Background to the VELS − Health and Physical Education domain
Standards in the Health and Physical Education domain were developed following a detailed analysis of the Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II, the previous curriculum guidelines for Victorian schools. The VELS focus on the essential learning students need. Further information about the general relationships between the two curriculum frameworks is provided in tables for each level.
When developing new curricula it is important for teachers to examine the standards and identify their requirements. When completing this step a key question is ‘what new knowledge and skills need to be included in the new curriculum to assist students with achieving a standard?‘
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | Level 6 | Show All
Level 1
Movement and physical activity
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II Level 1 outcomes expected students to perform basic motors skills and movement patterns; this focus has been maintained in the Level 1 VELS standards. VELS promotes engaging in physical activity in a range of environments (indoor, outdoor and aquatic), a theme which is continued throughout the levels. There is now a clear expectation that students participate in regular physical activity. Students must demonstrate their ability to follow rules and procedures and use equipment and space safely. Both the CSF II and the VELS contain the expectation that students develop a movement vocabulary and identify feelings associated with physical activity.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Movement and physical activity At Level 1, students perform basic motor skills and movement patterns, with or without equipment, in a range of environments. They regularly engage in periods of moderate to vigorous physical activity. They use simple vocabulary to describe movement, the physical responses of their bodies to activity and their feelings about participation in physical activity ... they follow rules and procedures and share equipment and space safely.
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Movement and physical activity Perform simple movement patterns.
Identify feelings experienced during and after physical activity
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Health knowledge and promotion
In Health and Physical Education, the standards in Health knowledge and promotion dimension for assessing and reporting student achievement are introduced at Level 3. The Learning focus statement for Level 1 describes learning experiences that provide some comparison with the CSF II outcomes. It is expected that students at Level 1 will begin working towards the achievement of the Level 3 standard.
The CSF II Level 1 outcome expected students to demonstrate their knowledge of what it means to be healthy and this focus has been maintained in the Level 1 VELS Learning focus statements. The emphasis on personal safety and the identification of feelings associated with personal safety have been highlighted to a greater degree in the VELS. The VELS provides a new emphasis on the exploration and recognition of emotions, including identifying ways in which people express and respond to emotions. There is also a new emphasis on learning about the development of personal identity. The importance of healthy eating receives more attention in the VELS.
Content previously contained within the CSF II requiring students to describe themselves and their relationships with others, identify the qualities of a friend and demonstrate ways of cooperating with others has now been included in the VELS Interpersonal Development domain at Level 1.
Level 2
Movement and physical activity
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II Level 2 outcome expected students to perform locomotor skills with proficiency and required the introduction of some more complex skills and this focus has been maintained in the Level 2 VELS. A new requirement of the VELS at Level 2 is the ability to create and perform simple movement patterns in response to stimuli. As with Level 1, the VELS contains a clear expectation that students participate regularly in physical activity in a safe manner. They are required to describe the link between physical activity and health.
The VELS now requires students to demonstrate an understanding the contribution rules and procedures make to safe conduct of games and activities and demonstrating the safe use, of equipment within the Movement and physical activity dimension. Previously in the CSF II, these expectations were addressed to some extent through learning outcomes and indicators within Health of individuals and populations and Self and relationships strands.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Movement and physical activity At Level 2, students demonstrate basic motor skills and some more complex skills. They combine motor skills and movement patterns during individual and group activities. They demonstrate control when participating in locomotor activities requiring change of speed, direction and level. They create and perform simple rhythmical movement sequences in response to stimuli. They regularly engage in sessions of moderate to vigorous physical activity and describe the link between physical activity and health. They explain the contribution rules and procedures make to safe conduct of games and activities. They use equipment and space safely.
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Movement and physical activity Perform locomotor skills with proficiency.
Identify the benefits of participation in physical activity. |
Health knowledge and promotion
In Health and Physical Education, the standards in Health knowledge and promotion dimension for assessing and reporting student achievement are introduced at Level 3. The Learning focus statement for Level 2 describes learning experiences that provide some comparison with the CSF II outcomes. It is expected that students at Level 2 will begin working towards the achievement of the Level 3 standard.
The CSF II Level 2 outcome expected students to explore human development and the health needs associated with different stages of development and this focus has been maintained in the Level 2 VELS Learning focus statement. There is also a continued emphasis on skills which promote self recognition and appreciation of their own identity and that of others.
Both the CSF II and the VELS ask students to explore the area of personal safety. Identifying and responding to feelings is common to both documents. Recognition of appropriate health and support services is not specifically outlined within the VELS at Level 2 but can be incorporated into a number of aspects of the Learning focus statement.
Level 3
Movement and physical activity
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II Level 3 outcome expected students to perform more complex skills in a controlled and coordinated manner and this focus has been maintained in the Level 3 VELS standards with the additional requirement to apply these skills in basic sport specific situations. Both the CSF II and the VELS require students to create and perform coordinated movement sequences.
As with all the levels of VELS, there is now a clear expectation that students participate regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Students are also required to identify and describe the components of health related fitness, however previously in the CSF II students were only required to identify influences affecting participation in physical activity.
A new requirement of the VELS at Level 3 is demonstrating an ability to work with others to achieve goals in both cooperative and competitive situations. In the VELS, students are now being asked to explore basic game tactics and positional roles. There is also a clear expectation that students understand the concept of fair play and participate in a manner that demonstrates the following safety principles and shows respect for the roles of officials during physical activity. Previously these expectations were addressed to some extent through learning outcomes and indicators within Health of individuals and populations and Self and relationships strands at Level 3 of the CSF II.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Movement and physical activity At Level 3, students perform a broad range of complex motor skills. They demonstrate a wide variety of motor skills and apply them to basic, sport-specific situations. They create and perform coordinated movement sequences that contain a variety of motor skills and movement patterns. They participate regularly in physical activities for the purpose of improving skill and health, and identify and describe the components of health-related fitness. They begin to use basic games’ tactics. They work with others to achieve goals in both cooperative and competitive sporting and games’ situations, explain the concept of fair play, and respect the roles of officials. Students follow safety principles in games and activities.
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Movement and physical activity Perform manipulative skills with proficiency.
Identify influences that affect participation in physical activity. |
Health knowledge and promotion
As with the CSF II, the VELS Level 3 standard still expects students to build on their knowledge of human development. The VELS continues to lead students to develop an understanding how to maintain and support their self-worth and to identify factors that can enhance their personal health and safety. A new specific requirement is the examination of role expectations of people rising from gender, culture and age.
Both the CSF II and the VELS require exploration of safety issues in a number of settings. The CSF II includes identification of health services and products address the health needs and concerns of the local community and the VELS continues to include this focus. The VELS has a strengthened emphasis on healthy eating practices and the consideration of factors that influence people’s food choices.
Some of the content formerly in the Health and Physical Education CSF II at Level 3 can be now found in VELS Interpersonal Development domain where students are required to demonstrate their abilities to enhance personal relationships.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Health knowledge and promotion At Level 3, students describe the stages of human development across the human lifespan. Students explain basic concepts of identity and use simple strategies to maintain and support their self-worth. They identify basic safety skills and strategies at home, school and in the community, and describe methods for recognising and avoiding harmful situations. They describe how physical and social components in the local environment contribute to wellbeing and identify how health services and products address the health needs and concerns of the local community. They identify healthy eating practices and explain some physiological, social, cultural and economic reasons for people's food choices.
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Health of individuals and populations Explain ways in which people can improve physical and social environments or personal behaviours to enhance health and safety.
Identify influences on people when they are selecting services, products and information to meet their health and safety needs.
Self and relationships Identify the major stages of development across the human lifespan.
Identify influences on a person’s identity, and possible responses to those influences.
Identify factors that enhance personal relationships |
Level 4
Movement and physical activity
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II Level 4 outcome expected students to perform basic and complex motor skills proficiently and this focus has been maintained in the Level 4 VELS with the additional requirement of applying these skills in increasingly complex games and activities.
As with all the levels of the VELS, there is a clear emphasis on regular and safe participation in physical activity as well as monitoring exercise intensity and explaining the process for improving health related fitness. In the CSF II, students were asked to identify strategies to encourage involvement in physical activity, this emphasis has not been included in the VELS.
A new requirement at Level 4 includes performing in a range of environments including indoor, outdoor and aquatic. At Level 4 there is an increased emphasis on aquatic education, with the expectation that students will achieve the equivalent of the Victorian Water Safety Certificate by the end of primary school. Other changes from the CSF II include using strategic thinking, assessing the performance of self and peers and providing constructive feedback based on performance criteria.
Both the CSF II and the VELS require students to analyse roles in competitive sports and create games that focus on the establishment of safety rules and procedures. In the CSF II these expectations were addressed through learning outcomes and indicators within and Self and relationships strand at Level 4.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Movement and physical activity At Level 4, students perform confidently and efficiently in a range of movement environments (indoor, outdoor, and aquatic). They refine basic and complex motor skills and apply these skills in increasingly complex games and activities. They maintain regular participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity and monitor exercise intensity. They explain the process for improving health-related fitness. Students effectively use strategic thinking and work with both more- and less-skilled peers to improve game performance. Students work independently to improve performance. They evaluate the performance of a partner and provide constructive feedback based on performance criteria to assist skill development. Students describe and analyse the various roles required in competitive sports. They work in a group to create a game, and establish rules and procedures for its safe conduct.
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Movement and physical activity Perform motor skills proficiently in complex skill development activities.
Identify strategies to encourage involvement in physical activity. |
Health knowledge and promotion
The CSF II at Level 4 expects students to identify the physical, social and emotional changes which occur at puberty and this focus has been maintained within the VELS.
Both the CSF II and the VELS are consistent in the examination of the ways in which identity is defined, however the VELS introduces consideration of the validity of those ways.
Issues of safety continue to be explored in the VELS with an emphasis on identifying appropriate strategies to ensuring a safe environment. The CSF II included strategies for improving personal health, this focus continues to be explored within the VELS. There is less emphasis on the consideration of health images in the VELS but identification and description of health services remains.
VELS continues to ask students to examine reasons for food choices. Examination of healthy eating models, storage and preparation of food are new concepts within the VELS.
Some of the content formerly in the Health and Physical Education CSF II at Level 4 can be now found in VELS Interpersonal Development domain where students are required to explain how taking on different roles within groups affects relationships and behaviour.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Health knowledge and promotion At Level 4, students identify the likely physical, emotional and social changes that occur during puberty. They identify and discuss the validity of the ways in which people define their own and other people’s identity. They describe the actions they can take if they feel unsafe at home, school and in the community. They describe the physical, social and emotional dimensions of health and establish health goals and plan strategies for improving their personal health. They describe a range of health services, products and information that can be accessed to help meet health needs and concerns. They analyse and explain physiological, social, cultural and economic reasons for food choices and analyse and describe food selection models. They describe how to prepare and store food hygienically.
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Health of individuals and populations Compare images of health and how these influence personal and community health goals and strategies
Plan and implement strategies to promote personal and environmental health and safety
Self and relationships Explain significant transitions in human development and ways in which people deal with them.
Describe the ways in which people define their own and others’ identities.
Explain how taking on different roles within groups affects relationships and behaviour. |
Level 5
Movement and physical activity
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II Level 5 outcome expected students to perform complex movement and manipulative skills proficiently and this focus has been maintained in the Level 5 VELS.
As with all levels of the VELS, there is a clear emphasis on regular participation in physical activity as well as analysing and evaluating their own involvement in physical activity. Both the CSF II and the VELS include a focus on identifying motivational influences that effect participation in physical activity.
New requirements in the VELS Level 5, include measuring fitness and physical activity levels, combining motor skills, employing strategic thinking and tactical knowledge, as well as using performance criteria to evaluate and improve individual and team performance.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Movement and physical activity At Level 5, students proficiently perform complex movement and manipulative skills. Students measure their own fitness and physical activity levels and identify factors that influence motivation to be physically active. They maintain regular participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity and analyse and evaluate their level of involvement in physical activity. They combine motor skills, strategic thinking and tactical knowledge to improve individual and team performance. |
Movement and physical activity Perform proficiently motor skills, which are appropriate to specific games, activities and sports.
Describe initiatives and motivational influences that affect participation in physical activity. |
Health knowledge and promotion
Like in CSF II, the VELS Level 5 standard still expects students to be able to describe the physical, emotional and social development specific to adolescence. The VELS still asks students to examine the health concerns specific to young people and strategies designed to improve their health. Other themes that continue from the CSF II into the VELS include identifying the outcomes of risk-taking behaviours, applying harm-minimisation strategies and describing health resources, products and services that can be used to improve the health of young people.
As with other levels of the VELS, nutrition continues to be a strong theme through and includes knowledge relating to influences on personal and family food selection and nutritional needs for activity and growth.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Health knowledge and promotion At Level 5, students describe the physical, emotional and social changes that occur as a result of the adolescent stage of the lifespan and the factors that influence their own development. They describe the effect of family and community expectations on the development of personal identity and values. They identify outcomes of risk-taking behaviours and evaluate harm-minimisation strategies. They identify the health concerns of young people and the strategies that are designed to improve their health. They describe the health resources, products and services available for young people and consider how they could be used to improve health. They analyse a range of influences on personal and family food selection, and identify major nutritional needs for growth and activity. |
Health of individuals and populations Describe health issues about which young people make decisions, and strategies that are designed to maintain or improve their health.
Describe health resources, products and services available to individuals and groups in Australia and consider how they could be used to improve health.
Self and relationships Describe hereditary and environmental factors that affect human development.
Describe the effect of family and community expectations on the development of personal identity and values.
Describe how relationships change over time and are affected by achievements, roles and responsibilities. |
Level 6
Movement and physical activity
The Curriculum and Standards Framework (CSF) II Level 6 outcome expected students to improve performance through skill development, improving fitness and employing strategies to counter tactical challenges during games based activities. This focus has been maintained in the Level 6 VELS.
Both the CSF II and the VELS contain a clear emphasis on regular participation in physical activity. The CSF II focused on the evaluation of strategies designed to promote participation in physical activity while the VELS has an emphasis on using training methods to improve personal fitness.
The VELS contains a new requirement for students to display leadership by assuming responsibility for the conduct of parts of a sporting competition in which roles are shared.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Movement and physical activity At Level 6, students demonstrate proficiency in the execution of manipulative and movement skills during complex activities. They demonstrate advanced skills in selected physical activities. They use training methods to improve their fitness level, and participate in sports, games, recreational and leisure activities that maintain regular participation in moderate to vigorous physical activity. They employ and devise skills and strategies to counter tactical challenges in games situations. They assume responsibility for conduct of aspects of a sporting competition in which roles are shared and display appropriate sporting behaviour. |
Movement and physical activity Evaluate individual and group tactics, skills and movement patterns employed in games, physical activities and sports, to improve performance
Evaluate a range of programs and strategies designed to encourage participation in physical activity and improve personal fitness.
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Health knowledge and promotion
The content of the CSF II which asked students to evaluate interventions designed to enhance human development is no longer a focus of the VELS. The CSF II Level 6 outcome expected students to identify the major tasks involved in establishing a personal identity with particular references being made to the area of personal values and gender. This focus has been maintained in the Level 6 VELS.
The VELS still requires students to analyse ways in which individuals and groups influence the behaviours of others concerning friendships and sexual relationships with specific mention of issues related to sexuality. Students are now being asked to evaluate policies and practices within their schools which pertain to harassment and discrimination. They are also asked to examine their rights and responsibilities in these areas.
Both the CSF II and the VELS requires students to analyse the positive and negative health outcomes of a range of personal behaviours and community actions and analysing services and products associated with government and non-government bodies.
There is a change in how students examine nutrition, with the VELS containing the new requirement to examine current trends in nutritional status of Australians which is a change from the focus in the CSF II which examined the nutritional status of specific groups.
| Victorian Essential Learning Standards | CSF II learning outcomes |
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Health knowledge and promotion At Level 6, students identify and describe a range of social and cultural factors that influence the development of personal identity and values. They identify and explain the rights and responsibilities associated with developing greater independence, including those related to sexual matters and sexual relationships. They describe mental health issues relevant to young people. They compare and evaluate perceptions of challenge, risk and safety. They demonstrate understanding of appropriate assertiveness and resilience strategies. They analyse the positive and negative health outcomes of a range of personal behaviours and community actions. They identify the health services and products provided by government and non-government bodies and analyse how these can be used to support the health needs of young people. They identify and describe strategies that address current trends in the nutritional status of Australians. They analyse and evaluate the factors that affect food consumption in Australia. |
Health of individuals and populations Analyse the positive and negative health outcomes of a range of personal behaviours and community actions.
Analyse services and products associated with government and non-government bodies and how these can be used to support the health needs of young people.
Self and relationships Evaluate a specific intervention designed to enhance human development.
Identify the major tasks involved in establishing personal identity.
Analyse ways in which individuals and groups seek to influence the behaviours of others concerning friendships and relationships. |
