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Current as of Tuesday, 27 September 2022.
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Guidelines for home schooling registration
8. Primary education curriculum – Kindergarten to Year 6
Key learning areas
The minimum curriculum for primary education for all NSW children is based on the NESA syllabuses for the following mandatory key learning areas each year:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science and Technology
- HSIE – History and/or Geography
- Creative Arts
- PDHPE.
Each syllabus contains stage statements providing a summary of the knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes for each stage of learning.
The Support Information section on the NESA website may assist parents to document an educational program for primary education.
Syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 6 (Stages 1 to 3)
- Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten) syllabuses
- Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) syllabuses
- Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) syllabuses
- Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6) syllabuses.
Syllabuses for each key learning area
The following information provides the website address for each syllabus and an overview of the key organising strands or elements of the syllabus.
English
English in Kindergarten to Year 10
Key organisers of the English syllabus relate to the following 5 objectives:
- communicate through reading and writing, listening and speaking, viewing and representing
- use language to shape and make meaning according to purpose, audience and context
- think in ways that are imaginative, creative, interpretative and critical
- express themselves and their relationships with others and the world
- learn and reflect on their learning through their study of English.
Mathematics
Mathematics in Kindergarten to Year 10
Syllabus strands relate to:
- working mathematically which is embedded across all other strands and substrands and includes:
- communicating
- problem solving
- reasoning
- understanding
- fluency
- number and algebra
- measurement and geometry
- statistics and probability.
Science and Technology
Technological and Applied Studies in Kindergarten to Year 10
Syllabus strands relate to:
- working scientifically
- design and production
- living world
- material world
- physical world
- earth and space
- digital technologies.
Human Society and its Environment (HSIE)
Human Society and its Environment (HSIE) in Kindergarten to Year 10
In primary education, the HSIE key learning area includes both History and Geography. These may be taught together, separately or integrated with other areas of the curriculum.
History
Syllabus strands relate to:
- Personal and Family Histories (Early Stage 1)
- Present and Past Family Life (Stage 1)
- The Past in the Present (Stage 1)
- Community and Remembrance (Stage 2)
- First Contacts (Stage 2)
- The Australian Colonies (Stage 3)
- Australia as a Nation (Stage 3).
Geography
Geography K–10 Syllabus (2015)
Syllabus strands relate to:
- People Live in Places (Early Stage 1)
- Features of Places and People and Places (Stage 1)
- Places are Similar and Different and the Earth’s Environment (Stage 2)
- Factors that Shape Places and a Diverse and Connected World (Stage 3).
Creative Arts
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
PDHPE in Kindergarten to Year 10
Syllabus strands relate to:
- Health, wellbeing and relationships
- Movement skill and performance
- Healthy, safe and active lifestyles.
Optional syllabuses – Languages
In addition to the mandatory key learning areas for primary education, home schooling parents may choose to provide learning in a language other than English. The syllabuses for Languages can be found on the NESA website.
Children with disability
Advice and programming support for children with disability can be found in each syllabus and on the NESA website.
Resources
Parents may choose resources that are helpful and relevant to the child’s learning needs and interests.
Guidance regarding time
The following chart shows the suggested proportion of time that might be spent on each key learning area for primary education. These times are guidelines only.
Note: 6-10% of time is generally about one to one and a half hours per week.
The ‘additional activities’ segment refers to any learning activities chosen by the parent that are in addition to NESA’s syllabuses.
Key learning area suggested proportion of time