11–12English Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus

Some students with intellectual disability may find Years 11–12 Life Skills outcomes and content the most appropriate option to follow in Stage 6. Before deciding that a student should undertake a course based on Life Skills outcomes and content, consideration should be given to other ways of assisting the student to engage with the outcomes of the equivalent Stage 6 course. Students with disability can access syllabus outcomes and content in a range of ways, including through a range of adjustments to teaching, learning and assessment activities. Decisions regarding curriculum options should be made in the context of collaborative curriculum planning.

Life Skills outcomes cannot be taught in combination with other outcomes from the equivalent Stage 6 course. Teachers select specific Life Skills outcomes to teach based on the needs, strengths, goals, interests and prior learning of each student. Students are required to demonstrate achievement of one or more Life Skills outcomes. Students may access or demonstrate learning in a range of ways, including using aspects of their home languages and dialects, or using their preferred communication form(s).

The English Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus aligns with the English Standard 11–12 Syllabus and English Studies 11–12 Syllabus to provide opportunities for integrated delivery.

The organisation of outcomes and content for English Life Skills 11–12 highlights the interdependence of knowledge, understanding and skills in the subject. Communicating, understanding and composing texts are central to learning in English Life Skills 11–12. Outcomes and content are organised into focus areas that address these key ideas.

Figure 1 shows the organisation of English Life Skills 11–12.

Image long description: The English Life Skills focus areas appear in boxes in a row at the top of the diagram, surrounded by a line. The focus areas are: Communicating; Engaging with texts; Understanding and responding to texts; and Expressing ideas and composing texts. The remaining focus areas are split into ‘English Studies aligned focus areas’ and ‘English Standard aligned focus areas’. These aligned focus areas are surrounded by a line. The English Studies aligned focus areas are: Reading to write: Aligned to English Studies; Narrative and human experiences; Writing for purpose; and Elective focus areas. The English Standard aligned focus are: Reading to write: Aligned to English Standard; Contemporary possibilities; Close study of literature; Texts and human experiences; Language identity and culture; and The craft of writing. The lines surrounding the English Life Skills and aligned focus areas cross through a box in the centre of the diagram, which is titled ‘Understanding and responding to texts’.

NESA is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal Communities and supporting teachers, schools and schooling sectors to improve educational outcomes for young people.

It is important to respect appropriate ways of interacting with Aboriginal Communities and Cultural material when teachers plan, program and implement learning experiences that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Priorities.

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) protocols need to be followed. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ICIP protocols include Cultural Knowledges, Cultural Expression and Cultural Property and documentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Identities and lived experiences. It is important to recognise the diversity and complexity of different Cultural groups in NSW, as protocols may differ between local Aboriginal Communities.

Teachers should work in partnership with Elders, parents, Community members, Cultural Knowledge Holders, or a local, regional or state Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. It is important to respect Elders and the roles of men and women. Local Aboriginal Peoples should be invited to share their Cultural Knowledges with students and staff when engaging with Aboriginal histories and Cultural Practices.