Cross curriculum content enriches and supports the learning areas and adds depth to student learning.
Cross curriculum priorities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
- Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
- sustainability
General capabilities
- critical and creative thinking
- ethical understanding
- information and communication technology capability
- intercultural understanding
- literacy
- numeracy
- personal and social capability
Other learning across the curriculum areas
- civics and citizenship
- difference and diversity
- work and enterprise.
© NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2012
Learning across the curriculum at Riverside
Creating a culture of thinking
At Riverside, we are guided by the principle that learning is a consequence of thinking. Therefore, we must create a culture where thinking is valued and visible throughout school. Our teachers have engaged in various professional learning programs which equip us with a set of routines to put different types of thinking at the forefront of classroom activities. As teachers strive to create cultures of thinking in our classrooms, we use a variety of methods, including making time for thinking, developing and using a language of thinking, making the classroom environment rich with the documents of thinking processes, and making their own thinking visible. We have been inspired by the work of Ron Richardt from Harvard University’s Project Zero team. The key messages about learning from Cultures of Thinking which we aim to embody at Riverside are;
- Questions not only drive learning but also are outcomes of learning as well.
- Learning & thinking are as much a collective enterprise as they are an individual endeavour
- Students learn best when they are known, valued and respected by both adults in the school and their peers
- Learning occurs at the point of challenge
- For classrooms to be cultures of thinking for students, schools must be cultures of thinking for teachers
Asking the “Big Questions”
The history and science faculties have developed close links with Macquarie University’s Professor David Christian. Riverside is one of only 25 schools nationwide which offers a course developed by Professor Christian on "The Big History" which asks the question, "Why are we (humans) here. It is recognised worldwide (supported by Bill Gates) and approved as a 50 hour Board of Studies School Certificate course in Year 10.?"
Senior school
Students in the senior school are encouraged both to push boundaries and work collaboratively. They are required to make significant choices and decisions regarding their academic programs, participate in co-curricular activities and demonstrate leadership within their House group as well as across the wider school community.
Subjects in the curriculum vary from year to year depending on student choice. They may include:
Preliminary courses Year 11
- Ancient history
- biology
- business studies
- chemistry
- community and family studies
- dance
- drama
- design & technology
- earth and environmental science
- economics
- english (standard, advanced, extension, ESL and fundamentals)
- food technology
- geography
- industrial technology – multimedia
- information processes & technology
- languages
- legal studies
- mathematics (2 units, standard 1, standard 2 and extension)
- modern history
- music (1 and 2)
- personal development health and physical education
- physics
- society and culture
- software design and development
- textiles & design
- visual arts.
Vocational education and training (VET) courses
- Business services
- hospitality
- information technology
Higher school certificate (HSC) plus
Students who do not wish to attend university are encouraged to pursue a pathway we call HSC Plus. They broaden their vocational opportunities through diverse courses and activities such as our barista training.
Useful websites:
Junior school
Riverside offers a diverse range of subjects across a number of key learning areas
Students select three electives to completed over Years 9 & 10, they are listed below according to faculty.
English:
- Drama
- philosophy.
Human society and its environment (HSIE):
- History elective
- geography elective
- commerce.
Technical and Applied Sciences (TAS):
- Design and technology
- food technology
- graphics technology
- industrial technology wood
- information and software technology (computing studies)
- textile technology.
Languages other than English (LOTE):
- French
- Spanish.
Creative & Performing Arts (CAPA):
- Music
- visual arts
- photography and digital imaging.
Personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE):
- Physical activities and sports studies (PASS)
- dance.