The John Berne School
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Curriculum

Curriculum teaching and learning at The John Berne School is future-focused.

We aim to present the curriculum in a deeply engaging, innovative and authentic manner in order to develop the skills and knowledge each individual student needs to support their future goals and dreams.

The John Berne School is strongly committed to achieving the best possible outcomes in teaching and learning through high levels of collaboration, effective evaluation and evidence-informed practice to support student growth and development.

Curriculum at The John Berne School is in compliance with the requirements of The Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards NSW (BOSTES). Students learn from all curriculum areas as they would in mainstream schools.

Subject Areas

The five core subject areas of English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities (Geography and History)  and Personal Development Health Physical Education (PDHPE) are taught in Stage Four (Year 7 and Year 8) and Stage Five (Year 9 and Year 10).  

We also offer the following additional subjects in each stage:

Stage Four

Visual Arts, Music, Technology (mandatory), Languages Other Than English (Italian), Religious Education, Computer Studies.

Stage Five

Religious Education, Work Education, Flexible Learning.

The Learning Environment

Our learning environment is built on trust which supports students to take risks in their learning and enhances learning outcomes. Classes are small in size making the learning environment conducive to:

  • student-centred teaching and learning methods
  • one-on-one attention
  • a positive and collaborative relationship between student and teacher
  • differentiating learning to cater to low, medium and high abilities
  • interactive, innovative and interesting teaching and learning strategies are employed which support the principles of Authentic Learning
  • enhanced student agency allowing greater ownership of their own learning
  • students building relevant skills and a greater knowledge of key information becoming better prepared for success in the future.

Assessments and Reporting

Students are expected to complete formal assessments task each semester with half yearly and yearly reports reflecting student achievement and effort in each curriculum area. Assessments support teachers to identify students’ individual learning needs and adjust their practice accordingly whilst students are supported with formative and timely feedback with each task.

Parent Student Teacher Interviews

Formal Parent Student Teacher Interviews encourages meaningful, authentic and powerful consultation and collaboration between each participant. The interviews are held three times each year which is an important opportunity for the teacher to discuss academic strengths and areas for improvement and for the student to have a voice and be an active participant in their education.

Record of School Achievement

Stage Five students are led towards achieving the Record of School Achievement (RoSA) which is an acknowledgement of the students’ academic achievement in the five core subjects.

Stage Six

Students aiming to return to mainstream education for Stage Six (Years 11 and 12) are provided with opportunities to prepare for the transition which includes in-class extension work and homework.