Policy

Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and

Reporting Policy for Reception Year 10
Please note this policy is mandatory and staff are required to adhere to the content

This document is currently under review. Please direct any queries regarding this document to the policy
officer listed in Table 1.

File number: DECD 13 / 4337

Summary

This policy provides direction to schools, support centres and units about expectations of what will be
taught and how it will be taught, assessed and reported. The policy provides an agreed foundation to
guide the work of all schools and outlines the roles and responsibilities of DECD personnel in relation to
curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and reporting.

Table 1 - Document details

Publication date 11/07/2013

Review date
Related legislation/applicable
section of legislation
Related policies, procedures,
guidelines, standards, frameworks
Replaces
Policy officer (position)
Policy officer (phone)
Policy sponsor (position)
Executive director responsible
(position and office)
11/07/2015
Education Act 1972
Guidelines for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum
in DECD schools
Reporting on Australian Curriculum: Guidelines for DECD
Schools R10
Child Protection in Schools, Early Childhood Education and
Care Services policy
South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability
(SACSA) Framework
South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL)
Framework
N/A
Manager: ACARA Policy and Liaison
8226 2186
Director, Australian Curriculum Policy and Projects, Teaching
and Learning, Office for Education
Executive Director, Teaching and Learning, Office for Education

1 | Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting Policy for

Reception Year 10 | July 2013
Applies to All DECD employees
Key words Curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, reporting
Status Approved
Approved by Senior Executive Group
Approval date 11/07/2013
Version 1.0

2 | Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting Policy for

Reception Year 10 | July 2013
Table 2 - Revision record

Date Version Revision description

3 | Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting Policy for

Reception Year 10 | July 2013
 Document uncontrolled when
printed

Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and

Reporting Policy for ReceptionYear 10

This policy is available at http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/teachingandlearning/pages/Yearsr10/curric/

This policy is applicable to: all DECD employees.

DOCUMENT CONTROL
Managed by: Executive Director,
Teaching and Learning Services
Contact person: Margaret Lynch
Responsible position: Director, Version: 1.0
Australian Curriculum Policy and
Projects
Approved by: Executive Leaders File number: DECD 13 / 4337
Group and Chief Executive

Contact position: Manager, ACARA Date approved: 27 June and 11 July Status: Final
Consultation and Liaison, DECD 2013
Advisory Groups
Contact number: 8226 2186 Next review date: July 2015 Security classification: Unclassified

Page 1 - 11

Department for Education and Child Development 2013

CONTENTS
1. TITLE .......................................................................................................................................... 3

2. POLICY STATEMENT ................................................................................................................ 3

3. PURPOSE .................................................................................................................................. 4

4. SCOPE ....................................................................................................................................... 4

5. OBJECTIVE ............................................................................................................................... 4

6. POLICY DETAILS ...................................................................................................................... 5

Curriculum................................................................................................................................. 5
Pedagogy .................................................................................................................................. 6
Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 6
Reporting .................................................................................................................................. 7
Guaranteed instruction times..................................................................................................... 7
7. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................. 8

8. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW ............................................................................ 9

9. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................... 10

10. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................. 10

11. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 11

REVISION RECORD

Date Version Revision description

25/05/13 0.1 Edited version for consultation

17/05/13 0.2 Revised unedited version with consultation feedback included

27/06/13 0.3 Edited revised version for ELG

18/07/13 1.0 Final version

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1. TITLE
Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting Policy for ReceptionYear 10

2. POLICY STATEMENT
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Guidelines for the implementation of the
Australian Curriculum in DECD schools: ReceptionYear 10 1; the SA Curriculum, Standards and
Accountability Framework 2; the Australian Curriculum 3; the South Australian Teaching for Effective
Learning Framework 4; and the Reporting on Australian Curriculum: Guidelines for DECD Schools
R10, V1.0. 5

The Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) Curriculum, Pedagogy,
Assessment and Reporting Policy for ReceptionYear 10 derives from and gives expression to the
South Australian Government priority of Every chance for every child 6 and the benefit that is
stated in DECDs Brighter FuturesFrom Blueprint to Action 7 strategy: higher standards of
achievement for children and young people.

The policy also enacts Section 82 of the South Australian Education Act (1972) 8, which gives the
Director General the right to determine curriculum in government schools.

1
DECD (2013) Guidelines for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in DECD schools: ReceptionYear 10,
available at http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/teachingandlearning/pages/Yearsr10/curric/
2
DECS (2010) South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework, available at
www.sacsa.sa.edu.au/splash.asp (accessed 13 June 2013)
3
ACARA Australian Curriculum, available at http://australiancurriculum.edu.au/ (accessed 14 June 2013)
4
DECS (2010) South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework, available at
www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/files/links/DECS_SA_TfEL_Framework_gu_4.pdf (accessed 13 June 2013)
5 DECD (2012) Reporting on Australian Curriculum: Guidelines for DECD Schools R-10, V1.0, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/assessment/pages/Guidelines/ (accessed 1 May 2013)
6
DECD (2012) Every chance for every child, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/EveryChanceforEveryChild.pdf (accessed 1 May 2013)
7
DECD (2013) Brighter FuturesFrom Blueprint to Action, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/BrighterFuturesFBTA.pdf (accessed 1 May 2013)
8
Attorney-Generals Dept, (1972) Education Act 1972, Government of South Australia, available at
www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/EDUCATION%20ACT%201972.aspx (accessed 1 May 2013)

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3. PURPOSE
The DECD Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting Policy for ReceptionYear 10
provides direction to schools, support centres and units about expectations of what will be taught
and how it will be taught, assessed and reported. The policy provides an agreed foundation to
guide the work of all schools and outlines the roles and responsibilities of DECD personnel in
relation to curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and reporting.

This policy clarifies expectations of educators to use curriculum to:

design student learning

monitor and assess student progress
report student progress to parents
support student wellbeing.

The curriculum, educators knowledge of their learners, and local educational priorities and targets
are the common starting and reference points for designing quality teaching and learning programs
in DECD schools.

This policy recognises that it is not possible or desirable for a curriculum to describe all that should
or could happen in teaching and learning activities in schools.

4. SCOPE
This policy applies to all DECD schools, support centres and units and establishes the
expectations for South Australian government schools in delivering curriculum to optimise learning
for all students from ReceptionYear 10. It is a key reference for all DECD school principals, staff
and school communities. It reflects DECDs agenda for improved student engagement, intellectual
challenge and achievement, and the goal of South Australias public education system to deliver an
equitable world-class education in all areas of the curriculum.

5. OBJECTIVE
In implementing curriculum and pedagogy, and in assessing and reporting on student learning and
achievement, DECD expects that:

a commitment to high-quality, effective teaching and learning in the 21st century context is
evident

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 teaching and learning programs are designed to meet the identified learning needs of DECDs
diverse student profile
the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework, the Australian
Professional Standards for Teachers 9, and the Australian Professional Standard for
Principals 10 will provide the basis by which educators strive for excellence for students and for
themselves as professionals
a high performance culture is developed and nurtured in an environment which encourages
collaboration and the free exchange of ideas within and across schools, support centres and
units.

6. POLICY DETAILS

Curriculum
ReceptionYear 10 teachers in DECD schools are required to plan, teach, assess and report on
students learning using the Australian Curriculum learning areas/subjects as they are
implemented, according to Attachment 4: Recommended timeline for familiarisation and
implementation of the F(R)10 Australian Curriculum in DECD schools in the Guidelines for the
implementation of the Australian Curriculum in DECD schools: ReceptionYear 10.

For those learning areas/subjects that are not yet implemented in the Australian Curriculum,
schools will be guided in planning, teaching, assessing and reporting using the South Australian
Curriculum, Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework 11. It is expected that by the
beginning of 2017 all Australian Curriculum learning areas/subjects will be fully implemented (ie
used to plan, teach, assess and report) in all DECD schools.

DECD schools delivering an alternative curriculum framework (eg the International Baccalaureate
Framework) and special interest schools will include the Australian Curriculum content and

9
AITSL (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, available at (accessed 16 August 2013)
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
10
AITSL (2011) Australian Professional Standard for Principals, available at (accessed 16 August 2013)
Australian Professional Standard for Principals
11
DECS (2001) South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework, available at
http://sacsa.sa.edu.au/ (accessed 13 June 2013)

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achievement standards in their school programming and delivery, as outlined by ACARA in
Alternative Curriculum Recognition. 12

Schools will also ensure that they:

meet the requirements of the DECD Child Protection in Schools, Early Childhood Education
and Care Policy 13 by delivering the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum
use the Aboriginal Cultural Studies resource, wherever possible with the participation of
Aboriginal people, to maximise learning of the Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures 14 throughout the curriculum and to
15
achieve the South Australia Strategic Plan (SASP) target: Aboriginal cultural studies is
included in school curriculum by 2016 with involvement of Aboriginal people in design and
delivery.

Pedagogy
All teachers are required to base their pedagogy on the South Australian Teaching for Effective
Learning (TfEL) Framework in order to ensure that how they teach the Australian Curriculum and
design learning improves student engagement, intellectual challenge and achievement. For further
information, refer to the Teaching for Effective Learning website 16.

Assessment
All teachers are required to assess students learning and collect data about students achievement
of Australian Curriculum standards or, for those learning areas/subjects not yet implemented, using
SACSA outcomes and standards. This data will be used to inform the teaching, learning and
assessing cycle to support improvement and progress in students learning achievements.

12
ACARA Alternative Curriculum Recognition, available at
www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/alternative_curriculum_recognition.html (accessed 21 April 2013)
13
DECD (2011) Child Protection in Schools, Early Childhood Education and Care Services policy, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/ChildProtectioninSchoolsE.pdf (accessed 16 April 2013)
14
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures cross-curriculum priority, available at
www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/CrossCurriculumPriorities/Aboriginal-and-Torres-Strait-Islander-histories-and-
cultures (accessed 14 June 2013)
15
SA Strategic Plan (Target 27), available at http://saplan.org.au/pages/download-the-plan (accessed 13 June 2013)
16
Teaching for Effective Learning website: www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/

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Reporting
All educators ReceptionYear 10 are required to report formally twice per year in writing to
students and their families about each students progress. Progress should be reported in relation
to the achievement standards for all implemented learning areas of the Australian Curriculum and
in relation to SACSA outcomes and standards for those learning areas not yet implemented, using
plain language that is easy to understand and grades AE or word equivalents. At this stage, there
is no requirement for schools to assign AE grades or word equivalents in reporting on students in
the Reception year. Further information is available in the Reporting on Australian Curriculum:
Guidelines for DECD Schools R10, V1.0.

Guaranteed instruction times

R7 teachers are required to meet guaranteed minimum teaching times for English/literacy,
Mathematics/numeracy and Science as stated in CE Circ 09:25 Primary Science, Mathematics
and Literacy Strategies17 and according to the following table:
English/literacy R7 300 minutes / 5 hours per week

Mathematics/numeracy R7 300 minutes / 5 hours per week

R3 90 minutes / 1 hours per week

Science
47 120 minutes / 2 hours per week

The Guidelines for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in DECD schools: Reception
Year 10 provide further details on:

how the Australian Curriculum is organised

learning area/subject time allocations and timetabling considerations
expected timelines for familiarisation and implementation of learning areas/subjects
other curriculum documents
pedagogical approaches
assessment and reporting of student learning.

17
DECS (2009) CE Circ 09:25 Primary Science, Mathematics and Literacy Strategies, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/mediacentre/files/links/link_115478.pdf (accessed 12 June 2013)

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7. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Party /
Roles and responsibilities
Parties

ACARA The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is

responsible to the Standing Council on School Education and Early Childhood
(SCSEEC comprises all Australian State and Territory Education Ministers) for
developing the Australian Curriculum and achievement standards F(R)12.

DECD The Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) leads and
manages South Australias public education system and is responsible for
implementing the curriculum in government schools, education centres and
units.

The Teaching and Learning Services directorate provides advice and support to
leaders that enables them to advance quality teaching and learning in DECD
schools and successful post-school pathways for every young person.

Principals/
Principals/leaders are responsible for:
leaders
developing and putting into effect plans and processes that enable the
requirements of this DECD policy to be met at their site
working with staff members to develop their skills for planning quality teaching
and learning programs that maximise student engagement, intellectual
challenge and achievement.

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 Teachers Teachers are responsible for:

using the Australian Curriculum for planning, teaching, assessing and

reporting on all learning areas as they are implemented
using the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability
Framework for planning, teaching, assessing and reporting on all other
learning areas
using the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework
to design and teach learning programs that engage and improve the
achievement of each and every student
using the Australian Curriculum achievement standards, or SACSA
outcomes and standards until the Australian Curriculum is fully implemented,
as the reference point for assessing, monitoring and reporting on student
achievement
working in professional learning communities with other educators, students,
families and communities.
creating and maintaining a safe and positive learning environment.

8. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REVIEW

The effectiveness of the DECD Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting Policy for
ReceptionYear 10 will be monitored and evaluated in terms of its purpose and objectives in
relation to the following:

The monitoring and evaluation process for the DECD implementation of the Australian
Curriculum. Ongoing data will be collected from schools to inform the monitoring and
evaluation process and this will lead to further review of the policy.
The annual review of the Reporting on Australian Curriculum: Guidelines for DECD Schools
R10, V1.0, which will be updated in accordance with the implementation of the Australian
Curriculum and associated reporting requirements.
DECD input to the ACARA framework for monitoring and evaluation of the Australian
Curriculum project, which will focus on the effectiveness of the Foundation (Reception)Year
10 Australian Curriculum as it has been written for use across Australia.

The phased development of the Australian Curriculum over several years will result in gradual
changes to curriculum, assessment and reporting. Guidelines and policies will be updated as new

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learning areas are implemented and as assessment and reporting practices using the achievement
standards are reviewed and refined.

9. DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Term Meaning

Australian Australian Curriculum developed by ACARA for use in all states and
Curriculum territories as agreed by Education Ministers.

F Foundation the term used by ACARA to denote the first year of schooling.
The Foundation year Australian Curriculum is designed for students
between 5 and 6 years old in this first year. Reception is the equivalent
term used by DECD to denote the first year of schooling.

Phase 1 Subjects or learning areas of the Australian Curriculum resulting from the
first phase of development by ACARA (ie English, Mathematics, Science,
History).

Phase 2; phase 3 Subjects or learning areas of the Australian Curriculum resulting from the
second or third phase of development by ACARA, ie Humanities and Social
Sciences (Geography; Civics and Citizenship; Economics and Business);
The Arts; Languages; Health and Physical Education; Technologies.
SACSA South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework,
developed by DECS, which, over time, is being replaced by Australian
Curriculum learning areas/subjects

10. ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS

This document should be read in association with the:
Australian Curriculum: www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/
Guidelines for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in DECD schools:
http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/teachingandlearning/pages/Yearsr10/curric/
Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL): www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/
Reporting on Australian Curriculum: Guidelines for DECD Schools R10 V1.0:
www.decd.sa.gov.au/assessment/pages/Guidelines/

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11. REFERENCES
ACARA Alternative Curriculum Recognition, available at
www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/alternative_curriculum_recognition.html (accessed 21 April 2013)
ACARA Australian Curriculum, available at http://australiancurriculum.edu.au/ (accessed 14 June 2013)
AITSL (2011) Australian Professional Standard for Principals, available at
http://www.aitsl.edu.au/verve/_resources/Australian_Professional_Standards_for_Principals.pdf
(accessed 16 August 2013)
AITSL (2011) Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, available at
http://www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/static/docs/Australian_Professional_Standard_for_Teachers_FI
NAL.pdf, (accessed 16 August 2013)
Attorney-Generals Dept (1972) Education Act 1972, Government of South Australia, available at
www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/EDUCATION%20ACT%201972.aspx (accessed 1 May 2013)
DECD (2011) Child Protection in Schools, Early Childhood Education and Care Services policy, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/ChildProtectioninSchoolsE.pdf (accessed 16 April 2013)
DECD (2012) Every chance for every child, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/EveryChanceforEveryChild.pdf (accessed 1 May 2013)
DECD (2012) Reporting on Australian Curriculum: Guidelines for DECD Schools R-10, V1.0, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/assessment/pages/Guidelines/ (accessed 1 May 2013)
DECD (2013) Brighter FuturesFrom Blueprint to Action, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/BrighterFuturesFBTA.pdf (accessed 1 May 2013)
DECD (2013) Guidelines for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum in DECD schools: Reception
Year 10, available at http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/teachingandlearning/pages/Yearsr10/curric/
DECS (2001) South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework, available at
http://sacsa.sa.edu.au/ (accessed 13 June 2013)
DECS (2009) CE Circ 09:25 Primary Science, Mathematics and Literacy Strategies, available at
www.decd.sa.gov.au/mediacentre/files/links/link_115478.pdf (accessed 12 June 2013)
DECS (2010) South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework, available at
www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/files/links/DECS_SA_TfEL_Framework_gu_4.pdf (accessed 13 June
2013)
SA Strategic Plan (Target 27), available at http://saplan.org.au/pages/download-the-plan (accessed 13 June
2013)

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