In 2023 and 2024, the VCAA Senior Secondary Certificate Reform Division, the Department of Education Barwon Area School Performance team, and Surf Coast Secondary College collaborated to support a VCE VM curriculum resources and professional learning trial for schools within the Barwon area. The project was developed in response to requests for exemplars of high-quality applied learning curriculum resources that met the audit requirements for the new
VCE Vocational Major and
Victorian Pathways Certificate studies.
Through an evidence-based approach, Surf Coast Secondary College developed a model for delivering the VCE VM and VPC that integrates all four core curricula – Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills, and Work-Related Skills. The program has been successful in the school’s context and has led to greater engagement and positive student outcomes. The case study and resources provided is one example of how the VCAA supports teachers and schools in understanding how a fully integrated VCE VM or VPC program.
The first draft of curriculum resources was shared in 2023 with five other schools for trial, then grew to 13 opt-in schools for the 2024 trial and delivery. The VCAA supported the trial by working directly with schools, collating teacher feedback, delivering targeted professional learning sessions, modifying the resources to be accessible for statewide use and submitting the curriculum resources through the quality assurance process to ensure all curriculum resources met the VCE VM and VPC audit requirements.
This project is ongoing until the end of 2024 and we look forward to exploring outcomes, insights and areas for continued improvement in the coming months.
Find out more about support materials for the VCE VM (available in the drop down, row 4).
Project feedback
Kathryn Buckland, VCE VM Teacher Geelong High
“The development of the curriculum resources has been fantastic for the VCE VM team. These resources are consistent and adaptable to suit our students’ needs, and we have seen an improvement in the engagement across the board. Having these trial resources means us as staff, have been able to focus on planning more practical and hands on programs. Our time and energy have been utilised much more efficiently this year.”
Rebecca McKenzie, Assistant Principal Lavers Hill K-12 College and GOALS Campus
“The curriculum trial has been a godsend for our Lavers Hill GOALS flexible learning campus. Due to work force shortages, we unfortunately don’t have a dedicated applied learning team and need to share staff across campuses and curriculum areas. Having the ‘bones’ of a curriculum plan gave our staff a strong start and a means to expand and collaborate in a time poor setting! Our students loved the choice of a hybrid self-directed approach in addition to the more structured and collaborative approach to their learning. The student agency was amazing.”
GOALS Stands for -
Greater
Otway
Applied
Learning
School.
Tracie Moore, Pathways Leader and WRS Teacher Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College
“The curriculum resources project has been fantastic. For someone who had no experience teaching in this area, it has been terrific to have the ongoing support and multiple opportunities to meet with other colleagues to share ideas and insights. The information we have been given has been useful, practical and what I needed for efficient planning. It has set me up for the year and given me extra confidence moving forward ... The resources will continue to be more valuable and applicable to our school in the years ahead.”
Ebony Dedini, VCE VM and Pathways Leader Newcomb Secondary College
“It has been great to have been part of the curriculum resources trial. The resources that have been provided are easily adapted to meet a diverse range of our students’ needs. Our VCE VM teaching team and I benefitted from the scaffolded approach, consistent follow up and support that has been provided. It has also been beneficial listening to other schools’ experiences and learning from their challenges as well as how they overcome them.”
Aaron Hassett, VCE VM Leader Lara Secondary College
“From a VCE VM Coordinator perspective, being involved in the curriculum resources trial has provided our staff both new and experienced the opportunity to get ahead of the mammoth task of planning and creating Units 1 – 4 for Literacy, WRS and PDS. It has also opened much needed discussion and demonstrated best practice around assessment in applied learning. Our pedagogical approach is now underpinned with evidence-based strategies from pillars of applied learning. This has naturally flowed into a positive start to Term 1, 2024 for our 70 VM students and 6 teaching staff.”