Early Learning

• Belonging, Being and Becoming – The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) is the approved learning framework used in all public preschools. Belonging is fundamental to our curriculum and public preschool teachers implement a program aligned to this central theme.
• To support implementation of the EYLF, resources available on the Early Learning website include:
  • The Early Years Learning Framework unpacked (staff only), 2024, Term 2 staff development day professional learning
  • The updated Early Years Learning Framework podcast
  • Early Learning Resources for Families
  • Early Years Learning Framework in early intervention classes.

K-6 curriculum resources and sample units

Human Society and Its Environment (HSIE) K-6

The theme of belonging is embedded within History and Geography content from Early Stage 1 through to Stage 3. Students develop a sense of themselves and where they belong in connection to their families, their local area, Australia and the world. Some examples are below.

• Early Stage 1 History My family and other families (DOCX 3.7MB)
• Early Stage 1 Geography My School grounds (DOCX 74.3KB)
• Stage 1 History Local historical site study (DOCX 15.5 MB)
• Stage 1 Geography Features of Places (DOCX 89 KB)
• Stage 2 History Celebrations and Commemorations (DOCX 1618KB)
• Stage 2 History Importance of Country and Place (DOCX 330KB)
• Stage 3 History Migration Stories (DOCX 1811 KB)
• Stage 3 Geography A Diverse and Connected World, Engaging with Asia (DOCX 105 KB)

Creative Arts K-6

These resources support teachers to foster a sense of belonging for students K-6, as well as students in Schools for Specific Purposes (SSP).

Me myself I – Aimed at Early Stage 1. Students learn how to represent themselves using their image (portrait) and objects that are important to them.

Tuning In - reinforces the connections that creative arts can foster within a school to improve student wellbeing.

Inclusive visual arts for students in various contexts – A series of Visual Arts learning sequences developed in partnership with teachers from SSPs to be inclusive of the learning and development needs of all students.

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) K-6

The Stage 1 PDHPE unit How can we include others and build respectful relationships? includes opportunities for students to:

• learn to value diversity and foster connection with others through recognising similarities and differences within groups.
• develop social awareness through participating in group activities and explore ways to interact with others that promotes inclusion.
• identify and demonstrate ethical behaviour that supports safety and fair play in movement settings.

7-12 curriculum resources and sample units

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)

Through PDHPE, students recognise the characteristics of respectful relationships and the importance of belonging and connecting with others. They have opportunities to think critically and creatively to propose actions and strategies that build inclusivity, promote a sense of belonging and create connectedness within the communities in which they study, work and live.

Stage 4 Promoting diversity and inclusion through sport (DOCX 84 KB) (staff only)

Stage 4 Stairs to inclusivity (DOCX 407 KB) (staff only)

Stage 4 unit and assessment task – Stronger together

Stage 4 Aboriginal cultures and their games unit

Stage 4 Positive connections

Languages 7-10

• Stage 5 German
  • Sample scope and sequence
  • Sample unit of work – caring for myself and my community
  • Sample assessment task – caring for myself and my community

HSIE 7-12

• Stage 4 Geography topic Place and Liveability
• Stage 5 History topic Popular culture

Life Ready

Through the Life Ready, mandatory 25 hour course, student explore aspects of independence and respectful relationships. They apply relationship and community building skills to a range of content to appropriately express thoughts, emotions and opinions, connect with others, network and respect diversity.

• Being me (DOCX 50.09 KB)

The iBelong Program

The iBelong program is part of the department's Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) Enrichment initiative and offers a cross-curricular, inclusive programming approach, emphasising Aboriginal perspectives. It was developed in collaboration with the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) and the Aboriginal community, aiming to enhance Aboriginal student inclusion and teacher proficiency in incorporating Aboriginal viewpoints, in line with syllabus objectives. ‘iBelong – Dreamtime mathematics and The Indigenous harvest’ introduces comprehensive K-12 co-curricular activities that celebrate diversity, promote student and community engagement and are rooted in Aboriginal traditions and sense of belonging.

Fire-Ed Up

The Fire-ED Up program, a collaborative effort with Central Coast Council, Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, Rural Fire Service and the Central Coast Academy of STEM Excellence, was created to enhance community and student resilience in the face of natural disasters. This initiative was recognised with the 2023 Local Government Excellence Awards for Community Development. It has since progressed into a Stage 4 program, as part of the Office of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer initiative. The ‘Fire-ED Up – a bushfire resilience program’ aims to bolster student wellbeing and foster stronger ties between schools, communities and industries, focusing on education and resilience building against natural disasters.

Sustaininnovation Program

The Sustainnovation program, supported by the department's STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) and Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP), offers secondary students a hands-on learning opportunity to actively participate in shaping the future of their communities. The program aims to involve young people in their regions’ ongoing economic transition dialogue. Empowering them to explore the challenges and opportunities through a human-centric lens, the goal is to see them contribute innovative ideas and perspectives to inform decisions in their regions’ future.

Powerful Youth Voices

The English curriculum 7–12 has developed fully resourced sample programs for Term 1 Year 7 and Year 9 that celebrate the power and wonder of youth voices. Respectively titled ’Powerful Youth Voices’ and ‘Representation of Life Experiences’ the writing opportunities are grounded in the Whitlam Institute’s What Matters writing competition. The department understands the importance of providing young people with the opportunity to experience a sense of belonging at school and be provided with the opportunity to compose texts about their own experiences and their connection to their peers, families and community.