VELS/Curriculum

The Victorian Essential Learning Standards identify three core and interrelated strands for the Prep to Year 10 curriculum.

VELS - Victorian Essential Learning Standards

Each strand has a number of domains which describe the essential knowledge, skills and behaviours students need to prepare for further education, work and life. There are three strands in the Victorian Essential Learning Standards that define what students should know and be able to do at different stages of learning. They are:

  • Physical, Personal and Social Learning: such as health and physical education and civics and citizenship
  • Discipline-based Learning: of subjects such as the arts, economics, English, mathematics, geography and history
  • Interdisciplinary Learning: covering Communication and Information Technology

An English as a Second Language (ESL) Companion and Students with Disabilities Guidelines are available to assist schools in providing programs for these students.

Levels 1 and 2 (Years Prep to Year 2) focus largely on foundational literacy and numeracy skills and development of physical, personal and social capacities. At Level 1, standards are written for English, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, The Arts and Interpersonal Development. At Level 2, standards are introduced for ICT.

At Level 3 (Years 3–4) students are expected to also achieve standards in Science, the Humanities, Thinking Processes, Design, Creativity and Technology, Personal Learning and Civics and Citizenship.

At Level 4 (Years 5–6) standards are introduced in the remaining domains of Languages Other than English (LOTE), History, Geography, Economics and Communication.

At Norris Bank Primary School, teachers work in Level Teams to develop appropriate classroom programs which will enable the VELS to be covered in a meaningful way. Teachers plan integrated inquiry-based units of study, which encourage students at all levels to respond to focus questions which direct their inquiry. Individual learning styles are recognised and provision is made for student learning to be demonstrated in different ways.

Further information about the VELS can be found through the following links:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/aboutschool/curriculum/vels.htm
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/index.html