The Concept Program runs from Year 7 to Year 9 and is designed to cater for students who have a love of learning. The program is designed to extend and challenge these students, whilst engaging with the mainstream curriculum. Students develop their skills and knowledge by exploring content at a conceptual level, emphasising depth of understanding. Students are expected to make links between the key learning areas through the areas of interdisciplinary learning; Relationships, Health, Sustainability, Community, and Information Communication Technology.

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By taking part in Concept, students learn to take responsibility for their own learning and develop life-long learning strategies.

Students must provide their own iPad or tablet for class-based learning.

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How is Concept structured?

Learner characteristics – At the center of the program is ‘The Learner’. Drawing from the work of Art Costa and his ‘Habits of Mind,’ we have a set of learner characteristics that we believe will create lifelong learners. These are:

 

• Mindfulness

• Persistence

• Flexible, deliberate thinking

• Empathy

• Inquiry and curiosity

• Independence

• Interdependence

• Humor

 

Throughout the program, students will engage in learning that explicitly refers to and develops these learner characteristics.

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Interdisciplinary learning – There are six areas of interdisciplinary learning. These areas - combined with the learner characteristics - provide Concept with its core focus. Teaching subjects through these areas allows learning to focus on attitudes, values and skills.

• Learning to learn – develops understanding of the available strategies and when to use them. Students are enabled to take responsibility for their own learning.

• Community – considers how students interact with their immediate family, classmates, local and global communities.

• Health – considers physical, social and emotional health and key aspects of human development.

• Relationships – students initiate, maintain and manage positive social relationships with a range of people in a range of contexts. Through relationships individuals become linked to society, develop a sense of belonging and learn to live and work with others.

• Sustainability – develops the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living.

• ICT – focuses on providing students with the tools needed to transform and enrich their learning environment.

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Subjects

The Concept Program has a strong subject focus with students studying English, Mathematics, Science & Digital Technologies, Languages (Italian) and Humanities. Food Studies, The Arts & Design, and Physical Education will be delivered through our mainstream program, but students will remain in their Concept class group while undertaking study.

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The school believes in the importance of all students achieving their personal best and the Concept program is one of a number of initiatives which will help us achieve this goal.

Expressions of interest for the Concept program can be submitted via the link here

The Department of Education now highlights that schools can not test students prior to confirmation of their enrolment at their new high school. All officially enrolled students who apply for the Concept program will receive a letter requesting they attend a morning at the school where they will undertake a range of tasks assessing their reading, writing, mathematics and problem solving skills. If you have any questions about the Concept program please contact Assistant Principal Ryan Millar on (03) 9480 4066 or ryan.millar@thornburyhs.vic.edu.au

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