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HSIE K–12

Human Society and its Environment K–6 Syllabus (2024) – information for school leaders

Learn about the Human Society and its Environment Syllabus (2024) – what has changed and where to get further support.

The HSIE K–6 Syllabus (2024) replaces content in the History K–10 Syllabus (2012) and Geography K–10 Syllabus (2015). Planning and preparation will commence from 2024 with implementation in 2027.

The Human Society and its Environment (HSIE) K–6 Syllabus recognises the critical importance of learning how people, places, environments and events have shaped our world today.

Understanding and respect for the oldest living, continuous cultures in the world is developed through specific Aboriginal Cultures and Histories content.

Through HSIE, students develop foundational knowledge and skills to make informed and positive contributions to communities and to a just and sustainable world.

What you need to know

  • In 2025 and 2026, teachers engage with the syllabus, and plan and prepare for implementation of the syllabus.
  • Schools are required to enact the new syllabus from 2027.
  • The HSIE syllabus is a content rich syllabus providing clarity about essential knowledge and understanding.
  • Content is interconnected across topics and stages.
  • NESA will continue to add teaching advice and support materials to Human Society and its Environment (HSIE) K–6 Syllabus webpages. It is recommended that teachers refer to the website for updated versions in the ‘record of changes’ tab.
  • Schools and teachers should spend time in the ‘engage’ phase by getting to know the content and teaching advice of the new syllabus before entering the ‘enact’ phase of curriculum implementation.

The HSIE K–6 Syllabus (2024) includes:

  • history and geography combined into one HSIE K–6 syllabus (previously K–10)
  • new Aboriginal Cultures and Histories outcomes and content, including Aboriginal languages
  • historical and geographical concepts and skills embedded within the content
  • specific examples to support understanding of the content
  • content about the world and the ancient past from Stage 1
  • strengthened civics and citizenship learning opportunities
  • creating written texts (CWT) content in history and a Stage 3 CWT outcome
  • access content points for students with significant intellectual disability.
There are 2 vertical boxes, one labelled Geography and the other History. Inside the Geography box there are 4 horizontal boxes showing the focus areas of People are connected to places, People are connected to places and groups, Geographical information is used to understand the world, and Geographical information is used to plan for sustainable futures. Inside the History box there are 4 horizontal boxes showing the focus areas of People have lived in the past, People learn about the past by engaging with stories, images, objects and sites, History uses sources to construct narratives of the past, and Historical sources present perspectives on the past. Surrounding the whole diagram is a line labelled Applying knowledge, understanding and skills through interrelated practices. There are 2 vertical boxes, one labelled Geography and the other History. Inside the Geography box there are 4 horizontal boxes showing the focus areas of People are connected to places, People are connected to places and groups, Geographical information is used to understand the world, and Geographical information is used to plan for sustainable futures. Inside the History box there are 4 horizontal boxes showing the focus areas of People have lived in the past, People learn about the past by engaging with stories, images, objects and sites, History uses sources to construct narratives of the past, and Historical sources present perspectives on the past. Surrounding the whole diagram is a line labelled Applying knowledge, understanding and skills through interrelated practices.
Image: Figure 1: The organisation of Human Society and its Environment K–6 (NESA, 2024)

Prior to implementing the HSIE K–6 Syllabus 2024, leaders will need to consider the following:

  • The complexities for staff working towards the familiarisation and implementation of four new syllabuses, HSIE, Science and Technology, Creative Arts and PDHPE – the department’s Models of curriculum implementation – primary provides options for variations of implementation when these four syllabuses will be enacted, which will impact planning, programming, assessment and reporting across the school.
  • Building teacher understanding about new Aboriginal Cultures and Histories content and the protocols for collaborating with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Communities and engaging with Cultural and heritage works (NESA, 2024).
  • Supporting teachers’ understanding of the changes to the syllabus structure and familiarisation with the digital curriculum platform including the teaching advice.
  • Resource and budget implications including
    • time for staff to engage with syllabus expectations
    • identifying teacher strengths and expertise to support curriculum implementation
    • professional learning to build staff capacity, including explicit teaching and Curriculum planning K–12 to optimise learning for all students in HSIE.

The HSIE K–6 Syllabus (2024) is based on evidence highlighting that:

  • a knowledge-rich curriculum provides the foundation for excellence and equity in the education system (AERO, 2024)
  • students engage with the world through rich diverse experiences from an early age (Boon 2019)
  • the development of Aboriginal Cultures and Histories content must be underpinned by the voices and Knowledges of Aboriginal Peoples, and developed and guided by Aboriginal Educators (Burgess and Evans 2017; Nakata 2011; Yunkaporta and Kirby 2011; Yunkaporta and Lowe 2018; Yunkaporta and Shillingsworth 2020)
  • active citizenship can be seen to be the focus of Humanities and Social Sciences education (Reynolds 2023)
  • maps provide a link between historical and geographical skills (Disney and Hammond 2002)
  • writing about content enhances learning, and student knowledge is extended and strengthened by the act of writing. Writing about what is read improves comprehension (Graham et al. 2020; Graham and Herbert 2011; Graham et al. 2018; AERO 2022).

The full evidence base can be found at Bibliography (DOCX 937 KB): HSIE K–6 (2024).

HSIE K–6 Syllabus © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2024.

  • What school practices and systems are in place to support teacher professional learning? How are these evaluated to maximise support for teachers?
  • What evidence is there that staff have familiarised themselves with the new syllabus and understand syllabus changes?
  • How will the school support the effective implementation of the new syllabus to optimise learning for every student in every classroom?
  • What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?
  • What enablers and barriers to successful curriculum implementation have been identified?
  • What plans are in place to overcome the barriers and leverage the enablers?

Further support

Syllabus information for school leaders

An overview of the pedagogical changes and whole school considerations to support school leaders’ understanding of what has changed for each new syllabus.

Leading curriculum K–12

Advice and resources supporting leaders to facilitate effective curriculum implementation in schools.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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