CEDoW Curriculum Reform News – Primary

K-6 Curriculum Support

This page includes:

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

For enquiries, please contact Learning K-12 support at learningk-12support@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Preparing for 2026 Curriculum Implementation: PDHPE and Science and Technology

The NSW curriculum reform presents a valuable opportunity for school leaders to guide effective implementation of the reformed K–6 syllabuses. In 2025, schools entered the Familiarise and Prepare phases for the new PDHPE and Science and Technology syllabuses, which will be implemented from 2026.

To support this transition, CEDoW Learning K–12 (ILW) will provide differentiated targeted support throughout 2025 and 2026, including:

Introduction to the syllabus and support material (2-hour session) via face-to-face or Zoom.

School instructional leaders will have the opportunity to engage in professional learning which will provide an introduction to the syllabus, NESA support material and CEDoW support material.

Please complete this form to register your interest in the PDHPE and Science and Technology introductions to the syllabus and support materials sessions by 27 August 2025 (Week 6, Term 3).

In situ support

Schools can arrange in situ support (e.g., staff meetings, SDD, collaborative planning) for the preparation to implement the new PDHPE and Science and Technology syllabuses.

To register your interest, please complete this form by 25 July 2025 (Week 1, Term 3).

For further information, please contact learningk-12support@dow.catholic.edu.au.

Repeated

Primary Curriculum Focus Days

As part of CEDoW’s commitment to meeting NESA registration and accountability requirements, Curriculum Focus Days will be held in Term 3, 2025.

These collaborative sessions involve school personnel working alongside one another to ensure all CEDoW schools meet the minimum requirements for NESA registration. Members of the Improvement, Learning and Wellbeing (ILW) team will also be available for additional support on each of the days.

Schools must send one representative and have the option for an additional staff member to attend. The Catholic Education Office will provide release (code: C30) for one representative per school.

Participation supports shared responsibility for curriculum compliance across the system and provides the opportunity for schools to engage in professional dialogue on quality planning and programming.

Option 1: Tuesday 5 August 2025 – Our Lady Help of Christians, Rosemeadow
Option 2: Wednesday 20 August 2025 – Nazareth, Shellharbour City
Option 3: Friday 19 September 2025 – Marian Centre, 280 Keira Street, Wollongong

Schools are required to nominate the preferred date and venue for the school representative(s) to participate in the Curriculum Focus Day using this form.

Resources to support program supervision and Curriculum Focus Days can be found here.

K–6 KLA time allocation advice

NESA has recently updated the K–6 KLA time allocation advice. This advice, along with the resource, support for school leaders and teachers is intended to assist schools in making informed curriculum planning decisions and ensure the best use of learning time to meet the needs of students.

As leaders and teachers continue to reflect on and refine curriculum implementation practices, the updated advice offers valuable information to consider how time is allocated across all Key Learning Areas and ensure alignment with both student needs and sector requirements.

Key changes to the time allocation include dedicating 50% of teaching time to English and Mathematics, with a minimum of 20% specifically allocated to Mathematics. As a result, the time available for ‘other activities’ has been reduced.

Representing advice on the time allocation for all K–6 learning areas, this graph includes 50 per cent of the total time for English and Mathematics (with a minimum of 20 per cent for Mathematics).

In CEDoW schools, Religious Education should make up 10% of teaching time (K-2) and 12% (3-6). Optional Languages syllabuses and/or other activities have a recommendation of 8% (K-2) and 6% (3-6) total of teaching and learning time.

Schools can begin planning their approach to timetabling over the coming months before these changes take effect in 2026.

Reflection questions to guide discussion and planning:

School Leaders

Teachers

To what extent do our current time allocations reflect NESA’s advice and support the needs of our students?
What impact do our school time allocations have on student learning outcomes?
Do our break times support teachers in developing timetables that maximise learning time?
How will we support our staff to integrate the updated time allocation advice into their planning?
Are there opportunities to adjust time allocations to further enhance learning outcomes?
How are we currently using the time allocated to optional/other activities? Are there adjustments we should consider?

How well does my class timetable align with the updated time allocation advice to support student learning?
How do I maximise teaching and learning time across each day, each term and each year?
How will I collaborate with colleagues to plan the most effective instructional time?
Who can I engage with to ensure my time allocations best support the needs of my students?
How do I use the optional/other activities time to maximise learning for all my students?

Key Learnings from K–6 English System Professional Learning – Day 2

“Language and text shape our understanding of ourselves and our world. This allows us to relate with others, and contributes to our intellectual, social and emotional development” (NESA, 2022).

Oral language provides the foundation for literacy and learning. However, in recent years there has been a significant decline in the oral language capabilities and vocabulary knowledge of our students, impacting on their ability to communicate effectively. This has far-reaching implications for our teaching and learning practices, academic achievement, and student wellbeing.

On 22 May 2025, 42 educators from 21 CEDoW primary schools gathered for the second day of professional learning focused on enhancing instruction in English. The theme, Talk, Texts & Tiers: Elevating Vocabulary and Oral Language through Literature, guided a day of deep learning and collaboration.

Participants:

Deepened their curriculum knowledge by analysing the essential content and mapping the K-6 learning progression. This enabled them to connect the Oral Language, Communication, and Vocabulary focus areas, pinpointing opportunities for explicit teaching and the application of knowledge and skills across varied contexts and purposes.
Unpacked the pedagogical practices that strengthen students' oral language and vocabulary. These included dialogic practices and High-Impact Strategies like explicit teaching, multiple exposures, and structured lessons.
Worked collaboratively to refine a learning sequence, ensuring students had ample opportunities to apply knowledge and skills across various contexts for different purposes.

Resources:

Reading Position Paper

The K-12 Learning Team is pleased to announce the release of the final version of the CEDoW Reading Position Paper.

We sincerely thank all who provided feedback throughout the various stages of development. Your insights and feedback have been invaluable throughout the consultation process.

Additional resources and supporting documentation are available on the Literacy Teaching Toolbox to support schools in bringing this position to life in the classroom.