You may have been hearing about a new syllabus for students in Years 7-10 in NSW for English.
What’s all the fuss about? What information do I need to know?
Below is a quick summary of the changes that are happening and how this will affect junior high school students. We’ve picked out the 5 most important changes you should know about.
Let’s get started!
Why are changes being made to the English 7-10 Syllabus in NSW?
#1: Core focus on foundational English language skills
#2: Grammar skills as the basis for higher order skills
#3: Students reading widely and for enjoyment given more attention
#4: Changes to textual requirements & greater emphasis on First Nations texts
#5: Continued weight given to technical language skills
How has Art of Smart structured the Years 7-10 programs?
How do Art of Smart programs align with these syllabus changes?
Why are changes being made to the English 7-10 syllabus in NSW?
There is no avoiding that syllabi need to be revised and updated to ensure that students are best prepared to meet the needs of the world around them.
The new syllabus overhaul for junior high school students in NSW came after recent NAPLAN English results dropped dramatically in key foundational areas of language skills: grammar, punctuation, and general literacy proficiencies.
The changes to the syllabus were announced at the end of 2022 and plans were released by the NSW Education Department earlier this year. The changes are to take effect starting Term 1, 2024.
#1: Core focus on foundational English language skills
Based on the added emphasis to foundational reading and writing skills that have already been implemented in the new K-2 syllabus that took effect in 2023, this will provide an added level of continuity for students.
This means less students will be able to “slip through the cracks” in their learning and knowledge of grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, sentence-structure, and paragraph-writing skills.
How is this built into our programs?
Our programs, here at Art of Smart, integrate the use of grammar resources alongside the skills-based thematic focus of each term’s program.
Specific examples include, but are not limited to teaching students about:
- The difference between the passive and active voice
- Sentence fragments
- Specific types of punctuation
These assist students in more complex writing types, such as essays or extended responses.
#2: Grammar skills as the basis for higher order skills
High school English — particularly in Years 11 and 12 — is based on “higher order” thinking skills. These involve thinking critically, reflecting, problem-solving, thinking independently, and meeting goals that do not entail using solutions that are “rote-learned”.
As a result, the skills that we expect students to have in senior years need to be met with a stronger groundwork of these skills in junior years. The foundational English language skills will act as a pathway to assessing these higher order skills in students as well as ensuring greater capacities in all text types: reading, viewing, and listening.
How is this built into our programs?
Particularly in our Years 9-10 programs, we introduce key creative text types which were previously reserved only for senior students.
Certain text types include the discursive and persuasive creative nonfiction structures. We believe this is important for junior students to get a head-start on complex English styles and concepts!
#3: Students reading widely & for enjoyment given more attention
As all students have probably been told by their English teachers, students should be reading outside the classroom’s prescribed texts. This is because independent reading more easily assists students in learning the foundational English language skills that have become a core focus of this new syllabus.
Moreover, students reading increasingly complex texts that suit their interests will progressively develop metacognitive skills associated with higher order thinking.
Ultimately, you may start to see students being given “silent reading time” in class or otherwise being encouraged to go to the library more often.
How is this built into our programs?
At Art of Smart, our programs supplement texts being studied in school, so that students are encouraged to write about their school texts in class as well as learning about a wide range of short texts.
For example, students will be invited to complete a close study of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, to complement their study of similarly themed texts in school.
#4: Changes to textual requirements & greater emphasis on First Nations texts
Updated text requirements mandate the teaching of a range of texts from Australian authors including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors. This will include “texts written about intercultural experiences” and which otherwise give insight into Aboriginal experiences in Australia.
In Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) students will now be mandated to study Shakespearean drama. Across both Stages 4 and 5, however, students will be required to work towards course outcomes which require reading, listening and/or viewing at least two works from each of the following text types: fiction, poetry, film, non-fiction, and drama.
How is this built into our programs?
Texts included for close study in Art of Smart English resources include a wide range of Shakespearean excerpts and a larger focus on multimodal text types.
For example, we teach excerpts from Othello, Macbeth, and The Merchant of Venice, which are popular text choices for students between Years 9-12.
#5: Continued weight given to technical language skills
Continued value will be given to understanding technical aspects of language (i.e. stylistic elements) so that students are taught how to compose their own creative texts for a range of contexts, audiences, and purposes, and understanding how these elements are integral in shaping meaning in a range of textual forms and modes.
How is this built into our programs?
Within Art of Smart programs, each English term program finishes in either a formal or informal assessment to evaluate a student’s progression and learning throughout the term, with particular weight given to technical language skills.
How has Art of Smart structured the Years 7-10 programs?
Art of Smart programs for Years 7-10 follow a ten-week term structure which are designed to ensure students learn the skills they need to perform well in line with their year level.
Students in Years 7-8 engage in one hour weekly classes, whilst students in Years 9-10 can enrol in one and a half hour weekly classes.
Each term follows a key skills-based focus in which we build on foundational skills in a particular area of English study.
Here is a sample course structure for Year 8, Term 2:
How do Art of Smart Programs align with these syllabus changes?
Here at Art of Smart, our English programs for Years 7-10 are designed to keep up with the ever-changing demands on our students.
Our English resources place greater emphasis on preparing junior students for the types of content and assessments they will be learning in Years 11 and 12. For example, we ensure that new text types introduced in the HSC syllabus are being taught to Art of Smart students earlier rather than later, so that they have more time to understand and digest this content rather than “rote-learn” it.
Our class teacher training also ensures integrated use of grammar resources in order to make certain our students are highly proficient in foundational and technical English language skills.
Looking for some extra help with English?
We have an incredible team of English tutors and mentors!
We can help you master your English text and ace your upcoming English assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home, online or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills!
We’ve supported over 8,000 students over the last 11 years, and on average our students score mark improvements of over 20%!
To find out more and get started with an inspirational English tutor and mentor, get in touch today or give us a ring on 1300 267 888!
Nikita Byrnes is the Head of English Resource Design at Art of Smart. She is studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and a Bachelor of Laws. She was previously the Editor in Chief of the Macquarie University student magazine, Grapeshot, and has experience as a paralegal at an in-house law firm. She likes reading books, listening to podcasts about books, and buying books. As luck would have it, she gets to oversee the making of Art of Smart’s resources about books.
