Our Curriculum

Comprehensive curriculum

Fitzroy High School offers a comprehensive curriculum based on the Victorian Curriculum and the Victorian Certificate of Education. We are committed to offering engaging and diverse learning based on the Victorian Curriculum, with a strong emphasis on both Learning Areas and Capabilities.

Fitzroy High School’s curriculum covers all Victorian Curriculum Standards as recommended by the Victorian government: discipline-based learning; the Arts, English, Health and Physical Education, Humanities, Languages, Mathematics, Science and technologies, as well as Critical and Creative thinking, Ethical capabilities, Intercultural Capabilities and Personal and Social Capabilities.

Unique offerings

Fitzroy High School has unique educational offerings including:

  • A Personal Learning Plan for every student in Year 7-10 which is co-developed in partnership with the student, their Advisor, and subject teachers. Personal Learning Plans help us know our students as individual learners. The Personal Learning Plan sets out areas of learning strength, areas to develop, and individualised learning goals for each subject.
  • Dynamic grouping in 7-9 Mathematics to ensure students are equipped to learn what they need to next and aims to support and extend students based on their individual point of need.
  • Vertical groupings in Year 9 and 10 for the Explore program. Explore is designed for students to develop creative, expressive and problem solving capacities and addresses The Arts and Technologies curricula, as well as the Critical and Creative Thinking Capabilities. Students are surveyed at the end of each year to ascertain their interests resulting in a variety of interesting and engaging subjects being offered. Some examples include Engineering, Fashion Design, Photography, Sculpture, Leadership and Sustainability and Music production.
  • The Year 9 Connect program is where students move outside of the classroom to connect with and contribute to the community and participate in future-related rotations including Volunteering, How To Survive When I’m 25, and Real Industry Job Interviews.
  • The Year 10 Discover My Future program is designed to support students to make informed decisions for their immediate future (senior secondary certificate), within the context of their medium to longer-term plans.
  • A commitment to Bring Your Own Device based on the use of technology in a natural and seamless way, with Cloud and online programs driving the collaborative nature of students’ work.
  • An extra-curricular program where students can participate in instrumental music tuition. Students come out of class for one half an hour session on a rotating basis and are either taught individually or in pairs. Each instrument is connected to at least one of our music ensemble groups.
  • An extensive and supportive Tranistion program at year 10 to support transition to the Wurun Senior Campus.

Acceleration

At Fitzroy High School we offer a range of acceleration opportunities to support and extend all students.

Acceleration opportunities include:

  • Interschool debating through the Debaters Association of Victoria. Students in Years 7-10 are invited and encouraged to build their analytical and argumentative skills through participating in the DAV Junior Debating program (Years 7 and 8 students) and the DAV inter school debating competitions.
  • Creative writing competitions are promoted throughout the year, with particular emphasis on the Write a Book in a Day competition.
  • Italian poetry recitation competitions at Years 7-10 are an excellent opportunity for students to challenge their public speaking and Italian language skills. Students have the opportunity to participate in the Center for Italian Studies recitation competition (Years 7 and 8) or the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition (Years 9 and 10).
  • The Victorian High Ability Program connects gifted and talented students from around the State with a focus on key areas of interest across the curriculum.
  • Opportunities for year 10’s to undertake a Year 11 VCE subject.

Learning Enhancement

Learning Enhancement provides targeted and individualised support to ensure all students are able to access the curriculum and enjoy school. Our inclusive community relies on authentic learning partnerships and builds holistic opportunities for all students to thrive.

Our students on the Program for Students with Disabilities and students with diverse learning needs are supported by our excellent teachers and our differentiated curriculum, teacher aide support and a range of support and intervention programs.

Learning enhancement at Fitzroy High School provides:

  • Additional support during grade 6-7 Transition
  • Individual Education Plans
  • The Quicksmart Literacy intervention program for students who need additional support with reading
  • Regular diagnostic testing in mathematics as part of dynamic grouping
  • Targeted intervention – individual and small group
  • Social skills
  • Organisation
  • A focus on personal learning and subject specific SMART goals.

We have developed a systematic curriculum planning process which allows us to make decisions about the range of learning experiences offered to our students. View our full curriculum below.

Year 7

  • Advisory
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities
  • Health and PE
  • Italian
  • Year 7 Specialist – rotations of the Arts and Technologies (focus on exposing students to a wide breadth of learning experiences

Year 8

  • Advisory
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities
  • Health and PE
  • Italian
  • Year 8 Specialist – rotations of the Arts and Technologies (the focus of exposing students to a wide breadth of learning experiences)

Years 9

  • Advisory
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities
  • Health and PE
  • Italian
  • The Connect program – moving outside of the classroom to connect with and contribute the community
  • 9-10 Explore program – (focus on the depth within learning

Year 10

  • Advisory
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Humanities
  • Health and PE
  • Year 10 Discover my Future program
  • 9-10 Explore program – (Vertical grouping with a focus on the depth within a learning areas of interest)

Wurun Senior Campus

The Wurun Senior campus celebrates the decade-long partnership between Fitzroy High School and Collingwood College, allowing students to continue their learning in an environment that manifests the values instilled within the Fitzroy High School community. This enables us to give all students access to a broader scope of subject choices at the senior level, further developing their commitment to being life-long learners.

To view our 2023 Senior Program Guide, click here.

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