Planning, programming and assessing English 7–10
Support and advice for teachers of Stages 4 and 5 English.
The English K–10 Syllabus (2022) is to be taught in Years 3 to 10 from 2024.
Detailed implementation information including key features and resources is available on the English syllabus development page (NESA).
These sample teaching and learning resources guiding the implementation of the Stage 4 and 5 sections of the English K–10 Syllabus (2022) are designed through the 'phases' approach. This information is designed to guide teachers through the Phases approach to conceptual programming and enhance their understanding of the sample materials and the ways they can be adopted and adapted.
Planning
These documents assist with the planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching and learning practice for the English K–10 Syllabus (2022).
- Sample scope and sequence template for Years 7–10 (DOCX 346 KB)
- Teaching and learning evaluation tool for Years 7–10 (DOCX 157 KB)
- Stage 4 syllabus requirements planner (DOCX 401 KB)
- Outcomes and content tracker – Stages 4 and 5 and Life Skills (XLSX 71 KB)
- Stage 5 syllabus requirements planner (DOCX 416 KB)
Sample scope and sequences
The sample scope and sequences provide an approach to organising syllabus outcomes and content to address syllabus requirements. Sample teaching and learning programs, resources and assessments will be aligned to these scope and sequences.
Stage 4 resources
Sample resources for teaching and learning programs.
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Powerful youth voices'.
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Seeing through a text'.
- Assessment task – multimodal report – seeing through a text (DOCX 2.9 MB)
- Core texts booklet – seeing through a text (DOCX 5.9 MB)
- Teaching and learning program – seeing through a text (DOCX 2.9 MB)
- Resource booklet – seeing through a text (DOCX 16.2 MB)
- Open your heart to country – seeing through a text (PPTX 2.8 MB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Escape into the world of the novel'.
- Assessment task, portfolio of classwork – Escape into the world of the novel (DOCX 4.37 MB)
- Teaching and learning program, part 1 – Escape into the world of the novel (DOCX 4.5 MB)
- Teaching and learning program, part 2 – Escape into the world of the novel (DOCX 4.59 MB)
- Resource booklet, part 1 – Escape into the world of the novel (DOCX 6.14 MB)
- Resource booklet, part 2 – Escape into the world of the novel (DOCX 5.68 MB)
- Plot diagram, student resource, option A – Escape into the world of the novel (PDF 264 KB)
- Plot diagram, student resource, option B – Escape into the world of the novel (PDF 200 KB)
- Plot diagram, teacher resource – Escape into the world of the novel (PPTX 837 KB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Speak the speech'.
- Speak the speech – core formative tasks (DOCX 400 KB)
- Speak the speech – sample assessment task notification (DOCX 419 KB)
- Sample learning program part 1 – engage and orient (DOCX 824 KB)
- Resource booklet part 1 – engage and orient (DOCX 525 KB)
- Sample learning program part 2 – speeches (DOCX 603 KB)
- Resource booklet part 2 – speeches (DOCX 507 KB)
- Annotated sample speech and listening activity (PPTX 16.21 MB)
- Sample speech listening activity video (10:09)
- Sample learning program part 3 – drama (DOCX 531 KB)
- Resource booklet part 3 – drama (DOCX 561 KB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Knowing the rules to break the rules'.
- Knowing the rules to break the rules – sample teaching and learning program (DOCX 4.28 MB)
- Knowing the rules to break the rules – sample assessment notification (DOCX 4.25 MB)
- Knowing the rules to break the rules – resource booklet (DOCX 5.64 MB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program Transport me to the ‘real’.
- Assessment notification – podcast transcript, Transport me to the ‘real’ (DOCX 417 KB)
- Core formative tasks – Transport me to the ‘real’ (DOCX 390 KB)
- Core texts booklet – Transport me to the ‘real’ (DOCX 339 KB)
- Teaching and learning program – Transport me to the ‘real’ (DOCX 617 KB)
- Resource booklet – Transport me to the ‘real’ (DOCX 2832 KB)
- Phase 1, activity 1 – what does real mean presentation (PPTX 1.54 MB)
- Phase 1, Core text 1 – Short and Curly podcast, BITE, Family Sacrifices transcript presentation (PPTX 2.2 MB)
- Phase 3, activity 8 – examining point of view in Parvana presentation (PPTX 966 KB)
- Phase 4, Core formative task 4 – Jennifer Wong podcast presentation (PPTX 2.07 MB)
- Phase 6, activity 1 – structure and features of a podcast presentation (PPTX 2.1 MB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'From page to stage'.
- Assessment notification – adaptation and pitch – From page to stage (DOCX 439 KB)
- Core formative tasks – From page to stage (DOCX 395 KB)
- Core texts booklet – From page to stage (staff only) (DOCX 354 KB)
- Teaching and learning program – From page to stage (DOCX 650 KB)
- Resource booklet – From page to stage (DOCX 2 MB)
- Phase 1, activity 9 – analysing persuasive writing forms and features (PPTX 2.2 MB)
- Phase 2, activity 2 – exploring intertextuality (PPTX 2 MB)
- Phase 3, activity 12 – creating a sense of place (PPTX 1.2 MB)
- Phase 3, activity 17 – investigating the interview (PPTX 3.3 MB)
- Phase 4, activity 10 – narrative structure of a scene (PPTX 2 MB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'The camera never lies'.
- Assessment notification – examination – The camera never lies (DOCX 350 KB)
- Examination – The camera never lies (staff only) (DOCX 362 KB)
- Core formative task 4 – practice examination – The camera never lies (staff only) (DOCX 388 KB)
- Core formative tasks – The camera never lies (DOCX 4.84 MB)
- Core texts booklet – The camera never lies (DOCX 3.9 MB)
- Teaching and learning program – The camera never lies (DOCX 629 KB)
- Resource booklet – The camera never lies (DOCX 6.4 MB)
- Phase 1, activity 6 – identifying key visual features (PPTX 17 MB)
- Phase 3, activity 2 – understanding filmic devices (PPTX 3.4 MB)
- Phase 3, activity 3 – check your understanding of theme (PPTX 6.4 MB)
- Phase 4, activity 1 – features of children’s picture books (PPTX 2.6 MB)
This document contains an overview of the texts used in the Sample Stage 4 teaching and learning materials.
Stage 4 – Quality texts in English (staff only) (DOCX 38.9 MB)
Stage 5 resources
Sample resources for teaching and learning programs.
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Representation of life experiences'.
- Sample assessment notification – representation of life experiences (DOCX 263.4 KB)
- Core texts booklet – representation of life experiences (DOCX 149.1 KB)
- Teaching and learning program – representation of life experiences (DOCX 820.4 KB)
- Resource booklet – representation of life experiences (DOCX 1.7 MB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Shining a new (stage) light'.
- Sample assessment notification – shining a new (stage) light (DOCX 224.4 KB)
- Core texts booklet – shining a new (stage) light (DOCX 136.8 KB)
- Teaching and learning program – shining a new (stage) light (DOCX 805.5 KB)
- Resource booklet – shining a new (stage) light (DOCX 1.01 MB)
- Examination – shining a new (stage) light (DOCX 238 KB)
Poetic purpose resources is a suite of materials that include teacher support, video resources and a learning program to accompany the delivery of the program 'Poetic purpose'.
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Exploring the speculative'.
- Exploring the speculative – core formative tasks (DOCX 4.8 MB)
- Exploring the speculative – sample assessment notification (DOCX 5.3 MB)
- Sample learning program part 1 – engage, orient, apply and evaluate (DOCX 569 KB)
- Resource booklet part 1 – engage, orient, apply and evaluate (DOCX 13.5 MB)
- Sample learning program part 2 – television series 'Crazy Fun Park' (DOCX 541.9 KB)
- Resource booklet part 2 – television series 'Crazy Fun Park' (DOCX 14.9 MB)
- Sample learning program part 3 – novel 'The Giver' (DOCX 507 KB)
- Resource booklet part 3 – novel 'The Giver' (DOCX 4.1 MB)
- Timeline of significant contextual influences on Western literature (PDF 512 KB)
- The evolution of speculative fiction (PDF 490 KB)
The specific episodes from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s television show 'Crazy Fun Park' that have been referred to in 'Sample learning program part 2 – Crazy Fun Park' can be accessed on Exploring the speculative – Crazy Fun Park (staff only).
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Novel voices'.
- Novel voices – sample teaching and learning program (DOCX 5.18 MB)
- Novel voices – resource booklet (DOCX 2.1 MB)
- Novel voices – sample assessment notification (DOCX 4.85 MB)
- Novel voices – core formative tasks booklet (DOCX 4.84 MB)
- Novel voices – reading journal template (PDF 395 KB)
Two versions of the resource booklet have been provided. One version contains the full text of all resources and activities, including annotations of extracts from Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. The other contains resources and activities, but only abbreviated descriptions of the novel’s extracts. The full text version of the resource booklet and the Core text booklet (containing all licensed extracts) are only available to staff from the NSW Department of Education.
Access the staff only documents for 'Novel voices':
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program 'Reshaping the world'.
- Assessment notification – examination – Reshaping the world (DOCX 376 KB)
- Core formative tasks – Reshaping the world (DOCX 411 KB)
- Core texts booklet – Reshaping the world (DOCX 338 KB)
- Teaching and learning program – Reshaping the world (DOCX 632 KB)
- Resource booklet – Reshaping the world (DOCX 1.7 MB)
- Phase 1, resource 1 – ideas and values of Romanticism (PPTX 4.98 MB)
- Phase 2, resource 3 – applying punctuation for effect in poetry (PPTX 2.64 MB)
- Phase 3, resource 2 – form, rhyme structure and meter (PPTX 1.05 MB)
- Phase 3, resource 6 – using active and passive voice in analytical writing (PPTX 918 KB)
- Phase 4, resource 1a – using noun groups to develop academic writing (PPTX 2.94 MB)
- Phase 4, resource 1b – supplementary slides for using noun groups to develop academic writing (PPTX 2.69 MB)
- Phase 4, resource 1c – summarising politics, freedom and revolution in the Romantic period (PPTX 2.84 MB)
- Phase 4, resource 3 – allusion in William Blake’s ‘London’ (PPTX 890 KB)
An examination and practice examination have been provided for this program. These are only available to staff from the NSW Department of Education.
Access the staff only documents for ‘Reshaping the world'
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program ‘Shakespeare retold’.
- Assessment notification – discursive speech – Shakespeare retold (DOCX 431 KB)
- Core formative tasks – Shakespeare retold (DOCX 395 KB)
- Core texts booklet – Shakespeare retold (DOCX 356 KB)
- Teaching and learning program – Shakespeare retold (DOCX 624 KB)
- Resource booklet – Shakespeare retold (DOCX 733 KB)
- Phase1, resource 1 – discussion questions (PPTX 5.46 MB)
- Phase 2, resource 3 – Shakespeare’s genres (PPTX 5.46 MB)
- Phase 3, resource 1 – prologue of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (PPTX 5.54 MB)
- Phase 6, resource 2 – features of discursive writing (PPTX 7.55 MB)
- Phase 6, resource 4 – effective spoken delivery (PPTX 5.47 MB)
These documents accompany the teaching and learning program ‘Digital stories’.
- Assessment notification – Digital stories (DOCX 2.2 MB)
- Assessment task stimulus text booklet – Digital stories (DOCX 346 KB)
- Core formative tasks – Digital stories (DOCX 4.8 MB)
- Teaching and learning program, part 1 – Digital stories (DOCX 615 KB)
- Teaching and learning program, part 2 – Digital stories (DOCX 553 KB)
- Resource booklet, part 1 – Digital stories (DOCX 573 KB)
- Resource booklet, part 2 – Digital stories (DOCX 422 KB)
- Phase 2 – simple and complex ideas (PPTX 4.9 MB)
- Phase 3 – types of narrative structures (PPTX 654 KB)
- Phase 4 – examining authority in the core text (PPTX 4.8 MB)
- Phase 5 – how to use Canva for Education (PPTX 2.7 MB)
- Phase 5 – reflective writing (PPTX 762 KB)
This document contains an overview of the texts used in the Sample Stage 5 teaching and learning materials.
Stage 5 – Quality texts in English (staff only) (DOCX 11.4 MB)
Microlearning
Teaching of the English K–10 Syllabus (2022) in NSW primary schools has been required since the start of 2024.
Engaging with English microlearning courses will help you develop the required knowledge, understanding and skills for effective syllabus implementation.
English K–10 Syllabus (2012)
Units designed for English K–10 Syllabus (2012) that can be adapted to suit the individual needs of your students.
Character study within poetry (3+ hours)
Character poem – Timothy Winters (DOCX 78 KB) – character in poetry.
Code and convention
Code and convention (DOCX 100 KB) – develop students' thinking imaginatively, creatively, interpretively and critically about information, ideas and arguments to respond to and compose texts.
Crafting character (3-4 hours)
Crafting character – short story (DOCX 99 KB) – students refine their understanding of the conventions of the short story form, the process of characterisation, and the features of narrative.
Creative writing (3 to 4 hours)
Creative writing (DOCX 88 KB) – utilise within a larger unit in order to develop capacity with language and creative writing skills.
Film study: Finding Nemo (3 to 4 hours)
Film – Finding Nemo (DOCX 941 KB) – a student-guided inquiry into characterisation using the film text Finding Nemo.
Representation in advertising (5 to 8 hours)
Representation in advertising (DOC 94 KB) – develop student understanding of representation and how it is constructed by the composer.
Are you talking to me?
- Are you talking to me? – unit (DOCX 477 KB) – Year 7 – students explore difference and diversity through imaginative thinking and writing.
- Are you talking to me? – resources and activities (DOCX 3.2 MB)
i Space
- iSpace - unit (DOCX 530 KB) – early Year 7 – autobiographical representations of lived experiences, facilitating student reflection on their cultural background, past experiences, identity and how they fit into the high school environment.
- iSpace - resources and activities (DOCX 2.8 MB)
From page to page – multimodal narratives
- From page to game – multimodal narratives – unit (DOCX 783 KB) – visual literacy and comprehending sequential art narratives – an exploration of graphic novels leads to a detailed study of Nathan Jurevicius' Scarygirl and its computer game appropriation.
- From page to game: – multimodal narratives – resources and activities (DOCX 4.9 MB)
ALARM template for novel study (5 to 8 hours)
ALARM template – novel study (DOCX 70 KB) – students complete a scaffold that guides them to demonstrate their understanding of how context, characterisation and theme are relevant to their understanding or appreciation of a text.
Exploring the Gothic conventions in short animated film (4 to 6 hours)
Gothic animation (DOCX 85 KB) – students learn about gothic conventions as part of a wider unit on genre, or short film, or creating mood, setting or description in fiction and film specifically looking at gothic animation.
Concepts – Perspective in war poetry
Concepts – Perspective in war poetry (DOCX 75 KB) – this lesson to analyse concepts of perspective, context or representation.
Character and context in Macbeth
Character and context in Macbeth (DOCX 64.6 KB) – an activity showing how Shakespeare describes the character Macbeth.
Documenting our world
Documenting our world engages students in contemporary issues through the study of documentary films. Students view two documentaries before undertaking the task of composing their own documentary in a small group.
- Documenting our world – unit of work (DOCX 740 KB)
- Documenting our world – resources and activities (DOC 2.6 MB)
In their position
In their position explores the representations of refugees and asylum seekers in global, national and personal contexts. Students engage with multiple perspectives and critically analyse the power of language to persuade and position audiences.
The English textual concepts and learning processes support the explicit teaching of the knowledge and skill in the English syllabuses. Through the use of English textual concepts, teachers can chart the development of student understanding through each stage of learning.