How to prepare for Curriculum Version 9.0

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An education specialist discusses what’s changed in the Australian Curriculum and why – and where to get the right resources

THE NINTH version of the Australian Curriculum has now been published by ACARA, and schools are preparing to implement a raft of changes aimed at “simplifying and decluttering” the topics studied. The new curriculum has reduced the number of content descriptions by 21% and removed duplicated content across learning areas, the goal being to teach the basics with more depth and rigour. It also brings several relevant topics to the forefront, such as First Nations history, sustainability and environmental practice, and Australia’s ties to Asia.

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“There’s an increased focus on helping teachers teach the basic skills, while also bringing some more relevant themes to the forefront”

Richard Bass, Winc Australia

According to ACARA, “Australian Curriculum, Version 9.0 is a more stripped-back and teachable curriculum that identifies the essential content our children should learn”. The work to achieve this took a decluttering approach to Version 9.0 in a concerted attempt to clarify, simplify and change the content descriptions and achievement standards. “Within that, there are also some themes that were in the background that are being given more importance,” Winc product manager – textbooks and ebooks Richard Bass tells The Educator.

“There’s more focus on teaching English and literacy through phonics, and there are improvements in maths around familiarising students with essential skills and concepts. In humanities, there’s more of a focus on Australian and First Nations history and how all of that intertwines.” Bass notes that Version 9.0 is still three-dimensional, including Learning Areas, General Capabilities and Cross-Curriculum Priorities. The topics and priorities within these three dimensions are where the changes have occurred.

“There’s a lot of focus on making sure that First Nations history and culture is better represented, and there’s a piece on Australia’s relation to Asia which is becoming an increasingly important thing for people to understand, as well as issues of sustainability and environmental practice,” Bass says. “There’s an increased focus on helping teachers teach the basic skills while also bringing some more relevant themes to the forefront.”

“One of the interesting things about curriculum changes in Australia is that the timing often varies across different subject areas and across different states,” he explains. “Our role is around disseminating that information where we have it, keeping the conversation going between schools and our account managers, and making sure that our range is updated.” Providing the right resources can be something of a moving target, Bass says, as publishers are constantly updating and revising their materials. Subject areas are always changing and evolving, and digital platforms are too – so Winc is constantly on the move to ensure the company keeps up.

On the publisher side, there will sometimes be multiple different versions of a textbook being used at the same time. Bass says publishers are working to roll out their new resources ready for the new school year. “Publishers will often have three or four different versions on the go at the same time because different states and schools will want to purchase different resources,” he says. “If you’re a school, it’s important to be able to trust your curriculum resource supplier. There’s a lot of experience in our team with people who have been through many curriculum changes, so this provides schools with the trust to partner with us. We can consult with them, make it easy to see samples of the material they need, and ultimately obtain resources – either for their students through book lists or directly for the school. “Anything schools need to be aware of, we have the tools to make sure they’re easily getting the right content.” Explore Version 9.0 of the Australian Curriculum here. To learn more about Winc Australia and how it partners with schools to provide resources, click here.

Version 9.0: What’s changed?

Published 04 Sep 2023

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“Our job is to make it easy for schools to get hold of the resources that they need. Our relationships allow us to get access to sample materials, answer questions and connect schools with the right people”

Richard Bass, Winc Australia

Gathering the right resources

At Winc Australia, changes to the curriculum always mean a busy time for the team. Bass says Winc’s relationships with both schools and publishers are extremely important as they enable the company to access the latest versions of textbooks and ensure that its range is as broad as possible. With its account managers having experienced many curriculum changes in the past, they also know how to handle the “staggered approach” that many states take. “Our job is to make it easy for schools to get hold of the resources they need,” Bass says. “Our relationships allow us to get access to sample materials, answer questions and connect schools with the right people.

While each state will decide independently how and when to implement the new curriculum, the changes mean every school will need to evaluate its supply of materials and textbooks and ensure it is well prepared for the changes.

Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Key changes

21% reduction in content descriptions

Removal of duplicated content across subject areas

Addition of themes such as First Nations history, sustainability, and Australia’s engagement with Asia

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