Background

The provision of an excellent schooling experience for students in the twenty first century requires a multi-faceted and flexible approach. Our society is characterised by rapid economic change, cultural diversity, pervasive growth in information and communication technology and an increasingly competitive labour market.

The Mountain Creek State High School Curriculum Framework and Philosophy encompasses the Education Queensland response to the government’s ‘Smart State’ strategy, whilst responding to the local community needs and wishes / perceptions of what is a quality curriculum.

Philosophy

Mountain Creek State High School’s curriculum philosophy incorporates the following principles:

• Teaching strategies and curriculum should focus on the maturity levels of students. The learning and development needs of middle school students (Year 8 & 9) are different to those of senior school students (Years 10, 11 & 12).
• An extensive range of academic and co-curricular options that cater for the full range of students needs to be offered.
• A broad range of extra curricular programs which supplements the school curriculum needs to be offered.
• Students exit Mountain Creek State High School with a ‘worthwhile’ secondary education that prepares them for further education and training or full-time employment.
• A target pass rate of 85% for student performance. That is, 85% of students are expected to achieve a minimum of a C standard in all of the subjects they study.
• A Whole School Approach to Effective Learning and Teaching, which incorporates a Literacy Strategy and an Information and Communication Technology Strategy.
• Achievement of a minimum standard for promotion from one year level to the next with provisions to achieve minimum standards.

Curriculum Provisions

In response, the Mountain Creek State High School curriculum includes provisions for the following:

• High levels of social support
• Safe environment
• Community links
• Internationalism
• Skills and knowledge for the knowledge economy
• Communication and information technology
• Literacy
• Increasing retention rates
• Expanded and relevant pathway options for students

School Organisational Structure

At Mountain Creek, it is recognised that our students require not only a meaningful and relevant curriculum but also a cleverly designed school structure that better integrates the key element of good pedagogical practice with a pastoral care framework that best supports young people in a rapidly changing world.

The implementation of the following three key innovative strategies supports the curriculum framework:

1. Split-Shift Timetable

Senior school students (Years 10, 11 and 12) attend school from 7.30am to 12.55pm. This allows for senior students to have the entire school to themselves from 7.30am to 9.55am each day, and we become a ‘Senior College’. Middle school students (Years 8 and 9) attend school from 10.25am to 4.05pm. Students in Years 8 and 9 have sole access from 1.30pm to 4.05pm each day, and we become a ‘Middle School’.

2. Pastoral Care in the Sub-Schools

Our student cohort is divided into 4 groups of approximately 500 students. These sub-schools are semi-autonomous units that are self-directing and self-governing. They are responsible for the monitoring of behaviour and progress of students, communication with parents and provision of pastoral care.

3. Information and Communication Technology Infrastructure

Underpinning all teaching and learning is a sophisticated, state of the art information and communication technology infrastructure. A fibre optic backbone links each of the 23 buildings on campus.

Assessment and Reporting

The school’s Assessment Policy provides clear guidelines to staff and students, ensuring all assessment is successfully administered.

• Semester Planners detailing assessment tasks and timelines are distributed to all students at the beginning of each semester.
• A report is issued to students each term. This report comments on industry, behaviour, homework and academic achievement.
• Each student in the school participates in an Education and Career Planning (ECP) Program. Once a semester, a student and his/her parents or caregivers meet with a sub-school teacher to discuss the student’s progress. The ECP database produces a complete profile of the student, which is the focal point of the individualised interview. The student profile includes:
  • • Subjects studied from the commencement at Mountain Creek State High School
    • Results in each of the subjects studied each term
    • Career aspirations
    • Attendance and behaviour records
    • Co and extra curricular involvement
    • A summary of the outcomes of previous interviews.
    • Review and Evaluation

A major function of the Curriculum Committee is to regularly review and evaluate the curriculum. The Curriculum Committee consists of the Principal, Head of Middle School, Head of Senior School and Heads of Department.

As part of the review process, the Curriculum Committee analyses data obtained from the following sources:

• Annual School Opinion Survey
• Reporting database
• QSA data, including Overall Position (OP) and Queensland Core Skills (QCS) results
• Each faculty reviews and evaluates units of work at the completion of their implementation.