​Early Years (Preparatory to Year 3)

At Xavier, the year levels from Prep to Year 3 are referred to as the Early Years.  Curriculum for these year levels is derived directly from the Australian Curriculum and is linked to the Brisbane Catholic Education Learning Framework and Queensland Studies Authority’s Early Years Curriculum Guidelines.

In the early years of schooling, children have a natural curiosity about their world and possess a natural desire to make sense of it.  This provides a platform to construct and review their learning through interactions with others, experimentation, scaffolding, explicit teaching, practice and play in the classroom and beyond.  This helps them make sense of a world that is outside their immediate experience, as they connect new knowledge with what they already know or believe.  This also sometimes provides an opportunity to challenge what they know or believe. (Shape of the Australian Curriculum, Version 2)

The Early Years Curriculum at Xavier Catholic College acknowledges eight principles which form the basis for the early phase of learning. It is around these principles that the early years teachers make curriculum decisions and scaffold children’s learning in the early years.

The eight principles are:

1. Children are capable and competent and have been learning since birth.
2. Children build deep understandings when they learn through all senses and are offered choice in their learning experiences.
3. Children learn best through interactions, active explorations, experimentation and by representing their learning through a variety of modes.
4. Children’s positive dispositions to learning and to themselves as learners are essential for success in school and beyond.
5. Children learn best in environments where there are supportive relationships among all partners in the learning community.
6. Early childhood programs are most effective when they recognize, value and build upon the cultural and social experiences of the children.
7. Building continuity of learning as children move to and through school provides foundations for their future success.
8. Assessment of young children is an integral part of the learning-teaching process and is not a separate activity.

Junior Years (Year 4 - Year 6)

In Years 3 to 6, students will work on year level programs developed by class teachers using the Australian Curriculum and Queensland Studies Authority Essential Learnings Framework.  Similar to the Early Years, Xavier Catholic College’s Junior Years Curriculum planning for the Learning Areas of English, Mathematics, Science and History are based on the Australian Curriculum. At present, the Health and Physical Education and The Arts are based on the Queensland Studies Authority’s Essential Learnings Framework but will move to the Australian Curriculum once these areas are release from ACARA.

All curriculum programs developed at Xavier are closely linked to our stated values and beliefs and the Brisbane Catholic Education Learning Framework. The programs promote the following elements in all year levels:

• integrated units of work;
• planning occurring between teachers of the same year level and including other personnel;
• ongoing monitoring and assessment based on clearly stated criteria;
• adequate coverage of the four current Australian Curriculum Learning Areas (English, Mathematics, Science and History) and Essential

Learning Areas

As previously stated, the College’s curriculum (P – 12) is organized into a number of Learning Areas.  In the Early Years at Xavier Catholic College, the Learning Areas of English, Mathematics, Science and History are based on the Australian Curriculum.  Health and Physical Education and The Arts are currently based on the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Essential Learnings Framework but will move to the Australian Curriculum upon release of these documents from the Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

The Australian Curriculum recognizes the importance of communication, language and building relationships.  It gives priority to foundation knowledge, understanding and skills that all children are expected to develop to enhance their opportunities for continued learning.  In these years, priority is given to literacy and numeracy development because these are the foundations on which further learning is built.  The foundation for literacy is built primarily in English and the foundation for numeracy primarily in Mathematics.  However, both literacy and numeracy must be reinforced and strengthened through learning in other contexts (Shape of the Australian Curriculum, Version 2).

 The following are the key learning areas throughout the year for years Prep – Year 3: 

• Religion
• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Health & PE
• Humanities & Social Science (History, Geography, Economics & Business, Civics & Citizenship
• Arts
• Language
• Technologies (Design & Technology, ICT)