The Woodmans Hill English curriculum provides opportunities for students to build their skills in reading, writing, listening, viewing and speaking.
At Woodmans Hill, we explicitly teach writing skills using The Writing Revolution and the Gradual Release of Responsibility model.
Developing students' knowledge of the building blocks of the English language allows students to then experiment with writing in their senior years. Within our lessons, mentor texts are explored to provide insights, inspire, and give tangible examples of excellent writing.
Through the junior years, students read and write a range of text types including narrative, persuasive and information texts. They participate in text studies in which they analyse and write about the literary features used by the authors and their intended impact on the audience.
These skills are further refined and developed during the senior years, where students undertake either VCE English or Vocational Major Literacy. We provide opportunities for students who love literature to explore texts and further develop their skills through English elective subjects at year 9.
The Science curriculum at Woodmans Hill Secondary College provides opportunities for students to develop an understanding of important scientific concepts and processes, the practices used to develop scientific knowledge, the contribution of science to our culture and society, and its applications in our lives.
The curriculum supports students to develop their scientific knowledge, understandings and skills to make informed decisions about local, national and global issues.
In addition to its practical applications, learning science is a valuable pursuit. Students can experience the joy of scientific discovery and nurture their natural curiosity about the world around them.
In doing this, they develop critical and creative thinking skills and challenge themselves to identify questions, apply new knowledge, explain science phenomena and draw evidence-based conclusions using scientific methods
Our Mathematics instruction aligns with the Victorian curriculum. The curriculum is structured around six key areas of mathematics: number, algebra, space, measurement, statistics, and probability.
These are essential aspects of mathematical understanding and are typically core components of mathematics education. By addressing multiple strands of mathematics, the curriculum aims to provide students with a well-rounded mathematical education.
We foster problem-solving abilities, mathematical literacy and critical thinking to equip students with the tools they need to succeed both academically and in their future careers.
Over the last four years we have worked hard to deliver a differentiated curriculum throughout our junior school. The units have been designed to cater for students with a wide range of abilities.
The team here at Woodmans Hill adapts their teaching, materials, and assessments to meet the needs of diverse learners effectively.
Our educators use evidence-based High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS), hands-on activities, group work, and individualised instructions to extend students.
Our faculty collaborates, moderates, and reflects critically to ensure that all students have the opportunity to develop essential mathematical skills and understanding and extend their mathematical capability regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.
Learning in the visual arts provides students with opportunities to recognise their individual potential as artists, encourages self-expression, creativity, and helps build confidence.
The subjects allow students to experiment in creating and engaging with artworks. Students are supported to develop their critical thinking skills and their ability to interpret the worlds they live in.
They learn about the role of the artist and designer and their contribution to society.
Art and Visual Communication Design are compulsory at year 7/8. There are then a broad range of electives to choose from during years 9 and 10, that prepare students for VCE Art Making & Exhibiting and Visual Communication & Design.
Our music subjects help students build confidence to be creative, skillful and informed musicians.
Through continuous and sequential music learning, students listen to, compose and perform with increasing depth and complexity.
They build aesthetic knowledge and respect for music practices across global communities, cultures and musical traditions.
The year 9 and 10 elective subjects offer an opportunity to specialise in performance or sound production, preparing students for VET Music Industry.
In the drama elective, students learn to move, speak and act with confidence. They develop skills in communicating ideas, experiences and stories.
In the Design and Technologies curriculum students create quality designed solutions across a range of technology contexts. This includes Wood Technology, Food Studies and elective Textiles.
Students consider the economic, environmental and social impacts of technological change and how the choice and use of technologies may contribute to a sustainable future.
A variety of year 9 and 10 electives are offered that prepare students for VCE Product Design & Technology and VCE Food Studies.
Additionally, we have the Digital Technologies curriculum that enables students to become confident and creative developers of digital solutions through the application of information systems.
The Health and Physical Education curriculum has been designed to promote the skills and knowledge required to form lifelong positive health behaviours and physical activity participation.
In PE, students develop skills in a range of activities including fundamental motor skills, fitness, athletics, bike education, adventure activities and dance.
Students will also learn basic skills and rules in a variety of different sports throughout the year.
In Health, students will investigate harm minimisation, communication, respectful relationships, decision-making, risk-taking behaviours, and consequences associated with alcohol use, puberty, contraception and STIs.
The French curriculum at Woodmans Hill Secondary College emphasises communication and culture. Students develop their abilities across the key language skills of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing throughout every French unit.
In Year 7, the curriculum adopts principles of comprehensible input and multiple exposures to support recall of functional language for everyday use, for example describing self and others, giving opinions and asking questions. In Year 8, students embed prior language knowledge while exploring aspects of French and French-speaking cultures, with a particular focus on food preferences, cultural festivals and music. Likewise, Year 9 French provides opportunities for students to deepen their language knowledge as they explore ideas of place, with topics including “In Town” and “School Life”. These units are interwoven with cultural content about the French-speaking world.
Studying French broadens students’ horizons, not only by developing their ability to use French as a language, but also their global perspectives and intercultural understandings.
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Humanities at Woodmans Hill focuses on developing students into critical and informed citizens and consumers. Across our disciplines from 7-10 we support students to use core knowledge, concepts & evidence to come to important conclusions about the social world. We analyse this through the key skills of cause & effect, perspective & significance so that students have the nuance and complexity to navigate economic, political & legal systems with confidence.
Our History curriculum spans human history, from ancient societies like Australia, Sumer & Rome, through the Industrial revolution, world wars, and into modern rights movements. In Economics & Business Studies, students become informed about their own financial decision, their consumption, the workforce, and strategies business use to excel. We explore shared values, rights and responsibilities in our Civics & Citizenship program, as well as consider the complex relationship between humans and their surrounds in Geography.
We support students as they move into VCE by providing deep dive electives in year 10 for history & legal studies in the lead up to their pathway’s decisions. At a VCE level, we offer History (Modern History into Revolutions), Business Studies, Legal Studies, & Politics. Within our VCE VM pathway we also teach Work Related Skills, which is supported by our careers program from year 9.