Find out more about what your child will learn at our school.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for the curriculum, Kindergarten to Year 12, for all NSW schools.
For the primary years, NESA develops syllabuses for all subjects in 6 key learning areas:
- creative arts
- English
- human society and its environment (HSIE)
- mathematics
- personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE)
- science and technology.
Some primary schools may also offer languages.
NSW schools also offer special religious education and special education in ethics via approved providers, where available.
Like all NSW schools, we have developed teaching and learning programs to suit our local context and the needs of our students.
To learn more about curriculum in NSW, visit:
- NSW Department of Education – key learning areas
- NESA’s Parent Guide – Schooling in NSW which provides information about learning stages, key learning areas and syllabuses
- NSW Department of Education policy – Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K–12.
Stages of learning
There are 6 stages of learning from Kindergarten to Year 12. Primary school covers Early Stage 1, or Kindergarten, to the end of Stage 3.
- Stage 1 includes Kindergarten to Year 2 (Kindergarten is referred to as Early Stage 1).
- Stage 2 includes Years 3 and 4.
- Stage 3 includes Years 5 and 6.
Students in Year 7 are introduced to the eight key learning areas that they will study until Year 10.
Year 7 to Year 10 focuses on eight key learning areas:
- English
- Human society and its environment
- Languages
- Mathematics
- Personal development, health & physical education
- Science
- Creative arts
- Technology
Within these key learning areas there are courses and elective subjects.
Mandatory Courses in Years 7-10 are studied by all students in NSW public schools and are set by the Board of Studies.
Students choose from a range of elective courses that we offer depending on teacher expertise and the number of students interested in that subject. Information on elective courses is available in the Board of Studies syllabus course descriptions (PDF 163 KB).
The School Certificate is no longer being awarded. Eligible students who leave school prior to receiving their Higher School Certificate will receive the NSW Record of School Achievement.
In Years 11 and 12 students study for the Higher School Certificate (HSC).
HSC courses
There are two types of courses students can study:
Board developed courses
These courses are set and externally examined by the Board of Studies, and may contribute to the calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).These include courses in English, mathematics, science, technology, creative arts, personal development, health and physical education, human society and its environment, languages and Vocational Education and Training (VET) curriculum frameworks.
Read a list of the subjects available and a description of each courseon the Board of Studies website.
Board endorsed courses
These courses are developed by schools, TAFE institutes or universities. They count towards the HSC but do not count towards the calculation of an Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR).
Vocational education and training courses
Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses are either Board developed courses, which may contribute to the calculation of an ATAR, or Board endorsed courses.
VET courses give students work-related skills in a variety of industry areas. Students will receive a nationally recognised qualification when they complete their course.
Some VET courses are studied at school while others can be studied at TAFE institutes and other training providers. Many VET courses involve work placement.
Board developed VET courses are available in a number of industry curriculum frameworks, such as hospitality and information technology.
- Navigate to the School Years 11 or 12 sections to find out more