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Welcome to the NSW Curriculum website

NSW Government
NSW Curriculum
NSW Education Standards Authority

NSW Curriculum structure

Introduction to NSW Curriculum

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) provides the curriculum for Kindergarten to Year 12 in accordance with the Loading . NESA supports student need and interest with a variety of courses in a range of learning areas.

Curriculum structure

The NSW Curriculum is structured in 2 parts: Primary and Secondary. Students move through the following stages of learning.

Primary stages

  • Early Stage 1: Kindergarten
  • Stage 1: Year 1 and Year 2
  • Stage 2: Year 3 and Year 4
  • Stage 3: Year 5 and Year 6

Secondary stages

  • Stage 4: Year 7 and Year 8
  • Stage 5: Year 9 and Year 10
  • Stage 6: Year 11 and Year 12

Key learning areas

Key learning areas (KLAs) describe broad areas of learning. In NSW, syllabuses are developed within the following KLAs.

Primary (K–6)

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science and Technology
  • Human Society and its Environment (HSIE)
  • Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
  • Creative Arts
  • Languages (optional)

Secondary (7–12)

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Technological and Applied Studies
  • Human Society and its Environment (HSIE)
  • Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
  • Creative Arts
  • Languages
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Syllabuses

Schools and teachers use syllabuses to develop educational programs for students.

A syllabus is available for each course developed by NESA. NESA syllabuses describe what students are expected to know and understand, and the skills they should have at each stage of learning.

Syllabuses include:

  • an aim and rationale
  • outcomes and content
  • specific requirements for teaching.

You can find NESA syllabuses by Loading  or Loading .

For information on course types in NSW, visit Loading .

Curriculum requirements and credentials

Primary

In Kindergarten to Year 6, schools are required to have educational programs for the 6 key learning areas.

Find out more about:

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Secondary

There are 2 credentials that may be attained in Years 7–12:

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Find out more about:

NSW Curriculum Reform

The NSW Government launched the NSW Curriculum Review in 2018, the first comprehensive review of the primary and secondary curriculum in 30 years. Over the past 3 decades a strong evidence base has emerged identifying approaches to curriculum that are explicit and knowledge-based, and that lead to improved outcomes for students. Feedback from stakeholders, particularly consultation with teachers, shaped the NSW Curriculum Reform's direction. That feedback indicated that syllabuses would improve learning for students in NSW by providing:

  • stronger foundations especially in the early years
  • well-defined pathways to careers and further study
  • more time, opportunities and resources for teachers to do what they do best: teach.

New syllabuses for better learning

Schools and teachers use syllabuses to develop educational programs. NESA continues to work closely with teachers and the school sectors to ensure that NSW K–12 syllabus structures and content are based on evidence of what we know works best, and reflects feedback from teachers, stakeholders and industry professionals.

NSW Curriculum Reform policies and processes:

  • involve and engage teachers, students and other key education stakeholders
  • align new syllabuses with the Australian Curriculum
  • provide teachers with syllabuses that are clear, easy to understand and navigate, so they can focus their efforts on teaching and providing support for students.

Digital curriculum

The Review and NESA’s user research also revealed a need to move away from syllabus PDFs and print-outs, and towards a purpose-built digital curriculum providing one-stop access to syllabuses, resources, support materials, links, teaching advice and evidence.

Timeline

NSW Loading : Discover what new syllabuses are coming and when to implement them.

Prior-to-school learning

Students bring to school a range of knowledge, skills and understanding developed in home and prior-to-school settings.

The Loading  for Australia describes opportunities for students to learn and develop a foundation for future success in learning.

The Early Years Learning Framework has 5 learning outcomes that reflect contemporary theories and research concerning children’s learning. The outcomes are used to guide planning and to assist all children to make progress.

The outcomes are:

  1. Children have a strong sense of identity.
  2. Children are connected with and contribute to their world.
  3. Children have a strong sense of wellbeing.
  4. Children are confident and involved learners.
  5. Children are effective communicators.

Teachers need to acknowledge the learning that children bring to school and plan appropriate learning experiences that make connections with existing language and literacy development, including language used at home.

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