A time of great change…
The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the emerging adolescent by cultivating the faculties of thinking, feeling and will through a balance of academic studies, artistic activities and practical experiences. In Class Seven, the students turn 13 and become teenagers. Two fundamental gestures characterize this phase of life: an outer, active principle and the stirring of a dynamic, inner, psychological state.
The emphasis at this stage is on assisting young people to integrate these experiences with the help of the emerging ‘sense of self’. The inner experience of the primary years gives way to the sometimes confronting experience of the outer world and of society as a whole. Stories are thus replaced by biographies and other true life tales. The curriculum is now more varied and demanding. Students are encouraged to connect with their studies through artistic activities that include painting, sculpture, drawing, drama, design and technology, movement and music. Through such artistic efforts, a healthy respect for the world is cultivated and an enthusiasm permeates thinking.
The National Steiner Curriculum, in combination with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) curricula, covers an important stage in the development of human experience through the ages. After the exploration of the Ancient Roman World in Class 6, we move historically through the Medieval World in Class 7. Curriculum themes which mirror the pupils’ outer exploration of the world and the inner journey include the journeys of exploration in history, the focus on mood and style in English, the areas of combustion and mechanics in chemistry and physics, and the health, nutrition and hygiene main lesson block.
Curriculum:
English:
- King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
- Wish, Wonder, Surprise: creative writing
History:
- The Medieval World
- The Renaissance
Mathematics:
- Numbers and Algebra
- Geometry: Forms in Nature
Geography:
- Age of Discovery
- Southern Hemisphere: Marine Studies
Science:
- Chemistry
- Physical World: Mechanics
- Human Physiology
- Biology: Birthing
Weekly Sessions in:
- English, Mathematics, Mandatory Technology (woodwork, textile crafts, IT, gardening), PDHPE (social values, personal development, health, sport)
Other Subjects:
- Music: choir, string and percussion ensembles and individual instrument tuition
- Art: painting, drawing, modelling
- Drama: A Medieval play performance
- Design and Technology: woodwork, textile crafts, IT, gardening
- Movement: surfing, fencing, archery, tennis, camp
