Learning

Catholic values are central to learning and teaching at St Aloysius Catholic College. Within these values, we aim to foster self-esteem, self-confidence and respect for the gifts and needs of the individual and an awareness of the unique contribution each can make to the College community. We aim to provide a high quality, balanced education in which all students can fulfil their spiritual and academic potential.

Learning and teaching programs throughout the College are based on the Australian Curriculum, which has been designed to provide students with sound capabilities in literacy, numeracy, critical and creative thinking, information and communication technology, personal and social development and ethical and intercultural understanding.

As prescribed by the Australian Curriculum 2.0, every St Aloysius student studies the following core subjects:

• English
• Science
• Mathematics
• HaSS (History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship)
• Health and Physical Education

In keeping with the Catholic tradition that underpins our College, Religious Education is also a core subject for every student.

Further information is available in the College Handbook:

At St Aloysius Catholic College, elective courses are offered from Years 3 to 10, which aim to engage students in learning that extends their personal interests and skills. In later years, these subjects also provide learning pathways that link to future careers and post Year 10 education.

Electives are a range of courses that students select, to extend their learning beyond their core subjects. The College offers courses in the Arts, Technology, Physical Education, and academic extension courses. These courses aim to engage and motivate students, providing learning opportunities that develop skills or knowledge, that are of particular interest for each individual student. Starting our elective program at Year 3 also provides students with the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning, as they can choose their own courses and make decisions about their own learning.

Course content, time allocation, and the number of courses on offer vary from Years 3 to 10, and have been developed to suit the age and learning needs of each cohort of students.

The Course Selection Handbook for Years 11 and 12, 2023 is available below. 

Learning Support

In keeping with the Australian Government’s Melbourne Declaration (2008), St Aloysius aims to be an inclusive school that attends to individual learning needs, so that all students flourish and achieve their full potential. The College supports students with learning difficulties, according to a student’s individual needs. Students requiring significant learning support will usually have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that is developed by parents, teachers, teacher assistants and other allied education or medical professionals. An IEP sets out the learning program and strategies for that student. The Junior Campus also has other programs for students, such as reading intervention. At a classroom level, teachers aim to differentiate their programs for students to meet individual student needs.

Junior Campus Learning Support Coordinator - Emma Callanan emma.callanan@catholic.tas.edu.au

Middle/Senior Campus Learning Support Coordinator - Tara Lewis tara.lewis@catholic.tas.edu.au

Enrichment

At St Aloysius Catholic College we want to give all of our learners the opportunity to become confident, just and productive human beings. Learners are ‘unique individuals who bring their own strengths, talents and needs to the learning process’. We believe that learning is most powerful when the individual needs of the learner are considered and therefore, education for gifted and talented students provides aims for these learners to achieve their personal best.

Quality Gifted and Talented provisions are evident in:

• The development of quality differentiated learning programs
• Development and implementation of student learning plans
• Development and implementation of highly adjusted educational programs
• A flexible and responsive learning environment

Identification

In most cases classroom teachers, in consultation with parents, refer highly capable students for further assessment. Students can be identified as gifted through an Educational Assessment, conducted by a registered psychologist. The College’s Enrichment Teachers or Special Learning Needs teachers use the KBit 2 screening assessment tool to assess referred students. Students are classified as gifted if they are assessed in the top 10 percentile for their age.

Homework

The College homework policy states that:

• Students are expected to allocate sufficient time at home to complete unfinished class work, to complete research for projects and to practise their literacy and numeracy skills.
• Reading daily is considered to be one of the most important homework elements for all students.
• Homework will not be set for weekends or over holiday periods.
• Instructions for homework tasks can be typed into the students’ devices. Students are expected to demonstrate pride in their homework by completing the work to a high standard and returning it within the given time frame.
• Students are encouraged to seek assistance from teachers and parents/guardians when difficulties arise, including the amount of time spent on homework. Homework setting takes into account the students’ home responsibilities, family arrangements and extra-curricular activities.