NSW Department of Education
Kindergarten to Year 2
Curriculum implementation at
Wairoa School
A case study of K–10 English and mathematics
Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation
education.nsw.gov.au/cese
About this resource
In 2022, 396 schools across NSW participated in a pilot project to enhance the NSW Department
of Education’s development and delivery of comprehensive support for implementation of the
new English and mathematics K–10 syllabuses.
These early adopter schools implemented the new English and mathematics syllabuses with
their Year 1 cohorts, testing supports such as microlearning modules, scope and sequences, and
sample units. Implementation support developed and refined in 2022, as a result of feedback
from participating schools, is available to all schools ahead of mandatory implementation of the
new syllabuses for Kindergarten to Year 2 from 2023.
This case study by the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) is part of a series
on how early adopter schools have begun implementing new curriculum. Each case study shares
how the focus school has engaged with the new syllabuses and explores key themes in how they
approached curriculum implementation responsive to their context. The evidence base for the
case studies can be found in the department’s curriculum implementation research toolkit.
When and how to use
School leaders and teachers can read, consider, discuss and implement strategies highlighted
in the case study and its accompanying discussion guide as part of school‑developed
High Impact Professional Learning (HIPL).
The appropriate time to use this resource may differ for each school, leader and teacher.
School leaders can: Teachers can:
• unpack the case study and curriculum • read the case study and curriculum
resources as part of whole-school resources and reflect on current practice
professional development and/or stage or • access the phases of curriculum
grade team meetings implementation and role-specific resources
• access the phases of curriculum to support reflection and planning for
implementation and role-specific resources effective implementation of curriculum
to support reflection and planning for • consider which practices could be
effective implementation of curriculum implemented in the classroom to lift
• access their school’s data to lead discussions student achievement, and discuss their
with staff about areas for improvement thoughts with colleagues
at a classroom and whole-school level. • reflect on the impact of implementation.
Contact: Email feedback about this resource to [email protected].
You can also subscribe to the CESE newsletter and connect with us on Yammer.
Alignment to system priorities and/or needs: NSW Curriculum Reform, NSW Department of Education Literacy
and numeracy priorities, School Success Model, School Excellence in Action, Mathematics Strategy 2025
Alignment to School Excellence Framework: Learning domain – curriculum, assessment; Teaching domain –
professional standards, effective classroom practice, data skills and use; Leading domain – educational
leadership, school planning, implementation and reporting
Alignment with other existing frameworks: High Impact Professional Learning, What works best,
Curriculum planning and programming, assessing and reporting to parents K–12, Literacy K–12, Numeracy K–12,
Aboriginal Education, Inclusive Education for students with disability, High Potential and Gifted Education,
Multicultural Education, Controversial Issues in Schools
Reviewed by: Curriculum and Reform; Educational Standards; Teaching Quality and Impact; Inclusion and Wellbeing
Created / last updated: Originally published 23 May 2023
To be reviewed: CESE publications are prepared through a rigorous process. Resources are reviewed periodically
as part of an ongoing evaluation plan.
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 2
Implementing a new curriculum
The NSW Curriculum Review, released in June 2020, was the first major review of the entire
NSW school curriculum since 1989. Informed by research and extensive consultation with
thousands of teachers, parents and education experts, it concluded that change was needed.
In response, the NSW Government is reforming the curriculum to ensure that every student
‘learns with understanding, builds skills in applying knowledge, and makes excellent ongoing
progress in their learning’.
In NSW, the curriculum can be thought of as the learning expectations and educational
opportunities represented by syllabuses. It provides essential learning for all students
and opportunities for them to show what they know, understand and can do. The curriculum
also provides flexibility for teachers to meet students’ needs and interests.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is responsible for developing new syllabuses
that adopt and adapt the Australian Curriculum for NSW schools. Syllabuses clarify the
learning expectations of a subject or discipline, including outcomes and content, and form
the basis for the development of teaching and learning programs. NSW Government schools
plan for learning based on mandated syllabus documents and current departmental policies
and procedures.
Phases of curriculum implementation
Effective curriculum implementation is an iterative process for school leaders and teachers,
rather than a singular event. The phases of curriculum implementation (engage, enact, embed)
can be used as a guide to support activities and reflective thinking when implementing a new
syllabus. School leaders and teachers can find a range of resources aligned to the phases of
curriculum implementation on the department’s website.
Engage
Explore aspects of the new
syllabus to identify and plan for
changes required for effective
curriculum implementation.
Enact
Teach, assess and report using
the new syllabus and evaluate
to refine practices and systems.
Find out more
education.nsw.gov.au/phases
Embed
Strengthen and scale to ensure
sustainable practices and
systems.
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 3
School context Implementing new curriculum
Wairoa School is a school for specific purposes
at Wairoa School – an overview
(SSP) located on the land of the Bidjigal people As an early adopter school in 2022, all teachers at
and is within walking distance of Bondi Beach. Wairoa School engaged in professional learning
The school caters for students with moderate and about the new curriculum and began implementing
severe intellectual disabilities with additional it in their classrooms. Wairoa School’s core purpose
complex needs. Most students travel to the school is to support students with moderate and severe
on assisted school transport from suburbs in the intellectual disabilities with additional complex
east and inner west of Sydney. There are currently needs to access the curriculum. Given the critical
70 students enrolled at Wairoa School, 17% of need to uphold this core purpose, all teaching
whom identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait staff at Wairoa School became familiar with
Islander and 60% of whom are from a language the curriculum changes and learnt how to make the
background other than English. The school has new syllabus outcomes accessible for students.
a FOEI of 74.1 There are 11 classes at the school To achieve these overarching goals, the school has
which cater for students from Kindergarten to adopted a systematic framework as part of their
Year 12, and all students have a personalised implementation approach. The framework underpins
learning and support plan (PLSP). The school has the curriculum implementation strategies described
a mix of early-career teachers and experienced below and involves the following 3 ordered steps:
teachers, and many staff members are new
to teaching at SSPs. 1. The leadership team develops their
understanding of curriculum changes before
staff are introduced to the changes.
2. The leadership team transfers their knowledge
and skills to support teachers.
3. Teachers apply their learning to create quality
experiences for students.
What has worked to implement new
curriculum at Wairoa School
• Effective leadership and change
management approaches including
selecting key leaders to drive
implementation and using school leader
expertise to identify and respond to
professional learning needs
• Adapting school structures and processes,
including school leaders explicitly
modelling how to tailor the curriculum
for students with disability
• Developing quality classroom-based
practices for curriculum delivery by using
executive release time to provide in-class
support and allocating time for ‘show and
tell’ to encourage teacher collaboration
Family Occupation and Education Index (FOEI) is a school-level index of educational disadvantage related to socioeconomic
background. The average FOEI value is 100. A higher FOEI value indicates a higher level of disadvantage.
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 4
Effective leadership and change
management approaches
Selecting key leaders to
drive implementation
A key approach that has supported Wairoa School
to implement the new curriculum has been
using expert staff members to lead the school
through the changes. The principal strategically
selected the deputy principal and assistant
principal of Kindergarten to Year 6 as the key
leaders to drive the school’s implementation
of the new curriculum. The pair were chosen Using school leader expertise to
because of their expertise in upskilling staff to identify and respond to professional
support students with disability and because of learning needs
their direct insight into the curriculum changes.
In particular, the deputy principal has 21 years of
experience teaching students with disability and
“ Igoing
think it’s knowledge … knowing what’s
on and why we’re doing it. The more
has mentored beginning teachers at the school. we learn, the easier it gets to adapt to it
She also has deep knowledge of the curriculum
changes through her involvement in teacher
ourselves as well.
”
Sarah Wilson, Teacher
expert networks and has provided feedback
about the curriculum to the NSW Education
Standards Authority (NESA). The assistant The deputy principal and assistant principal of
principal of Kindergarten to Year 6 was also well Kindergarten to Year 6 use their experience to
placed to lead the curriculum changes given her identify and provide responsive professional
expertise in teaching students with disability and learning opportunities for teachers. For example,
her experience upskilling teachers. She was also they review available online professional learning,
involved in trialing the new Literacy and Numeracy including the microlearning modules developed
Precursor Indicators for students with additional by the department (refer to ‘Resources to support
needs and provided feedback on how they align curriculum implementation’ text box), and NESA’s
to the English and mathematics K–10 syllabuses. online professional learning activities. The leaders
Teachers reported the trust and respect they then provide teachers with advice about the
have for the deputy principal and Kindergarten order and timing of curriculum implementation
to Year 6 assistant principal to lead the school’s professional learning most relevant to their school
implementation journey because of their extensive context. They also organise weekly professional
knowledge and skills. learning sessions that all teaching staff attend.
These after-school sessions are targeted towards
teacher needs in response to the curriculum
“ Having someone that really knows from the
beginning … that knows everything like
changes. For example, leaders have recently
been working on strengthening teachers’ skills
[the deputy principal] did ... made me
in assessing student progress on the access
confident that she knew what was going
content points.2 Selecting relevant professional
on and I could fully believe in her.
” learning for teachers has been critical in shaping
Frida Nielson, Teacher teachers’ understanding of the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of
the new curriculum. Equipping teachers with this
knowledge has contributed to teachers’ positive
attitudes towards the curriculum changes.
Access content points are a new feature of the K–10 syllabuses that have been developed to support students with significant
intellectual disability who are working towards Early Stage 1 outcomes. Teachers can use the access content points on their own
or they can be combined with the content for each outcome.
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 5
Adapting school structures
and processes
School leaders explicitly modelling
how to tailor the curriculum for
students with disability
The leadership team uses professional learning
sessions to explicitly model how to use the
access content points to adapt the curriculum for
students with moderate and severe intellectual
disabilities who are working towards Early Stage 1
outcomes. As this is the first time the NSW
primary curriculum has included detailed content
for students with significant intellectual disability,
teachers require explicit support in selecting the
appropriate access content points for students.
“ We really didn’t want it to be daunting and
overwhelming for staff because then they
won’t be along for the ride with us.
”
Angela Rudd, K–6 Assistant Principal
The leadership team at Wairoa School has
demonstrated how to navigate the online access
content points and how to tailor the suggested
examples in the syllabuses to support their
students. In Terms 1 and 2 of 2022, the leadership
team also showed teachers how the access
content points could be linked to the sample
units (refer to ‘Resources to support curriculum
implementation’ text box). For example, by using
the sample units as a guide, the leadership team
was able to create a simplified weekly overview
that contained the syllabus outcomes, lesson
content and access content points. In Term 3, the
leadership team stopped creating the weekly
overview so that teachers could develop the
confidence to independently plan for students.
One teacher reported how the initial modelling
from the leadership team supported her to create
“ Then bit by bit we drew back input-wise
[on the planning], and asked [teachers]
a simplified unit overview (refer to Appendix). to do more and more, so eventually in
Taking ownership of teaching and learning is an Term 4 they would go off and do most of it
indication to the leadership team that teachers are
successfully engaging with the new curriculum,
once they were just given the new unit.
”
Angela Rudd, K–6 Assistant Principal
and it is a key next step for all teachers.
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 6
Developing quality classroom‑based practices
for curriculum delivery
Using executive release time to
provide in-class support “ [It is helpful] reflecting on your own
teaching and learning situations with the
students … if someone comes and observes
“ I really didn’t want the process of me
observing very regularly to be intimidating,
you and then you have to talk it through,
you reflect on why did I do this? Or what
it’s been very supportive – the whole process were the outcomes of it?
”
is to be supportive to upskill people.
” Frida Nielson, Teacher
Penelope Earp, Deputy Principal
Allocating time for ‘show and tell’
Strategic use of executive release time
to encourage teacher collaboration
also supported staff during the first year of
implementing the new curriculum at Wairoa In addition to weekly staff meetings, teachers meet
School. The deputy principal and assistant one morning per week before school to share their
principal used their executive release time experiences of implementing the new curriculum.
to observe, collaborate and reflect on the Initially, the meetings provided teachers with
implementation of the new curriculum. Rather additional professional learning about the new
than using formal observation, they adopted curriculum. However, as the teachers began to find
a collaborative team‑teaching approach, so value in discussing their implementation practices,
teachers felt less like they were being evaluated. the leadership team dedicated the meeting to
In their observations, they provided verbal allowing teachers to ‘show and tell’ their experiences.
feedback on how teachers were implementing Each week, teachers are encouraged to share
the curriculum and modelled practices where experiences such as planning and programming
teachers needed support. The specific support using the new syllabuses, differentiating learning
and time the leaders spent in the classroom using the access content points, adjusting
varied according to the knowledge, skills and resources or assessing student growth.
confidence teachers displayed throughout the These meetings have motivated staff to trial new
different phases of implementation. For example, practices and share creative resources with each
during the early phase of implementation the other. For example, the teachers and the leadership
leaders often provided in-class support on a daily team highlighted the positive impact of one teacher
basis. The teachers reported the value of having sharing how she engaged students with the text
expert support in the classroom to encourage Giraffes Can’t Dance by setting up a sensory topic
critical reflection on teaching practices and its table about giraffes. This inspired collaborative
impact on student outcomes. The deputy principal discussions among the teaching staff about adopting
and assistant principal also met regularly to similar engagement practices, and teachers
reflect on their observations, which often guided began to share creative resources with each other.
the development of units and implementation These meetings have also encouraged teachers
practices. For example, their early observations to spontaneously engage in informal professional
identified that teachers required additional discussions throughout the school day.
support in differentiating resources for the
conceptual approach to the sample units in
English, so the leadership team gave teachers
specific advice on how to differentiate the
resources for particular groups of students.
Using executive release time to observe,
collaborate and reflect on implementation has
enabled the leadership team to upskill teaching
staff in a hands-on and supportive way.
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 7
Where to from here
Resources to support
The leadership team plans to continue curriculum implementation
strengthening teachers’ skills to differentiate
The NSW Department of Education has
and adjust teaching and learning for students
developed a suite of resources to support the
to access and participate in the curriculum. In
implementation of the new curriculum.
particular, all Kindergarten to Year 12 teachers
will be involved in drafting the school’s primary
Professional learning
English and mathematics scope and sequences
to align with the new curriculum. Teachers will Schools can access a range of professional
also work collaboratively to develop units for the learning resources on the new curriculum.
K–6 English and mathematics syllabuses, which As part of these resources, the department
will include relevant access content points. The has developed online microlearning modules
school leaders aim to hold an information session to support teachers’ knowledge and skills for
for parents about how the school has adapted effective curriculum implementation, including:
their practices in response to the new syllabuses. • English K–2 microlearning
Parents will also be invited into the classrooms
• Mathematics K–2 microlearning
during the school’s annual ‘Maths and English
Day’ to see the new curriculum in action. • Curriculum planning K–12
professional learning.
Acknowledgements
Sample units
CESE would like to thank Carmel Seeto (Principal)
and staff members Penelope Earp (Deputy Principal), The department has also developed sample
Angela Rudd (K–6 Assistant Principal), Frida Nielson units to support the implementation of the new
(Teacher) and Sarah Wilson (Teacher) from Wairoa curriculum. The sample units represent one
School for their valuable input to this case study. approach to designing teaching and learning
experiences for Kindergarten to Year 2 and
can be adapted to suit the school context and
students’ needs. The department provides:
• English K–2 units
• Mathematics K–2 units.
Leading curriculum K–12
There is also a range of advice and resources
available to support school leaders to lead
effective curriculum implementation in
their schools.
Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation
GPO Box 33, Sydney NSW 2001, Australia
education.nsw.gov.au/cese yammer.com/det.nsw.edu.au
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Please cite this publication as:
CESE (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation) (2023)
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English
and mathematics, NSW Department of Education.
320e_230523_v6_YC_AA1YC
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 8
Appendix
Below is an incomplete example of how one teacher at Wairoa School created a unit
overview for the new K–10 English syllabus.
An example of creating a unit overview for the new curriculum
Component Outcome Access points Activities
Component A Phonological awareness Phonological awareness • Own name – initial sound
ENE-PHOAW-01 – • Jump, clap or tap rhythms in recognition / photo recognition
rhymes, chants and songs • Gerald and Giraffe – matching
identifies, blends,
• Join in known rhymes, chants pictures and letter G
segments and manipulates
phonological units in spoken and songs • Match real giraffe
words as a strategy for • Repeat words that rhyme • Match character giraffe
reading and creating texts • Match images of words that rhyme • Spot the giraffe in class and env
• Say the first phoneme of own name and walk around to spot images
• Recognise which words in a set
begin with the same phoneme
Print conventions Features of print • Matches visuals / pictures during
ENE-PRINT-01 – • Respond to images or words used 1:1 reading of the book
to represent people, places and • Identifies the book from choice of 2
tracks written text from
objects in a text • Matches characters from choice of
left to right and from top
to bottom of the page and • Respond to symbols in the 2 or more to show understanding
identifies visual and spatial environment or in a text of book theme
features of print • Identify the topic of a book from • Own name – initial sound
its cover recognition / photo recognition
• Match lower- and upper-case • Gerald and Giraffe – matching
letters in some familiar words pictures and letter G
Reading comprehension Understanding and • Identify / select character / object
ENE-RECOM-01 – connecting sentences relating to the story
• Respond to a single sentence to
comprehends independently
demonstrate understanding
read texts using
background knowledge, Monitoring comprehension
word knowledge and • Respond to text
understanding of how Recalling details
sentences connect • Match a prompt to a familiar story
Component B Oral language Listening for understanding • Describe Gerald – Xavier
and communication • Look at or acknowledge an • Others – label – long legs /
ENE-OLC-01 – object or person with intent long neck / head
to communicate • Feelings activity – match feelings
communicates effectively
by using interpersonal • Look at or acknowledge a to Gerald’s
conventions and language communication partner • Tapping sticks – syllables – own
with familiar peers • Respond to a question to name and Gerald and word giraffe
and adults indicate choice • Rhyming words – dance / prance
• Respond to indicate enjoyment fall / ball smile / while
or preference • Initial sound match – alliteration –
Social and learning interactions animals – crazy chimp /
• Repeat or imitate phonemes angry alligator / clever crocodile
and/or words as part of a social • Book creator – other animals –
interaction non‑fiction
• Accept or reject action, request • Opposite animals – verbs
or comment • First / then / after – x3 key events
• Use consistent behaviours to • Fact Vs Fiction – sorting –
indicate likes and dislikes Venn diagram
Oral narrative • Describe Gerald / describe a
• Respond to questions about giraffe – Xavier
people, events or objects in • Sort emotions of Gerald vs
the present characteristics of a real giraffe –
happy and embarrassed = Gerald /
long neck, tall legs – giraffe
• Jigsaw of a giraffe / Gerald
Curriculum implementation at Wairoa School – a case study of K–10 English and mathematics 9
