Teaching & Learning

Curriculum

Australian Curriculum

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority is responsible for the development of an Australian curriculum for all schools from Foundation to Year 12 (F-12). ACARA is directed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Education Council and reports to all Australian Education Ministers through this Council.

The Australian Curriculum sets the expectations for what all Australian students should be taught, regardless of where they live or their background.

Schools and teachers are responsible for the organisation of learning and they will choose contexts for learning and plan learning in ways that best meet their student’s needs and interests.

Catholic schooling authorities in Queensland take responsibility for supporting school leaders and staff to meet the learning needs of every student by using effective planning, teaching, assessing and reporting practices.

For more information see our fact sheet on the Australian Curriculum.

In Queensland, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) supports all schools, including Catholic schools, in implementing the Australian curriculum by providing access to resources.

Assessment

National Assessment Program

The National Assessment Program (NAP) is run at the direction of the COAG Education Council. It includes:

• the National Assessment Program –Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)
• three-yearly NAP sample assessments in science literacy, civics and citizenship, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy
• international sample assessments.

Read more about the National Assessment Program here.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) annually tests all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in the domains of Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation) and Numeracy.

For more information see our fact sheet.

New Queensland Senior Assessment and Tertiary Entrance systems

The Queensland Government will introduce a new system of senior assessment in Queensland schools from Year 11 2019. The system proposed will balance school-based and external modes of assessment. The 2019 introduction of the new system will enable students to plan their senior pathways and allow adequate time for teachers and schools to prepare for implementation of the new model.

The government will also move towards giving Year 12 students an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR), replacing the OP and bringing Queensland into line with other states and territories.

A Minister’s Taskforce with representation from Catholic, Independent and State schools, parent associations, the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre is guiding the development of final senior assessment and tertiary entrance arrangements. Catholic sector representation on the Taskforce includes QCEC Executive Director, Dr Lee-Anne Perry AM, and representatives of the Catholic Secondary Principals Association Queensland and the Queensland Parents and Friends Federation.

The Taskforce provides advice on a range of important considerations, including the relative contribution of external assessment to a subject result, quality assurance processes for school-based assessment, and the methodology supporting calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).

Reports from each meeting of the Taskforce can be found here.

Detailed information about the new systems is available on the QCAA website.

Reporting

A – E reporting

To fulfil the legislative requirements of the Australian Education Act and Regulation 2013 schools must report to parents on student achievement and progress at least twice a year using a five-point scale. Teachers use standards and social moderation processes to describe how well a student has demonstrated their learning based on a collection of evidence.

Achievement standards

The Australian Curriculum sets out what all young people should be taught through the specification of curriculum content and the learning expected at points in their schooling through the specification of achievement standards.

An achievement standard describes the quality of learning (the depth of understanding, extent of knowledge and sophistication of skill) expected of students at points in their schooling.

My School website

In 2009 Australian education ministers committed to the publication of school information.  The My School website  is developed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) a Ministerial Statutory authority.

My School provides parents and the community with information about a school’s context, achievement in NAPLAN, and school finances.

For more information: QCEC fact sheet – My School website

Annual School Report

All Queensland schools are required to publish annually a minimum set of information for parents and the  community.  The Annual Reporting Policy for all Queensland Schools incorporates both the Queensland Government and Australian Government annual reporting requirements for schools. To view a specific school’s annual report visit the school website.

Find school details here.

Early childhood education is inclusive of children from birth to eight years. QCEC’s Position Statement for Early Childhood Education (2015)[Link to Policies,Position statements and guidelines/Early Childhood Education] provides Catholic authorities with direction in the development of services, policies and programs. The document acknowledges the quality of children’s early experiences – cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual has a profound impact on their future health, development, learning and wellbeing.

The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) provides support for early years educators in the implementation of effective early childhood programs. Download the Framework here.

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has developed the Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline to align with the Early Years Learning Framework. The Guideline provides early years teachers with advice for interacting with children, planning, monitoring and assessing, and sharing information in kindergarten contexts.

QCEC’s role in Catholic kindergartens

The Department of Education and Training (DET) has approved QCEC as a  (CGB) for the delivery of kindergarten services. QCEC CGB administers Queensland Government funding through four delegated Catholic agencies that support the provision of quality and inclusive early childhood education programs.

Central Governing Body membership

After a kindergarten has been approved by DET as a Kindergarten Program Provider it must be a member of a CGB to receive government funding. The QCEC CGB membership application form, completed by an authorised delegated Catholic agency representative, is submitted to QCEC on behalf of the kindergarten service.

Kindergartens seeking membership of QCEC CGB that are not located on a Catholic school/parish site need to contact directly the relevant delegated Catholic agency. The Catholic agency may choose to negotiate a Service Agreement with the kindergarten service.

A QCEC CGB Membership Certificate will be issued when an application is approved by the QCEC Executive Director.

Early entry to Prep

The following documents provide guidance on the provisions for early entry to the Prep :

Early Entry to Prep Framework Overview

Early entry to Prep Queensland 2017 Framework

Early entry to Prep – Considerations and application process

Early entry to Prep FAQs

Kindergarten Fact Sheets

Kindergarten Transition Statements Fact Sheet

Factsheet Kindy – Supporting children with a disability

Videos

All schools are required to adhere to the Disability Discrimination Act 1992  and the Disability Standards for Education 2005. All schools therefore make reasonable adjustments to ensure students with disability are able to participate in education on the same basis as students without disability.

Students with Disabilities Program

The Students With Disabilities (SWD) program is a State government funded program that aims to support the education of students with disabilities in non-state schools. Funds are used centrally through diocesan offices and at the school level to support students with disabilities to access the curriculum.

Students with disability who are eligible for support under the program are those who meet the Queensland criteria used by all three education sectors including students with:

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual Disability, Physical Impairment, Speech Language Impairment and Visual Impairment.

An additional category of disability for support in Catholic schools is for students identified with Social Emotional Disorder.

The Education Adjustment Program (EAP) is a process for identifying and responding to the educational needs of students with disabilities. Adjustments are made for students with disabilities to enable them to access the curriculum, achieve curriculum outcomes and participate in school life.

The Department of Education has an agreement with the non-state sectors that students attending non-state schools can access the EAP verification services and/or Advisory Visiting teachers (AVT) services provided by the Department in the categories of hearing, physical and/or vision impairment. The following flowchart and forms have been developed for principals of non-sate schools to request that a student’s information record in OneSchool accurately reflect the enrolment details at their school:

1. Flow chart – Information to create a record in OneSchool for students with disability from a non-state school accessing a DET service.
2. Information to create a record in OneSchool for students with disability from a non-state school accessing a DET service – To proceed with verification, a student record must be created in the Adjustment Information Management System in OneSchool (AIMS in OneSchool)
3. Updating a OneSchool record for a student with disability enrolled in a non-state school accessing a DET service– To request changes to a student’s record in OneSchool

Equity in Education

Special provision is a key aspect of equity in education and provides specific arrangements to address education needs for students in certain circumstances. Further information on Equity in Education can be found on the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) website

Education Support Funding Program

The purpose of Education Funding Support Program (ESFP) funding is to support Catholic schools enhance educational outcomes for eligible students who live in out-of-home care (OOHC). Assistance under the ESFP must be linked to goals identified through the Education Support Planning (ESP) process and should be based upon an assessment of the student’s educational needs and participating in educational activities.

Principals are responsible for ensuring an Education Support Plan  is developed within one month of notification that a student is eligible for ESFP funding. A checklist outlines the actions for principals to undertake if a student living in out-of-home care enrols at their school.

Assistance provided through the ESFP must consider the best practice strategies, programs and initiatives that will have a positive impact on the achievement of educational outcomes for students in OOHC. ESFP funding should supplement the services and programs already provided by schools to support the academic, social and emotional needs of all students, including access to guidance officers and chaplains.

For information about ESFP refer to the QCEC Implementation Guidelines .

Contingency Funding

QCEC maintains a portion of ESFP funds to be accessed by Catholic schools to meet short-term, unanticipated needs of students living in out-of-home care who are eligible for an Education Support Plan.  Contingency funding is approved and administered by QCEC.

Schools must read the QCEC Guidelines for Contingency Funding  prior to applying to QCEC for contingency funding to ensure criteria are met. Schools apply for contingency funding using the QCEC Contingency funding application where it is assessed on its merit. Contingency funding is paid to the relevant Catholic school authority for distribution, not to the school making the application.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on Schools Students with Disability

The implementation of a nationally consistent approach to collecting data on school students with disability will provide all Australian schools, education authorities and the community with information about the number of students with disability and the level of adjustment provided for them to participate in schooling. For further
information visit the fact sheet.

Religious Institute Schools – Education Adjustment Program

The Education Adjustment Program (EAP) is a process for identifying and responding to the educational needs of students with disabilities. Adjustments are made for students with disabilities to enable them to access the curriculum, achieve curriculum outcomes and participate in school life.

The EAP process initiates an ongoing cycle of documented data collection, planning, program development, intervention, EAP Profiles, evaluation and review.

The EAP supports schools to:

• identify students (from Prep – Year 12) who meet criteria for the EAP disability categories
• report the education adjustments they are making to meet the teaching and learning needs of these students.

There are three components of EAP:

• verification
• the EAP Profile
• validation for students in the areas of Vision Impairment and/or Physical Impairment.

The EAP documents for use by RI schools are as follows:

1. RI EAP Handbook
2. RI EAP1 Consent Form
3. EAP 3-ASD
4. EAP-5-ID
5. EAP-7-SLI
6. EAP-9-SED
7. EAP 9 – SED Prompts for Criterion 2 (page 28)
8. Supporting Resource: Embracing Diversity – Responding to Learning Differences

Support for VET students

For information about subsidies for students with special needs visit the Vocational Education and Training section on this page.

QCEC’s role in VET

The Vocational Education and Training (VET) in Schools Grant Funding Allocation is administered and distributed to Catholic dioceses and schools via QCEC. The purpose of this funding is to set out operational targets and activities which assist Catholic schools to align their VET in Schools activity to the Department of Employment Small Business and Training’s VET Investment Plan including addressing industry needs, skill shortages and managing the implementation of the new VET Funding Framework. Funding is disbursed from QCEC for:

• Supporting schools to respond to industry needs through VET delivery as it aligns to the VET Investment Plan
• Increasing participation in School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships or other trades related vocational courses targeted to industry priorities
• Supporting schools in the transition to the VETiS Funding Framework
• Developing strategies to maintain quality standards in VET in Schools including professional development.
• Increasing participation in, and access to, VET in Schools within rural and remote areas and for educationally
  disadvantaged students including Indigenous students and students with a disability.

The QCEC secretariat also provides general services and advice to schools and school authorities on issues related to VET.

Some useful links:

Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority (QCAA)

VET – vocational education and training

Queensland Government Training

Training courses and pathways

Queensland Department of Education 

Vocational Education and Training in schools

Apprenticeship and Traineeship Information

Guide to school-based apprenticeships and traineeships

School-based Apprenticeship and Traineeship

Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA)

National regulator of Registered Training Organisations

Gateway to Industry Schools Program (GISP)

Gateway schools

Australian Government Department of Education

Skills and training

Insurance Information

Work Experience Insurance

• WorkCover Insurance
  • WorkCover Certificate of Currency 2017-18

• Queensland Government Insurance Fund
  • QGIF Certificate of Currency

Worker’s Compensation

Under Queensland legislation, the Education (Work Experience) Act 1996, a student from a state or non-state school must not start a work experience placement until the Department of Education has in place a contract of insurance indemnifying the student and work experience provider against liability for personal injury or property damage, suffered by the student, the work experience provider or another person, arising out of the work experience”.

Queensland Catholic Education Commission takes out a central WorkCover policy to cover workers compensation for all students undertaking work experience in Catholic secondary schools.

The contract for WorkCover insurance between WorkCover and Queensland Catholic Education Commission covers:

• death
• permanent impairment
• medical costs associated with injury while a student is on work experience.

Liability Insurance

Currently this insurance is free to Non-State Schools. The Department of Education has an arrangement with an insurer to indemnify both students and work experience providers in the following situations.

It is most important for the school to make sure that the WORK EXPERIENCE AGREEMENT – FORM is completed prior to a student entering the workplace and that the original of the completed Agreement is securely filed by the school. This document is essential in the event of a claim being made on both Worker’s Compensation and Liability Insurance.

Insurance for School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SATs)

The insurance for SATs is the employer’s responsibility as the student is receiving payment for her/his services.

Important details regarding work experience and insurance:Schools are encouraged to access the Work experience placement for school students on the Department of Education website to make sure that all aspects of work experience are covered, particularly with insurance.

Training and Work Placement

School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships

School-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs) allow secondary school students to work for an employer, train towards a recognised qualification, and complete their secondary school studies.  A flexible school program allows students to effectively combine a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (SAT) while studying for their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and/or Overall Position (OP) score.

Structured Workplace Learning

In Queensland the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has developed Structured Workplace Learning as an individualised course that can be offered in years 10, 11 or 12.  The QCAA has developed a quality assurance process to recognise such informal learning courses that may contribute to the achievement of a Queensland Certificate of Education.

Work Experience

A work experience placement provides an opportunity to extend the learning in the classroom into the practice application in the workplace.  It provides a formal arrangement whereby students, while enrolled at school, participate in the activities of a place of voluntary or paid work.

Work Shadowing

Work shadowing provides students with the opportunity to learn actively about people at work and to examine the work role they perform. Students gain access to occupational areas that may not be suited to work sampling, e.g. lawyer, dentist, chemist. The focus of work shadowing is the role of the worker(s) being shadowed, rather than the performance of work tasks or the investigation of the workplace.

Work Sampling

A work sampling placement is one in which students have the opportunity to test personal vocational preferences through performing tasks in a workplace. Students select placements according to their future occupational aspirations. The student may experience the following outcomes:

• clarification of employment goals
• first-hand information about what it means to work, as well as about the work processes of the organization and the work environment

VET in schools funding

QCEC receives an amount of funding each year from the Queensland Government’s VET Investment Plan to support VET in schools.  This funding is distributed to schools via Catholic School Authority (CSA) and is provided to:

• promote VET in schools
• provide seed funding for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SATs). The Education, Training and Employment Schedule (ETES) form is no longer required to be sent to QCEC.  The latest version of the ETES form is available on the state government’s Training website and is provided to assist schools to record agreed arrangements for SATs.
• subsidise access and equity arrangements through
  1. travel and accommodation allowance and
  2. financial subsidies for students with special needs.

Travel and Accommodation Allowance

Send completed forms to Vera Zappala at veraz@qcec.catholic.edu.au.

• Guidelines
• Claim Form

Financial Subsidy for Students with Special Needs (Access and Equity)

Send completed forms to Vera Zappala at veraz@qcec.catholic.edu.au.

• Guidelines
• Application Form

The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) seeks to advance and coordinate the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) agenda, informed by national and state policy directions, for the Catholic schooling sector in Queensland. The Commission is provided with advice and support from the QCEC ICT Network, the National Online Assessment Taskforce (NOAT) and the Executive Officer – ICT, in relation to the use of technology as a strategic tool in learning, teaching and administration.

The QCEC Secretariat provides support to the Catholic School Authorities by coordinating collaborative approaches to addressing ICT issues in a range of areas such as pedagogy, curriculum, professional development, infrastructure, online content, applications, services, policy development, regulatory frameworks, reporting and research. ICT is considered to be an enabler for the goals of Catholic School Authorities and a servant for the mission of Catholic education.

Commonwealth programs and resources

Digital Technologies

The Australian Government is supporting a range of initiatives aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) to inspire engagement in digital literacy and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities in the future including:

• Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies implementation support for teachers through online learning as well as intensive support for disadvantaged schools
• ICT Summer Schools for Years 9 and 10 students
• annual ‘Cracking the Code’ event for Years 4 to 12
• national online computing challenges for Years 5 and 7 students
• Digital Literacy School Grants (DLSG)
• support for school bringing scientists and ICT professionals into the classroom
• Early Learning STEM Australia (ELSA) pilot program.

Online assessment

The education sector has agreed to a set of Principles for National Online Assessment to support the transition of National Assessment Programs such as NAPLAN from print to online and classroom-based online assessment more broadly in the future. The Australian Government has committed to the development of an online national assessment platform to enable online assessment in collaboration with states and territories and non-government education authorities. Please refer to the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and Queensland Government websites regarding further information on the transition to online assessment.

Enhancing Online Safety for Children

The Australian Government has established the Office of the eSafety Commissioner which is committed to helping young people have safe, positive experiences online.

National Online Learning Services

National Online Learning Services are managed by Education Services Australia (ESA) and include:

• digital curriculum resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum
• National Digital Learning Resources Network (NDLRN)
• Schools Online Teaching and Learning Environment (Scootle)
• Scootle Community professional networking space for teachers
• Digital Technologies Hub
• national assessment systems
• Improve formative assessment system
• Language Learning Space
• National Schools Interoperability Program (NSIP)
• a range of services for education stakeholders.

Scootle

Scootle is a national digital learning repository which provides Australian teachers with access to more than 20,000 digital learning items, provided by a wide range of contributors and aligned to core areas of the Australian Curriculum.

National Assessment Program: ICT Literacy

Every three years, samples of Year 6 and Year 10 students from across Australia are tested on their ability to use ICT appropriately through the National Assessment Program (NAP) ICT Literacy.

State-wide partnerships

The Queensland Catholic sector has the opportunity to engage with other sectors and key education stakeholders through a range of committees, programs and events such as the cross-sectoral ICT Reference Committee, the Queensland Online Assessment Working Group, the Learning Place Affiliates Program and the Queensland Society for Information Technology in Education (QSITE). The Queensland Government has also enabled access to the Queensland Department of Education and Training (DET) Curriculum into the Classroom (C2C) resources through Scootle for Catholic schools in Queensland.

Catholic sector initiatives

Catholic Network Australia

Catholic Network Australia (CNA) was established by the Australian Bishops to provide a contemporary, secure, private information technology network and associated communications services for the benefit of the Catholic community in Australia. CNA provides a range of member services to Catholic education including access to telecommunication services, software agreements and support for the development of digital curriculum resources to promote contemporary learning in Australian Catholic schools.

Catholic Education Network

Catholic Education Network (CEnet) is a not-for-profit services company that provides a range of ICT services to Catholic education communities including regional dioceses in Queensland.

Resources

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Position Statement

The Queensland Schools Animal Ethics Committee (QSAEC) established by State Schools Queensland (SSQ), Queensland Catholic Education Commission(QCEC) and the Association of Independent Schools of Queensland (ISQ) assists Queensland schools to meet their legal obligations under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 and to comply with the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes – 8th Edition 2013.

To ensure that schools comply with the legislation, the QSAEC:

• approves guidelines, including standard operating procedures, for the care and scientific use of animals in schools
• reviews applications and approves only those proposed activities that are ethically acceptable and conform to the requirements of the Code
• conducts follow-up review of approved activities
• monitors the care and use of animals, including housing conditions, practices and procedures involved in the care of animals in facilities, and allows the continuation of approval for only those that conform to the requirements of the Code
• takes appropriate actions regarding unexpected adverse events
• takes appropriate actions regarding non-compliance

The three Queensland education sectors (SSQ, QCEC and ISQ) work together to establish consistent and quality practices for the use of animals in Queensland schools and set clear boundaries regarding reporting, approval and compliance.

Further information about animal welfare standards and processes for the use of animals in education can be found here.

Catholic schools in Queensland welcome overseas students to study in a safe, caring and supportive environment. Catholic schools educate about one in five of Queensland students with about 6,000 students studying on a visa including over 300 overseas students on subclass 500 student visa.Queensland Catholic schools are accredited by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board and implement national and state curriculum documentation and fulfil all government reporting and accountability requirements.

CRICOS registered schools

The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) is the official Australian Government website that lists all Australian education providers that offer courses to people studying in Australia on student visas and the courses offered. Students with a subclass 500 student visa to study in the School sector can only enrol in a CRICOS registered course in a CRICOS registered school

Useful links

For more information, the following sites may be useful:

• Australian Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Border Protection
• Education Services for Overseas Students
• International education programs and initiatives
• Queensland Department of Education
• Study Overseas
• Study Queensland website