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NSW Curriculum
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11–12English Extension 11–12 Syllabus

Record of changes
Implementation from 2026
Expand for detailed implementation advice

Rationale

Rationale for English in Stage 6 curriculum

In acknowledgement of its role as the national language, English is a mandatory subject from Kindergarten to Year 12 in the NSW curriculum. Knowledge, understanding and skills acquired in English are central to students’ learning and development.

Language and text shape understanding of individuals and the world. Language allows students to relate to others, and contributes to their intellectual, social and emotional development. In English K–12, students study language in its various textual forms, with increasing complexity, to understand how meaning is shaped, conveyed, interpreted and reflected.

Students engage with literature from Australia and across the world, and develop an understanding of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and the interconnections of Country/Place, Culture and Community. Texts communicate in distinctive ways and are shaped by experiences, knowledge and cultures. By exploring past and contemporary texts with a range of cultural and social perspectives, students broaden their experiences and become empowered in their identities, values and ethics.

Through interrelated practices and experiences in understanding and creating texts, students explore the power, purpose, value and art of English. These support students to become literate and confident communicators, critical and imaginative thinkers, and informed and active participants in society.

The study of English in this syllabus is founded on the belief that language learning is recursive and develops through ever-widening contexts. Students learn English through explicit teaching of language and literacy, and through their engagement with a range of purposeful and increasingly demanding textual experiences.

Rationale for English Extension 1

The English Extension 1 Syllabus provides students who undertake English Advanced with the opportunity to extend their use of language and self-expression in critical and creative ways. Through engaging with increasingly complex concepts from a range of literary contexts, students refine their understanding and appreciation of literature as the expression and construction of culture.

Students independently pursue areas of interest with complex texts that challenge them to think critically and creatively about the way literature shapes and reflects the world. They learn to use research methodology to undertake investigation in English and develop extended compositions. Throughout the course, students explore and evaluate the meanings of texts and compare the value of texts. They investigate a range of conceptual contexts for the reading and composition of texts and explore and adopt a range of reading practices to develop awareness of the assumptions that guide interpretation and evaluation.

Rationale for English Extension 2

The English Extension 2 Syllabus enables students who are accomplished English users to extend their conceptual understanding of the ways literature is read and written in Extension 1 by encouraging them to consider their authorial role as they embark on their Major work. The focus areas provide students with a rich knowledge base to develop their skills in crafting language and refining their personal voice in critical and creative ways. Students create a substantial and original Major work that extends the knowledge, understanding and skills they have developed through their study of English. Through the creative process, they independently pursue areas of interest, develop deep knowledge, and experiment with and manipulate language in their own extended compositions.

Through their engagement with a range of literary texts in Author and authority, students deepen their understanding of the innovative and insightful ways that experimentation with and exploration of form, style and media can express complex concepts and values. English Extension 2 invites the exploration and expression of human experiences, connects individuals to diverse perspectives, and enhances students’ appreciation of literature and the aesthetics of language.

The Major work provides students with the opportunity to apply and extend the research skills developed in the English Extension Year 11 course to their own extensive investigation, and to develop autonomy and skills as a learner and author.

The course is designed for students with an interest in literature and a desire to pursue a specialised study of English.