESA has provided alongside the curriculum unpacks the importance of vocabulary and language in Mathematics K-10, outlining specific teaching strategies to support the development of language required for learning in Mathematics.

The Teaching Advice within each outcome in Mathematics provides content-specific language that needs to be explicitly taught to build on student knowledge. Students should be provided with lots of opportunities to develop confidence in using some or all of the vocabulary related to different focus areas.

NSW Syllabus K-10 English - The importance of language in English

What does the Syllabus say?

Students’ knowledge and understanding of language will grow and deepen as they engage with increasingly complex texts across a range of modes. Students continue to develop their understanding of how language use at word, sentence, paragraph and whole text level, determined by context, audience and purpose. Students’ knowledge of their first language will support this development.

The development of students’ vocabulary and background knowledge can be supported by their teachers engaging them in rich discussion and analysis of a range of texts, including those widely regarded as quality literature. This can support students’ comprehension and has the potential to expand their ideas and experience of both their own world and the world of others. As students deepen their knowledge of language, they can apply new understanding to purposefully communicate their ideas, with increasing confidence and efficacy. Through knowledge and understanding of language, students can appreciate, reflect on and enjoy texts that are widely regarded as quality literature.

NESA K-10 English Syllabus (2022)

The Literacy Teaching Toolbox explores a range of rich, dialogic practices that support all students to develop oral language competence. There are several vignettes modelling evidence-informed teaching practices and quality resources.

Access the Literacy Teaching Toolbox here and refer to the Teaching Advice and Additional Teaching Advice: Oral Language NESA has provided alongside the curriculum.

Online Self-Paced Professional Learning

Evidence-based. Expert-informed. Cost-free.

The Australian Government has funded three free micro-credentials to upskill some of the most important members of our society: our teachers.

Schools are encouraged to investigate the following three specialised micro-credentials carefully tailored to meet the needs of school educators based on the latest research evidence. With these self-paced, practical courses, schools/teachers can upskill at their own pace, meet their professional development requirements and transform their teaching—all on a flexible, digital platform.

New curriculum support materials 7–10

NESA continues to update the digital curriculum with new curriculum support materials. The following resources are now available for History and Geography 7-10 syllabuses:

• Geography 7-10 Parent guide
• Geography 7-10 sample scope and sequences
• History 7-10 Parent guide
• History 7-10 sample scope and sequences

All resources located on the digital curriculum site are available here.

Professional Learning: Free Explicit Teaching Skills Course for Teachers

Teachers are able to upskill for free with a new microcredential course focused on explicit teaching, released this week by the University of Adelaide. The Explicit Teaching Microcredential will give teachers strategies to plan, implement and assess explicit teaching methods and adapt them to help students with different needs.

The evidence shows explicit instruction is a very efficient strategy for helping students learn by breaking down new information into smaller learning outcomes and modelling each step. The free courses will provide vital professional development opportunities for teachers, school leaders and other school staff. The qualifications will offer teachers a potential credit pathway towards post-graduate study with the School of Education at the University of Adelaide.

The self-paced online course can be completed in the teacher’s own time, at their own pace, to fit in around their other commitments. For more information visit the University of Adelaide website.

DoE User Account Email

Many teachers have recently received an email regarding the expiration of portal accounts for Department of Education systems. All teachers have access to PLAN2 (ALAN) and SCOUT through NETiD and therefore no action is required unless teachers require access for the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Please note the following advice from the DoE regarding non-government school access to the Premier’s Reading Challenge.

• SMU continues to be how non-gov staff are granted DoE accounts to access DoE applications.
• AMU, which allowed principals to grant staff access to DoE applications, has been decommissioned. This application has been replaced with Manage Staff Access (MSA) which essentially does the same thing as AMU.
• The best article for setting up PRC is: Getting started: Non-government schools
• Article that specifically addresses setting up DoE accounts and PRC access is Principal (or delegate) tasks for non-government schools (which is alos hyperlinked in the getting started guide).

Principals are responsible for creating and managing DoE accounts for PRC access for staff at their school through SMU and MSA. Principals whose accounts have expired, or who do not have a DoE account, should contact the PRC team to have an account set up for them. CSNSW do not set up accounts for coordinators.