Teaching and Learning > Secondary School > Curriculum Program
Focussed on student-centred learning, students at St Margaret’s are able to pursue a unique, flexible curriculum designed by professional, dedicated teachers who base their innovations on linking the needs of students with the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA), the business community, tertiary education guidelines, the changing trends of global learning, well researched, evidence based learning and the specific learning needs of girls.
The learning environment is designed for differentiated learning where students can learn according to their individual needs and be challenged, supported and extended using carefully developed programs. Learning programs are presented through the eight (8) Key Learning Areas (KLA) of:
English
Health and Physical Education (HPE)
Health Education
Mathematics
Modern Languages
Science
The Arts
Technology
Humanities
Curriculum Handbooks
Assessment Calendars
English
The English curriculum at St Margaret’s provides all students with the opportunity to develop an understanding of the ways in which the English language operates in different contexts for a variety of purposes.
The course aims to develop students’ ability to become confident, articulate communicators, critical and imaginative thinkers and active participants in society.
The philosophy of our English curriculum is to provide a balance between traditional literacies and those that are required to communicate effectively in our increasingly technological world. Students engage with a broad range of written, spoken, visual and multimedia texts, drawn from canonical literature as well as contemporary media and popular culture. Students are also given some choice in regard to which texts they study, to cater for individual interests, needs and strengths.
This diversity is also recognised in the range of courses available to our students in Years 11 and 12. The selection on offer includes Authority English, English Communication, Extension English and English for ESL Learners. These choices ensure that students complete a course that is tailored to their learning needs and one which will provide them with the literacy skills required for their futures, in either tertiary study or the workplace.
English Curriculum Overview Brochure
Health and Physical Education (HPE)
Health and Physical Education in Years 8 and 9 offers students two practical lessons covering a variety of individual, team and aesthetic activities and one theory lesson exploring outcomes in promoting the health of individuals and communities a week. Students develop motor skills and enhance personal development strategies through participation in a diverse range of physical and theoretical activities.
Core Health and Physical Education is experienced by Year 10 through to Year 12 students. This compulsory subject offers students the opportunity to participate in a variety of physical/recreational activities and provides students with worthwhile life skills in First Aid, Lifesaving and Self-defence.
The Year 10 Elective subjects of Sport Science and Health Issues of the 21st Century provide natural progression into the senior pathways for the Category A subjects of Physical Education and Health Education in Year 11 and 12.
The Physical Education/Sports Science subjects provide the students with an understanding of the relevant body systems with emphasis on the importance of these systems to movement and performance. Students apply their knowledge and understanding of energy systems and training principles to practical activities and participate in Tennis/Volleyball, Dance, Touch Football and Athletics in their senior years.
Health Education is based on the social view of health that recognises the impact of many factors on an individual or group’s health status. This approach challenges students to explore concerns and barriers to health that groups of people face within Australia. Students study health issues that are relevant to them and the changing world in which they live. They are provided with opportunities to investigate issues of personal concern or relevant to their community/country. Issues that are explored include HIV/AIDS, the immunisation debate, the impact of unplanned teenage pregnancy on young people and Violence against women.
Health and Physical Education Curriculum Overview Brochure
Mathematics
The type of Mathematics that students need today goes far beyond what once was sufficient. In the past, it might have been sufficient for a literate citizen to know how to read, write, and do basic measurement and arithmetic in everyday life. It might also have been sufficient for students who were going to university to master a set of algebraic tools that enabled them to take higher-level Mathematics or Science courses. But in today's world, there is rapid change, pervasive technology, and jobs that didn't exist five years ago. These all call for a much broader set of mathematical skills, including the ability to reason and apply Mathematics to an ever-changing range of problems. And the reality of life today is that many more of our students are likely to participate in some kind of tertiary education than ever before (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, USA).
Today’s students need a balanced mathematics program that allows them to be actively engaged in mathematics lessons so that they can develop deep understanding, mathematical thinking, and the ability to apply what they learn to solve problems. Computational proficiency is an important part of such a balanced program. However, computational proficiency is not the primary goal of effective Mathematics programs. Instead, it is a tool used in the service of deeper Mathematics.
These significant changes have implications for teaching and learning since Mathematics is now more so than ever about quantifying, modelling, understanding and predicting situations, information, data, relationships etc. and no longer to do simply with factual formula recall and algebraic/arithmetic manipulations.
Mathematics at St Margaret’s has similarly evolved. The implications for our students and their studies of mathematical subjects is clearly that their focus should be towards understanding the mathematical relevance, limitations, assumptions, nuances, meaning, extrapolation, associated relationships and modelling. Students and parents need to understand the change of focus in Mathematics from what has occurred traditionally. This focus is strongly supported by the use of graphic calculators and other technology. Successful students will be those who recognise and acknowledge this approach and accordingly direct their study towards understanding rather than rote learning.
Mathematics Curriculum Overview Brochure
Modern Languages
Learning languages is fun! At St Margaret’s, students have the opportunity to study French, German and Japanese. Authentic communication is the central focus of the language programs at our school. Students are able to engage with these dynamic languages, spoken by millions of people around the world in culturally diverse and exciting places, in meaningful and purposeful ways.
Communication incorporates both linguistic and non-linguistic aspects in a vibrant manner. Learning another language extends, diversifies and enriches the language learner’s way of thinking. Language learning requires intellectual discipline and good study habits. Learning languages requires the reorganisation of thinking to accommodate the structure of the language being studied. This process promotes cognitive flexibility and problem solving ability, which are much prized skills in the twenty first century.
Learning languages promotes clearer thinking and greater sensitivity to the structure and purpose of languages in general, including English. A second language widens horizons and fosters cross-cultural understanding and empathy with people from other cultures and helps in the development of a sound world view. As citizens of the world our students have unprecedented opportunities to travel and work internationally and have another language enhances career choices and deepens travel experiences.
Learning modern languages contributes and enhances the educational, intellectual, personal, social and cultural development of our students and has the potential to improve the quality of their participation in our rapidly changing world.
Modern Languages Curriculum Overview Brochure
Science
The Science KLA is concerned with providing students with opportunities to be excited by science and to develop a lifelong love of learning. This excitement is achieved through continuously developing the science curriculum to reflect current issues and technologies that are interesting to today’s students.
Science students delve into the nature of biological cells and the inter-relationships between nutrition and health; the environment, species survival, and threats currently posed to the environment are also investigated. Students study how electricity is generated as well as alternative fuels and where and how we use these in our daily lives. Assessment tasks will increasingly allow for students to demonstrate their mastery of the subject beyond the essential outcome levels of the Queensland Years 1-10 Science KLA syllabus. The Queensland Essential Learnings are also incorporated within the course.
The Year 10 Science course is designed to offer students further opportunities to extend their experience of these science areas, and includes assessment items include research projects, experimental investigations as well as traditional exams. Many students at St Margaret’s continue study one or more of Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Multi-Strand Science in Years 11 and 12.
St Margaret’s is well equipped with an extensive selection modern data probes and sensors to support students as they investigate our world and to help build and maintain a love of learning.
Science Curriculum Overview Brochure
The Arts
The Arts KLA aims to foster individual creativity, skill and talent by offering diverse and rewarding courses in Drama, Music and Visual Arts. Learning in the arts is an active process, challenging and involving students in making, performing and thinking, appraising or reflecting. It comes from the long held belief that learning comes from doing. Each art form has its own body of knowledge, skills, techniques and processes. By engaging in arts’ activities, students develop skills and abilities to use processes that contribute to their physical, cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, cultural and social development. The girls will make meaning of their lives and their world.
The Arts provides students with opportunities to identify, value and extend their academic, personal and social capabilities by offering students multiple pathways of learning. Contemporary educational concepts such as learning through discovery, exposure to and mentoring by professional artists, practical experience combined with intellectual, reflective and critical inquiry, authentic activities and appreciation of the multiple intelligences are central to all disciplines of The Arts KLA. The Arts will empower students to transform vision into art.
Future employers are interested in people who are effective communicators, complex thinkers and creative problem solvers. The Arts equip students to express themselves creatively, to be confident and articulate and to build effective relationships. The students will have the ability to set goals, plan and organise their time, projects and resources and to be ready for the future as independent learners and creators.
The Arts Curriculum Overview Brochure
Technology
The Technology KLA runs across Years 8 to 12 and is designed to allow students to experience a wide range of technological tools and opportunities as they journey through their school years. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a computer based KLA but more a problem solving and design based area.
The courses offered in the KLA vary greatly between year levels and yet have a common thread of designing solutions to given problems using a wide range of tools. The teachers in the KLA have a responsibility to teach the students the capabilities of a large range of technological tools, equipment, software and hardware. The students’ responsibilities are to learn theses capabilities and apply them to solve given problems.
Technology Curriculum Overview Brochure
Humanities
The Humanities KLA at St Margaret’s covers a large range of subjects that focus on developing and promoting critical thinking, decision making and good communication. Humanities subjects provide students with skills ranging from historical research and the effective use of ICT through to practical business skills and the use of spatial technologies. While the traditional disciplines of History and Geography are undertaken by students in years 8 and 9 they have the opportunity in Year 10 to combine Geography and Economics, Modern and Ancient History, Business and Accounting Studies and Business and Legal Studies as foundation studies to senior courses. In Years 11 and 12 a full complement of eight subjects are offered within the department including Accounting, Ancient and Modern History, Economics, Legal Studies, Geography, Business Organisation and Management, Business Communication and Technology.
Humanities Curriculum Overview Brochure
Curriculum Handbooks
Curriculum Handbooks for 2012:
Assessment Calendars