2023-2024 CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Learning at Parade College inspires a commitment and spirit that is both personalised and life-long. Gifts and talents are celebrated equally but paramount to all this is the reality that learning takes place within a collective sphere of mutual support and a deep desire to achieve the very best.

Learning and Teaching at Parade College has, over 150 years, developed both the capacity and capability of providing dynamic learning that caters for the students’ spiritual, academic, social, emotional and physical development. A vibrant professional learning and teaching culture exists and grows. Students are supported in their studies by a highly qualified, experienced and committed staff.

Our curriculum continues to blend the best of educational traditions with the latest in cutting edge theory, practice and design. Our classrooms are contemporary, technology-rich learning environments, suitably well resourced and designed to both encourage and exploit a wide variety of teaching and learning preferences.

The College supports a breadth of rich and diverse co-curricular activities designed to stimulate both the mind and the body. Students are presented with a grounding in core subjects as well as opportunities to explore a variety of elective subjects to explore their distinctive physical and creative abilities – from Sports, Technology, Art, Music and Drama through to Community Service, Leadership opportunities, extension and enrichment experiences.

Courses reflect the latest developments in educational thinking from the Victorian Curriculum F-10 which aligns with the Australian Curriculum. The Victorian Curriculum F-10 sets out what every student should learn during their first eleven years of schooling. The curriculum is the common set of knowledge and skills required by students for life-long learning, social development and active and informed citizenship which has been implemented from 2017 as per the Federal and Victorian Governments and the Catholic Education Office requirements.

The Victorian Curriculum F–10 is structured as a continuum across levels of learning achievement not years of schooling. This enables the development of targeted learning programs for all students, where the curriculum is used to plan in relation to the actual learning level of each student rather than their assumed level of learning based on age.

Each curriculum area includes content descriptions explaining what is to be taught and achievement standards describing what students are able to understand and do. The achievement standards for English and Mathematics or in five or six bands for all the other learning areas and capabilities. The achievement standards reflect the emphasis within the broad stages of schooling, these being:

• Breadth stage (Years 7–8)
  Students have the opportunity to fully engage with all learning areas and capabilities, with a focus on English, Mathematics, Science.
• Pathways stage (Years 9–10)
  Students engage in a broad education and begin to plan their senior secondary program of study.

The Standards are set at four different levels to reflect the different years of schooling. Students in Year 7 and 8 normally undertake studies at Victorian Curriculum Levels 7 & 8, while students in Years 9 and 10 normally undertake studies at Levels 9 & 10.The curriculum for Years 11 & 12 is set by the VCAA, with Parade College offering a wide range of VCE, VET and VCE VM courses.

ACCELERATION

Parade College supports highly able students undertaking Year 10 to accelerate into a VCE Unit 1 & 2 subject. Apart from a few select subjects, students may apply to accelerate into most of the Unit 1 & 2 Parade offerings. Students may only apply for one subject for acceleration. Acceleration is subject to approval and availability of places. All students will be completing Unit 1 & 2s in their choice of Religious Education subject as part of their Year 10 studies, subsequently this is not considered as “acceleration.”

The purpose of the acceleration program is to offer students the chance to maximize their options by studying six Unit 3 & 4 sequences over two years. It must be understood that regardless of the program of study undertaken in Year 11, all Year 12 students must normally select and complete five Unit 3 & 4 subjects in Year 12 unless they undertake a pathway which requires them to spend significant time out of school.

Please note, the College reserves the right to select which students shall be allowed to accelerate.

ALTIOR PROGRAM FOR THE GIFTED & TALENTED

The Altior Program is open to students who are academically strong, highly motivated, and have an excellent work ethic. The program is firmly focused on challenging, accelerated, and negotiated content.

In Year 10, Altior Program students may be offered placement in Year 10 Enhanced Mathematical Methods or acceleration into VCE Units 1 and 2 in their areas of strength.

In Year 11 they may apply to accelerate in VCE Units 3 and 4 studies in their areas of strength. In Year 12, students who successfully studied two Unit 3/4 subjects in Year 11 may apply to undertake only four Unit 3/4 sequences.

Please click here to view details of the Altior Program courses.

For further details about the Altior Program, please contact our Coordinator of Gifted and Talented Programs.

EDMUND RICE PATHWAYS PROGRAM (ERPP)

The Edmund Rice Pathways Program is an alternative, vocationally orientated program for Year 10 students intending on pursuing a VCE Vocational Major pathway in Years 11 and 12. House Leaders in consultation with a range of interested parties including Tutor teachers, classroom teachers, Dean of VCE VM and Student Support Services will identify potential students and invite them to apply for a place. In addition, an information night will be held, during which parents can also enquire about applying. The program is offered to a limited number of students at Year 10.

V.C.E. (VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION)

The College offers a number of VCE units for completion. Students must select a minimum of four units from the English group over the two years, including at least one Unit 3/4 sequence. Other requirements are outlined in the table below.

VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM)

Students may select the VCE VM program which is a two year senior secondary stream within the VCE. As part of the VCE VM, students must undertake units in Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills. Students must also undertake a minimum of 180 hours of VET training at Certificate II level or above.

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