At Education Perfect, we have been working on aligning our current content and creating brand-new resources to meet the changes that were brought in with Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum. 

We’re proud to share with you the work we’ve already done, as well as what you can expect to see from EP over the coming months.

Content Realignment

Towards the end of 2022, we worked with experienced Australian educators to help us realign our EP content to the new curriculum and identify any areas where new content was required. This project was completed ready for Term 1, 2023.

• English: We gave the English Content Library a refresh, with new, easier-to-navigate folders for each year level. Resources to teach essential skills have been highlighted in their own folders, helping teachers to find the content they need more quickly.
• Other subjects: Folders for other core subjects now closely reflect the language used in the syllabus documentation, once again, providing teachers with an easy-to-navigate folder structure for the subjects that they teach.

New Content Creation

English

• Junior Essay Writing Guide: 6 refreshed lessons exploring the skills required to write a solid essay using junior-appropriate text examples
• Year 7 to 10 Writing Skills lessons: 17 new lessons that focus on writing narratives and explanations for students across Years 7 to 10
• View the finalised AC Version 9.0 Curriculum Map for Year 5 to 10 English here.

History

• Deep Time History of Australia: 9 new lessons that address the newly created syllabus outcomes for this Year 7 unit of work (read on for more details regarding First Nations perspectives)
• View the finalised AC Version 9.0 Curriculum Map for Years 7 to 10 History here.

Science

• Over 40 new and refreshed lessons that explore the newly added or adapted syllabus outcomes across Years 7 to 10, including a focus on First Nations perspectives in Science, will be released in Term 3
• View the current Version 9.0 Curriculum Map for Years 5 to 10 Science here. An updated version of this Curriculum Map will be available once the above lessons have been released.

Maths

• Over 30 new and refreshed lessons that explore the newly added or adapted syllabus outcomes across Years 7 to 10, including a focus on First Nations perspectives in Mathematics, will be released in Term 3
• View the current Version 9.0 Curriculum Map for Years 5 to 10 Maths here. An updated version of this Curriculum Map will be available once the above lessons have been released.

Languages

Over 100 new and refreshed lessons across all languages that explore the newly added or adapted syllabus outcomes across Years 7 to 10, including a focus on exploring culture and communicating in the target language.

• French: Over 70 lessons based on authentic French videos and new assessment tasks for intermediate-level students
• Italian: 13 new Grammar Skills lessons
• Spanish: A number of new resources, including lessons exploring visual texts for intermediate students and authentic video lessons.
• Japanese: 39 Japanese Grammar Skills lessons
• Arabic: 7 units designed for advanced-level Arabic students in Australia
• German: Over 20 new resources including grammar skills lessons, intermediate assessments, and beginner-level lessons for authentic learning tasks
• Chinese: A range of authentic tasks and 10 new intermediate assessments
• Indonesian: The introduction of an advanced Indonesian reading text bank.

View the current Curriculum Maps for Languages here. Updated Language Curriculum Maps for Years 7 to 10 will be released later in 2023.

First Nations Perspectives

The inclusion of First Nations Australian perspectives in Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum has been getting widespread attention lately.

• At EP, we believe that the inclusion of First Nations Australian perspectives across the curriculum is an essential step towards reconciliation and acknowledgment of Australia’s Indigenous heritage
• It provides an opportunity for students to learn about the history, culture, and experiences of First Nations peoples, and develop a deeper understanding and respect for their perspectives
• Before Version 9.0, exploring the impact and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on Australia was considered a ‘general capability’ and not a compulsory part of the curriculum in this depth
• As a result of these changes, it is understandable that teachers are beginning to feel the pressure of being able to teach their students this content in a culturally appropriate way while still meeting the needs of the curriculum.
• One of the most significant changes to the new curriculum is for History, particularly for students in Year 7.

In the new 2024 topic, ‘Deep time history of Australia’, students will explore the history of First Nations Australians and the impact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have had on shaping our country.

EP has recently released 9 brand new lessons that address the syllabus outcomes outlined in this topic.

These lessons:

• Were created in consultation with First Nations People and educators who have experience working with Australian Indigenous students.
• Explore the content in a culturally sensitive way
• Incorporate authentic stories and the use of ClickView content to further enhance students’ understanding and engagement.

Alongside the introduction of this new topic, there have also been several curriculum dot points introduced into the Science curriculum that also focuses on exploring the perspectives and contributions of First Nations Australians in this area.

Students will be required to develop an understanding of how First Nations Australians’ knowledge of plants and animals has led to ecosystem management practices, as well as explore other ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have contributed to our understanding of science in the modern world.

At EP, we are currently working with Australian teachers to create brand new content that will address a wide range of these syllabus dot points, with 40 brand new lessons for Years 7 to 10 Science to be released by the start of Term 3!

How can I start using EP’s Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Resources?

If you already subscribe to EP, you’ll see all existing Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 resources in your content library. New resources will be automatically added to your library as they are released.

These EP resources can be used in a multitude of ways, including:

• Regular, engaging homework tasks for your students
• Part of a flipped classroom approach – students can complete knowledge-based tasks on EP, saving you valuable class time for higher-order skills work
• Regular starter activities or plenaries (it’s easy to assign part of a lesson for this purpose!)
• Formative assessment: easily collate questions from texts or topics to create an automatically-marked quiz for your students
• Summative assessment: take advantage of EP’s robust assessment features to set your students a summative test or exam on a topic/s of your choice.

If you do not yet subscribe to EP, we may be able to offer you complimentary trial access to your subject/s of choice. Please reach out to our team at support@educationperfect.com to learn more.

New assessment standards

One of the most significant changes to NAPLAN is the introduction of new assessment standards. These new standards have replaced the previous achievement levels of “below national minimum standard,” “at national minimum standard,” and “above national minimum standard.” Instead, the new standards have been divided into ten levels, ranging from Level 1 (the lowest) to Level 10 (the highest). The new standards have been introduced to provide more detailed and accurate information about students’ achievement levels. They also offer a broader range of achievement levels, allowing for more nuanced information about student performance.

Delivery changes

In previous years, all students in a year level would complete the same test. However, for 2023, NAPLAN will feature personalised testing, meaning that each student will receive a unique test based on their level of achievement. Personalised testing is aimed at ensuring that each student is tested at the appropriate level. The test will still be delivered online, and students will complete four tests: reading, writing, language conventions, and numeracy. The tests will also have a focus on real-world problem-solving skills to ensure that students can apply their skills in practical situations.

More time to act

The changes to the NAPLAN tests have also resulted in a change in the testing period. Instead of taking place in May, NAPLAN tests will now be conducted in March, giving teachers and schools more time in the school year to act on gaps identified by the testing, and allowing teachers to plan specific, targeted lessons.

Pre and post testing with Education Perfect

To support schools and teachers in preparing their students for NAPLAN, Education Perfect has introduced pre/post testing. This feature enables teachers to identify areas where their students require additional support and resources to improve their skills. The pre-test feature allows teachers to assess their students’ current level of understanding of a particular topic or skill. Based on the results, teachers can then provide targeted support to those who need it, ensuring that students are better prepared for the NAPLAN test. The post-test feature provides a way for teachers to measure the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. Teachers can identify areas where their teaching has been successful and areas where they need to focus more attention in the future.

Final thoughts

The changes to NAPLAN tests for 2023 aim to provide more accurate and detailed information about student performance. The new assessment standards offer a broader range of achievement levels, and personalised testing ensures that each student is tested at the appropriate level. The introduction of pre/post testing with Education Perfect provides teachers with a valuable tool to identify areas where their students require additional support and measure the effectiveness of their teaching strategies. Finally, the change in the testing period provides teachers with more time to prepare their students for the tests. As a teacher, it is important to familiarise yourself with these changes to help your students achieve their best possible results.