Overall Structure of the Curriculum

There are three components of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards which form the basis of the Acacia College curriculum:

Discipline-based learning
All students undertake studies in each of the key subject areas of English, Science, Mathematics, Humanities, Languages, and the Arts.

Physical, personal and social learning
Students learn to take increasing responsibility for their own physical well-being, their learning, their relationships with others, and their role as citizens of their local, national and global communities through subject areas that include Civics and Citizenship, Religious and Values Education, Sport, and Pastoral Needs.

Interdisciplinary learning
To prepare students for success both at school and beyond, they are be taught skills in areas that carry across a range of subject areas: thinking, design, problem-solving, communicating, and using information and communications technologies.

Students progress through the following stages of learning from Prep to Year 12:

Prep to Year 4 – Laying the Foundations
In these years, the curriculum focuses on developing the fundamental knowledge, skills and behaviours in literacy, numeracy and other areas, including physical and social capacities, which underpin all future learning.

Years 5 to 8 – Building Breadth and Depth
In these years, students progress beyond the foundations and their literacy and numeracy becomes more developed. An expanded curriculum program provides the basis for in-depth learning across each of the individual elements of all three learning strands.

Years 9 and 10 Developing Pathways
In these years, students develop greater independence of mind and interests. They seek deeper connections between their learning and the world around them and explore how learning might be applied in that world. They experience learning in work and community settings as well as in the classroom. They also begin to develop preferred areas for their learning.

Years 11 and 12
Acacia College will offer the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) from 2014 when the first stream of students reaches Year 11. The College also intends to offer some Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects and entry to networks. It may also be possible to offer the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL).