At Ashwood School, learning is personalised to each student’s strengths, needs, interests and aspirations. Every student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with goals aligned to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and informed by ongoing school-based assessment data. Teachers use this information to plan learning that is appropriately differentiated, so that each student is supported to make progress towards their individual goals.
Our smaller class sizes give students greater opportunities for individual support, explicit teaching and meaningful engagement in their learning. Teachers regularly monitor each student’s progress and adjust learning programs as needed, ensuring every student is supported to achieve success and develop independence.
Families are valued partners in their child’s education. Student Support Group (SSG) meetings are held four times each year, bringing families and teachers together to review progress, celebrate achievements and set future learning goals. Families also receive Semester Reports twice a year, which provide detailed information about their child’s progress and achievement across the curriculum.
As students move through the Secondary School, learning increasingly encourages choice, voice and agency. Students are supported to understand their strengths, recognise their achievements and take an active role in setting and working towards their learning goals. Small class settings continue to allow teachers to know their students well, monitor progress closely and provide the support each learner needs to succeed.
Throughout the Secondary years, SSG meetings remain an important opportunity for students, families and teachers to work together. These meetings focus on reviewing progress towards IEP goals, celebrating achievements and discussing priorities for ongoing learning, while Semester Reports continue to keep families informed about progress and achievement across the curriculum.
Learning in the Secondary School also supports students to consider where their learning can take them next. Through careers education, Work and Work Futures, the Victorian Pathways Certificate and post-school pathway planning, students are supported to explore their interests and consider opportunities for further education, training and employment.
English is central to the way students communicate, understand and interact with others and the world around them. Students are encouraged to become confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed young adults. Secondary students at Ashwood School continue to develop knowledge, understanding and skills across the three interrelated strands of the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 (Language, Literature and Literacy), with each strand building students' abilities across listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing. Reading instruction is underpinned by explicit, systematic synthetic phonics, ensuring students continue to strengthen their decoding and word-recognition skills as a foundation for reading with growing fluency and independence. At Ashwood School, these skills are taught in ways that are meaningful and functional for everyday life, with instruction tailored to each student's individual point of need. Our School Library complements English learning, with students enjoying weekly visits with their classroom teacher that foster a love of fiction and non-fiction texts and support the development of literacy skills in a rich and engaging environment.
Mathematics gives Secondary students essential knowledge, skills, and processes in Number, Algebra, Measurement, Geometry, Statistics, and Probability, alongside the reasoning and problem-solving abilities needed to interpret and respond to real-world situations. In line with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, learning at this stage places a growing emphasis on building the numeracy capabilities students need for personal, work and civic life, preparing them for the practical demands of adulthood and independence beyond school. At Ashwood School, learning experiences across each strand are adjusted to match each student's individual goals and abilities, with a focus on applying mathematical thinking to everyday, functional contexts including budgeting, time management, measurement and problem-solving in real-world settings. This approach supports students in building confidence and competence in numeracy as they transition toward further study, employment and independent life.
Humanities encourages Secondary students to understand the world around them and their place within it. Through History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, and Economics and Business, students explore people, places, communities and the events and ideas that have shaped our world. Learning is inquiry-based and encourages students to ask questions, investigate topics and make connections to their own lives and experiences.
Secondary students build their understanding of rights and responsibilities, community participation, and making informed decisions about money, work and everyday life. From Year 9, Work and Work Futures becomes a key focus. Students meet with a career consultant, who administers the Morrisby Profile to identify their personal strengths and employability skills. This helps students and their families begin exploring post-school options and make informed decisions about future pathways.
Science encourages secondary students to be curious about the world around them, ask questions and investigate how things work. Students build their knowledge across the Chemical, Biological, Physical, and Earth and Space Sciences, while developing key skills in scientific inquiry: making predictions, conducting investigations, testing ideas and evaluating evidence.
Learning is hands-on, with students exploring scientific concepts through practical activities and investigations. They connect their learning to real-world topics such as health, the environment and technology, strengthening their ability to observe, reason, solve problems and explain their ideas.
Excursions to Monash Tech School give students the chance to take part in hands-on STEM experiences alongside specialist educators, with access to a wide range of engaging resources and technologies.
Building students' personal and social capabilities is a core part of learning at Ashwood School. Social skills are taught explicitly through structured SWPBS and RRRR (Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships) lessons, helping students develop communication, self-regulation and relationship skills that support their engagement both in and beyond the classroom. These capabilities are further developed through excursions and camps, which give students real-world opportunities to practise and apply their skills in new environments, building independence, confidence and social connection.
Visual Arts gives secondary students the opportunity to explore, create and respond to art through a range of media, materials and techniques. Students at Ashwood School develop practical skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and other visual art forms, while building their ability to express ideas, emotions and perspectives creatively. Learning is hands-on and process-focused, encouraging students to experiment, problem-solve and reflect on their own work and the work of others. This creative development supports students' confidence, self-expression and fine motor skills, and offers pathways into further study, hobbies and community participation beyond school.
Physical Education supports Secondary students to develop movement skills, physical fitness and an understanding of the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle. Students at Ashwood School take part in a range of individual and group activities designed to build coordination, strength, teamwork and confidence, while learning about the value of regular physical activity for lifelong health and wellbeing. Alongside physical skill development, Physical Education fosters cooperation, resilience and social connection, helping students build habits and skills that support their health and wellbeing well beyond school.
Performing Arts gives Secondary students the opportunity to build confidence, creativity and self-expression through music, drama and movement. Students at Ashwood School explore and develop skills across a range of performance-based activities, building their ability to communicate, collaborate and express ideas and emotions in front of others. Learning is engaging and hands-on, helping students build confidence, teamwork and resilience while providing a positive outlet for creativity, self-expression and social connection.
Food Technology provides secondary students with practical, real-world skills in food preparation, cooking and kitchen safety. Students at Ashwood School learn to plan, prepare and cook a range of foods, developing an understanding of nutrition, hygiene and safe food handling practices along the way. This hands-on learning builds functional life skills that support students' independence at home and in the community, while also fostering teamwork, following instructions and taking pride in a finished product.
Outdoor Education gives secondary students the opportunity to build confidence, resilience and practical skills through hands-on experiences in outdoor and natural environments. Students at Ashwood School take part in activities that develop teamwork, problem-solving, risk awareness and physical skills, while building an appreciation for the outdoors and the natural world. These experiences support students' independence, confidence and social connection, and provide valuable real-world opportunities to apply skills learned in the classroom to new and unfamiliar settings.
