What to Expect This Year from a Streamlined School Curriculum
As millions of Australian children prepare to step back into classrooms for a new academic year, 2023 brings with it a more streamlined version of the Australian curriculum. This revised approach is designed to place a stronger emphasis on essential skills and core concepts, making it easier for both teachers and students to focus on the fundamentals of learning.
According to Dr Selina Samuels, Chief Learning Officer at Cluey Learning, this update will be warmly welcomed by educators across the country.
âTeachers often comment on the challenge of covering all the required concepts in enough depth while still leaving room for differentiation and student engagement,â Dr Samuels explained. âA more simplified curriculum doesnât mean lowering the standard; rather, it allows students to develop key foundational skills and knowledge more deeply, building both competence and confidence as learners.â
Key Curriculum Changes in 2023
One of the most notable shifts is the increased use of phonics-based instruction for teaching reading.
âSystematic phonics teaching has been proven especially effective for early readers because it equips them with the tools to decode unfamiliar words,â Dr Samuels noted. âHowever, this must be paired with reading comprehension strategies so that students not only read fluently but also understand and interpret what theyâre reading.â
Mathematics has also been given renewed focus, with an emphasis on ensuring students master fundamental number skills early.
âA solid understanding of numbers and numerical patterns provides the foundation for tackling more advanced and abstract concepts later on,â Dr Samuels said. âChildren need fluency with basic operations and problem-solving strategies in order to feel confident moving forward.â
In Year 1, expectations have been lifted, particularly in mathematics. In addition to learning number patterns, students will now focus on times tables to strengthen their abilities in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
âFluency and speed in computation give children a significant confidence boost in maths,â Dr Samuels added.
Spotting When Extra Support Is Needed
Dr Samuels also emphasised the importance of early intervention when students are struggling.
For younger learners, repeated statements like âI hate mathsâ or âIâm just bad at Englishâ may signal underlying difficulties. Similarly, reluctance to participate in class can be a sign that a child needs targeted support to build self-belief.
For older students, avoidance behaviours can be just as telling. If a high school student consistently neglects homework for a particular subject, downplays its importance, or criticises the teacher, they may be masking confusion or insecurity.
âEven capable students can experience anxiety about certain subjects,â Dr Samuels said. âHigh-ability students who are not being challenged enough might disengage and equate education with boredom.â
Why Start Tutoring Early in the Year?
Starting tutoring at the beginning of the school year gives students more time to establish strong study routines and ensures that extra academic help is closely aligned with whatâs happening in class.
âIf you wait until later in the year, perhaps after a poor test result, tutoring becomes more about repairing damage rather than building a solid foundation,â Dr Samuels explained. âProactive learning ensures students are ready to meet challenges head-on.â
Tutoring also offers a safe space for students to ask questions, practise problem-solving, and develop a positive identity as a learner â something that can influence their attitude toward education for life.
Year-by-Year Guide: Whatâs Ahead in English and Maths
Below is a detailed breakdown of what students can expect across year levels in 2023, along with advice for parents and caregivers.
Kindergarten / Prep
Maths: Introduction to numbers, basic counting skills, identifying shapes, recognising patterns, and exploring early measurement concepts.
English: Learning the alphabet and letter sounds, developing a basic vocabulary, forming simple sentences, and recognising and writing their own name.
Advice: Read daily with your child, encouraging them to name and describe objects around them. Practise counting, letter recognition, and name-writing regularly.
Year 1
Maths: Counting forward and backward, recognising and writing numbers, mastering basic addition and subtraction, and identifying simple shapes.
English: Expanding knowledge of sight words, improving understanding of letter sounds, building simple vocabulary, writing basic stories, and reading short sentences.
Advice: Engage in daily counting and reading activities. Encourage your child to write sentences about their own experiences and express thoughts clearly.
Year 2
Maths: Learning about place value, number sequences, rounding numbers, fractions, addition, and subtraction, along with basic understanding of patterns.
English: Building strategies for recognising and decoding unfamiliar words, learning about audience and purpose in writing, and developing self-editing skills.
Advice: Ask comprehension questions when reading together. Encourage your child to explain how characters feel to build empathy and critical thinking.
Year 3
Maths: Introducing multiplication and division, practising times tables, and exploring measurement of length, area, volume, capacity, mass, and time. Creating graphs and learning new mathematical vocabulary.
English: Understanding more complex language features, learning about punctuation, exploring literary devices, and reading a wider range of texts with illustrations and diagrams.
Advice: Keep an eye on emotional wellbeing, especially with NAPLAN approaching. Review spelling and times tables regularly.
Year 4
Maths: Studying more advanced fractions and patterns, understanding 3D shapes, using maps, and exploring probability in statistics.
English: Increasing fluency, mastering varied sentence structures, expanding vocabulary, and reading with greater comprehension.
Advice: Listen to your child read aloud often. Offer a wide variety of reading material, including both fiction and non-fiction.
Year 5
Maths: Working with decimal points, using formal algorithms, calculating percentages with money, and deepening spatial and time awareness.
English: Analysing texts with complex sequences, unusual characters, and shifting timelines; consolidating paragraph structure and cohesion.
Advice: Stay in touch with your childâs teacher for guidance on home support. Ask open-ended questions about what theyâre reading or learning.
Year 6
Maths: Understanding positive and negative numbers, applying order of operations, working with decimals in real-world contexts, and plotting points on a Cartesian plane.
English: Strengthening analytical skills, understanding how author choices affect readers, and producing extended persuasive, imaginative, and analytical texts.
Advice: Help your child improve organisational skills and learn to manage study independently.
Year 7
Maths: Broadening understanding in number, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics, and probability, while using mental and digital tools for problem-solving.
English: Exploring a variety of texts â novels, newspapers, poetry, plays, and Dreamtime stories â with a focus on persuasive and creative writing.
Advice: Assist with homework planning while encouraging independent time management.
Year 8
Maths: Building algebraic skills, learning about financial maths, ratios, rates, complex data interpretation, and properties of geometric figures.
English: Writing essays and giving oral presentations, while studying diverse texts from literature to digital media.
Advice: Encourage your child to use planners or timetables to balance their growing workload.
Year 9
Maths: Covering algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics, probability, and trigonometry.
English: Engaging in higher-order reasoning, questioning perspectives, and considering their role as both creator and responder of texts.
Advice: Discuss elective subjects and their impact on workload and future pathways.
Year 10
Maths: Choosing between Standard and Advanced Mathematics. Standard covers algebra, graphing, and number patterns; Advanced prepares students for higher-level maths.
English: Analysing hybrid texts that blend visual, written, and spoken elements, often exploring ethical or global dilemmas.
Advice: Talk about senior subject choices and how they might influence ATAR or post-school plans.
Year 11
Maths: Specialisation begins, with subjects varying by state but continuing to build on Years 7â10 concepts.
English: Studying more abstract and ambiguous works, requiring deeper critical analysis and creativity.
Advice: Encourage compiling study notes early, experimenting with organisation methods like colour coding or mind maps.
Year 12
Maths: Depending on the chosen course, topics may include calculus, networks, data analysis, recursion, matrices, and probability modelling.
English: Deep analysis of text qualities and composition of sophisticated creative and analytical works, often under timed conditions for exam preparation.
Advice: Reinforce consistent study routines, seek extra help when needed, and use after-school programs or tutoring to maintain momentum.
