Long description of Figure 1: Whole school curriculum planning framework

This diagram describes the Victorian Essential Learning Standards as a whole school curriculum planning framework.

It outlines three interwoven purposes. The text reads:

‘Three interwoven purposes to equip students with capacities to: manage themselves and their relations with others; understand the world; and act effectively in that world to prepare them for success in education, work and life.’

Below this text there is an illustration that shows three interwoven strands of a triple helix.

• The black strand represents Physical, Personal and Social Learning. Within this strand are knowledge, skills and behaviours in Health and Physical Education; Personal Learning; Interpersonal Development; Civics and Citizenship.
• The blue strand represents Discipline-based Learning. Within this strand are knowledge, skills and behaviours in The Arts; English and Languages Other Than English; The Humanities, Mathematics; Science.
• The white strand represents Interdisciplinary Learning. Within this strand are knowledge, skills and behaviours in Communications; Design, Creativity and Technology; Information and Communications Technology; Thinking Processes.

This illustration is followed by a table ‘across the stages of learning’.

The table has three columns: ‘Years Prep to 4’ with subtext ‘Laying the foundations’; ‘Years 5 to 8’ with subtext ‘Building breadth and depth’; and ‘Years 9 to 10’ with subtext ‘Developing pathways’.

These stages of learning are ‘underpinned by educational purposes, principles and values to form the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, a framework for whole school curriculum planning’.

The diagram ends with the text ‘Schools plan their teaching and learning programs, using three strands, to enable their students to achieve the essential statewide learning standards.’