Program focus

In designing a program focus, teachers consider the interests, capacities, and needs of the student cohort, approaches to teaching and learning, and forms of assessment in order to maximise opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning.

The program focus can be about a real-world situation, task, event or learning opportunity and could be designed around a local theme, community, or context.

The program focus should have relevance for students and give context to their learning. It is the lens through which students make links with their knowledge of themselves as learners, and develop, extend, and apply their capabilities. 

The program focus should be designed with consideration of the capabilities. It does not need to relate to one specific capability. The teacher can design the program to allow opportunities for students to individually select a capability that they want to develop, extend, and apply through the various assessments, or the teacher can design the program to focus on the development of one or more specific capabilities.

The same capability does not need to be addressed by all students in the Integrated Learning class. Students are encouraged to identify different capabilities in different assessments and do not need to address the same capability in each assessment. 

Listed below are some suggested starting points for designing a program focus, which is decided by the teacher or by the teacher in consultation with students. The list is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive.

• Advanced manufacturing
• Aged and community care
• Agriculture
• Art and culture
• Career-related programs
• Child development and nutrition
• Civics and citizenship activities
• Construction
• Cultural identities
• Entrepreneurism
• Environmental management
• Ethical understanding
• Financial literacy
• Global citizenship and youth programs
• Health, sport, and coaching
• Hospitality and catering
• Immersion experiences
• Indigenous enterprises
• Innovation and enterprise initiatives 
• Language and intercultural understanding
• Literacy development
• Local history projects 
• Marine and maritime activities
• Maths for living
• Media and production
• Mentoring and peer support
• Numeracy development 
• Outdoor exploration
• Performance; for example, dance, drama, and music
• Personal development
• Scientific endeavours
• Skills development; for example, study skills
• Small business enterprise
• Social action 
• Social justice and spirituality
• STEAM/STEM
• Student leadership
• Technology and mechanical ICT
• Trade maths
• Travel activities
• Volunteering and community service
• Wellbeing, health, and lifestyle
• Writing and authorship
• Young parenting programs