Curriculum intent
WoodLinks State School uses the Australian Curriculum to plan, teach, assess and report for English, mathematics, science and humanities and social sciences (history, geography).
Our school continues to use the Queensland Curriculum to plan, teach, assess and report on the arts, technology, studies of society and environment (political and economic systems), health and physical education and Languages other than English where the Australian Curriculum is not yet available for implementation.
Sequencing teaching and learning
Our teachers set high expectations to achieve and be active in the learning process. Central concepts to the teaching and learning process at WoodLinks State School include multiple opportunities to succeed, high quality feedback to students (and indirectly back to teachers), front end assessment, effective use of ICT in learning experiences, use of exemplars, modelling, inclusion of higher order thinking skills (such as reflection), use of the assessable elements and use of collaboratively developed Guide to Making Judgements (GTMJs). With a strong emphasis on meeting individual needs it is about the teacher fitting in to the individual needs of the student not the student fitting into how the teacher runs their classroom. Consistency to our school means differentiating the curriculum for our students, not devising a ‘one size fits all’ philosophy.
Making judgements
Teachers are supported to make consistent judgements through year level moderation meetings. Teachers will employ a range of moderation techniques including pre calibration and post cross checking methods throughout the year. Teachers have pre-determined cut-offs for assessment items if they are deploying tests. Teachers are required to use assessment bank items to help ensure consistency of judgement with the Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting (QCAR) Framework.
Feedback
Providing feedback is central to improving student learning, whether it is feedback to students about what they have been able to successfully achieve or to teachers about what their students already know and what they need to learn next. Feedback has to be focused on front end assessment or learning goals that have been identified.
We believe that feedback to students:
is timely
focuses on what the student has done well
is informative and purposeful
is effective when students engage in self feedback and peer feedback
is focused on the quality of student performance and not on the student
gives specific information about what to do next
challenges students to use higher order thinking
requires students to take action and responsibility
can be capitalised on when multiple opportunities are given to students.