How is the junior secondary curriculum structured in South Australia?

South Australia’s curriculum in government preschools and schools from birth to Year 10 is the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability (SACSA) Framework. The Framework was co-developed with Catholic Education and the Association of Independent Schools in South Australia and has been affirmed as the core curriculum framework by the Catholic Education office. Engagement with the SACSA Framework differs across independent schools and information about curriculums should be sought directly from each school.

The SACSA Framework describes a continuum of learning outcomes that increase in levels of complexity and sophistication across a child’s time of care and education. The learning outcomes describe expected growth over a two-year period, although it is recognised that learners will demonstrate learning at one standard before working towards the next standard at different times for different learning areas.

Typically, a learner completing Year 8 would be demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes that make up Standard 4 and a learner completing Year 10 would be demonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes that make up Standard 5.

What subjects and courses are available in the junior secondary curriculum in South Australia?

In the schooling sector (Reception to Year 10) learning is divided into eight Learning Areas:

• Arts
• Design and Technology
• English
• Health and Physical Education
• Languages (Alphabetic, Non-alphabetic, Australian Indigenous)
• Mathematics
• Science
• Society and Environment.

As learners move from Year 7 into Year 8, information about their achievement of the different outcomes is passed on from one school to the next.

Are there mandatory junior secondary curriculum requirements in South Australia?

Government schools are required to implement programs that address the Key Ideas and Outcomes described in the SACSA Framework.