English Curriculum Overview
The Western Australian English curriculum aims to develop confident communicators, critical thinkers, and informed citizens.
Lower School English: Years 7 – 10
Our English program is structured around three key areas: Language, Literature, and Literacy. These strands are carefully integrated to provide students with a well-rounded learning experience that strengthens their skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and creating. Building on foundations established in previous years, the curriculum allows teachers to revisit and deepen students’ understanding as they progress.
Students are encouraged to express themselves clearly and confidently when communicating with peers, teachers, and adults. They also learn important social aspects of communication and explore different ways to share information, including verbal, non-verbal, symbolic communication, and making choices in how they respond.
The program offers students the opportunity to enjoy and explore a wide range of texts. These include picture books, storytelling, poetry, rhymes, non-fiction, plays, digital and multimodal texts, and traditional oral narratives. Through these varied experiences, students develop an appreciation for language and literature while improving their comprehension and communication skills.
The courses at Mount Barker Community College have been tailored to best meet the needs of our students, including in the streamed courses that occur in Years 9 and 10. There are free tutoring sessions available for 7-12 students on Tuesday afternoon. These sessions are run by the Head of Learning Area.
Upper School: Years 11 – 12
ATAR:
The English ATAR course aims to strengthen students’ skills in analysis, creativity, critical thinking, and communication across all forms of language. It encourages them to engage thoughtfully with a variety of texts, including those from modern times, historical contexts, Australia, and diverse global cultures. By exploring texts through detailed reading, viewing, and listening, students learn to assess and interpret their purpose, style, and structure. They are also encouraged to produce original, interpretive, persuasive, and analytical work across written, spoken, digital, and multimodal formats.
GENERAL
The English General course is designed to help students develop and build on their existing language skills, enabling them to become confident and effective communicators in everyday life, the community, the workplace, and further education or training settings. It supports students in preparing for various post-school opportunities by enhancing their abilities in language use, literacy, and literature. Throughout the course, students engage with a variety of texts, developing their skills in comprehension, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation, while also creating imaginative, persuasive, and interpretive work in written, spoken, digital, and multimodal formats.
FOUNDATION
The English Foundation course is designed to deepen students’ abilities in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing, particularly in contexts such as work, education, community involvement, and daily life. It is intended for those who have not yet met the OLNA literacy benchmark. The course supports the development of a broad range of literacy skills, including the ability to read, speak, write, and interpret visual information. Students will enhance their understanding and use of language conventions such as grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Strong literacy skills are essential for producing and understanding texts, effective communication in various settings, self-expression, and developing personal identity and confidence.