Curriculum Programs Foundation to 10: Developing and implementing curriculum programs Foundation to 10

Developing and implementing curriculum programs Foundation to 10

To support planning for mandatory and optional implementation of Version 2.0 curriculum areas from 2024, schools can access the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 website(opens in a new window). Curriculum area-specific resources available include introductory videos, comparisons of curriculums (Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 1.0 to Version 2.0), scope and sequences and glossaries.

The following guidance is provided to support schools to develop and implement quality school-based curriculum programs across Foundation to Level 10.

Note: This guidance is for curriculum programs for Foundation to Level 10. For information on senior secondary curriculum, please see the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) webpages:

Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)(opens in a new window) including the VCE Vocational Major
Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC)(opens in a new window)
Vocational Education and Training (VET)(opens in a new window)

VCAA F-10 curriculum planning guidelines

The VCAA provides the F–10 Revised Curriculum Planning and Reporting Guidelines (PDF)(opens in a new window) to support schools in the design and delivery of curriculum programs. These Guidelines acknowledge the need to approach key stages of school differently, given the diverse learning needs from early childhood to secondary school. The minimum requirements at each learning stage are summarised:

Learning stages

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Curriculum Planning and Reporting Guidelines (VCAA Guidelines) for the Foundation Stage (Prep to Year 2), require schools to focus on 5 curriculum areas:
- a structured teaching and learning program in English at each year level
- a structured teaching and learning program in Mathematics at each year level
- substantial attention to Health and Physical Education
- substantial attention to The Arts
- substantial attention to Personal and Social Capability.
In addition, the VCAA Guidelines for the Foundation Stage require schools to have a learning program that draws on the curriculum areas of:
- Humanities (History and Geography)
- Science
- Technologies (Design and Digital Technologies)
- Capabilities (Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Capability and Intercultural Capability).
The Department of Education's Languages Education policy for the Foundation Stage requires that schools must also provide languages education across all year levels, delivered by a Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registered teacher or staff with VIT Permission to Teach.
The VCAA Guidelines for the Breadth Stage (Years 3 to 8) require schools to broaden their focus and ensure that in each 2-year band of schooling student learning includes each of these curriculum areas:
- a structured program in English, Mathematics and Science at each year level
- substantial attention to Health and Physical Education
- a Humanities program that includes History, Geography and Civics and Citizenship and, from Year 5, Economics and Business
- an Arts program that in Years 3 to 4 includes all 5 Arts disciplines and at Years 5–6 and 7–8 consists of at least 2 Arts disciplines, 1 from the Performing Arts and 1 from the Visual Arts
- a technologies program that includes both Design Technologies and Digital Technologies
- a learning program that includes each of the capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical, Intercultural, and Personal and Social.
The department’s Languages Education policy for the Breadth Stage also requires that schools must provide languages education across all year levels, delivered by a VIT registered teacher or staff with VIT Permission to Teach.
The VCAA Guidelines for the Pathways Stage (Years 9 to 10) require schools to ensure students:
1. receive a broad education
2. begin to plan their senior secondary and/or foundation secondary program of study, which they can commence in Year 10.
In the Pathways Stage, schools must provide:
- a structured teaching and learning program in English, Mathematics and Science at each year level
- a Health and Physical Education program
- a Humanities program that includes: History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business
- an Arts program that includes at least one Arts discipline
- a Technologies program that includes both Design Technologies and Digital Technologies
- a learning program that includes each of the capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical, Intercultural, and Personal and Social.
The department’s Languages Education policy for the Pathways Stage requires that schools must also provide languages education across all year levels, delivered by a VIT registered teacher or staff with VIT Permission to Teach.
The school curriculum program must recognise that in these years of schooling some students begin to focus on areas of specialisation related to their future schooling and intended pathways beyond schooling.

The VCAA also provides an online Curriculum planning resource(opens in a new window), which includes a self-assessment tool for schools and sample school-based curriculum plans. These resources support schools to develop curriculum programs that cater for all students and reflect the decisions, resources and priorities of the school. They involve 4 layers for schools to consider: school, curriculum area, year level and unit/lessons.

Schools are expected to align the design and delivery of school-based curriculum programs to advice provided by VCAA.

Resources

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0)

Online supports for the Teaching and Learning and Assessment elements of FISO 2.0 are available on the Guidance and Resources tabs of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) policy.

The department has produced Using FISO 2.0 to plan school improvement (PDF)(opens in a new window) to support school leaders and School Improvement Teams (SITs) to plan and implement change.

Using the FISO 2.0 improvement cycle, the guide presents a series of guiding questions and key actions to support planning.

Other departmental guidance on curriculum development and implementation

Additional guidance is available to schools to support them to implement departmental policies on curriculum program design and delivery.

Languages Education guidance includes the following topics:

What makes a quality language program
Start a new language program
Staffing a language program
Language assistants’ program
Language program funding, resources and support
Approaches to teaching languages
Complementary language providers
Promote learning a language
Languages data and research.

Holocaust Education guidance includes the following topics:

Why study the Holocaust
Characteristics of a quality Holocaust Education program
Overcoming barriers to quality provision.

Career Education resources(opens in a new window) are available on the VCAA website and include the following topics:

What do students need to learn?
What can schools do?
Why does it matter?
Department of Education support for career education.

Selecting Teaching and Learning Resources Guidelines include the following topics:

Overview
Questions to ask when selecting teaching and learning resources
Selecting films and computer games
Staging public events or school performances
Controversial topics
Resolving issues concerning objections to teaching and learning resources.

Updated 15 December 2025