The Agriculture Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2026) includes:

• the Agriculture Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus provides more opportunities for accessible learning in agricultural contexts through practical experiences and investigations
• greater emphasis has been placed on practical experiences
• Life Skills outcomes have been mapped to the Agriculture 11–12 Syllabus (2026) outcomes to facilitate integrated delivery
• clarity has been strengthened using consistent terminology across outcomes
• refinement of outcomes has improved accessibility for students with intellectual disability
• communication knowledge and skills have been incorporated into specific outcomes.

The organisation of the outcomes and content for Agriculture Life Skills 11-12 Syllabus (2026) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2026.

Before implementing the Agriculture Life Skills 11-12 Syllabus (2026), leaders will need to consider the following:

• all decisions about curriculum options for students with disability should be made through the collaborative curriculum planning process
• supporting teachers’ understanding of the changes to the syllabus structure and familiarisation with the digital curriculum platform to ensure the syllabus is taught as intended complexities for staff working across 2 syllabuses to teach Agriculture 11–12 due to the complications of a staggered implementation structure
• logistical complexities, including:
  • o access to appropriate technologies, equipment and resources for syllabus delivery
  • o prioritising practical activities, investigations and field work as evidence of learning
• resource and budget implications, including:
  • ensuring a range of agricultural enterprises are available to meet both Year 11 and 12 outcomes, as well as addressing the specific requirements of plant and animal enterprises in line with the course requirements
  • legislative and NSW Department of Education policy requirements for all new and/or existing enterprises are fulfilled and maintained
  • determining what resources are currently available to address new course requirements and purchasing additional resources to address areas of need
  • providing time for staff to engage with syllabus expectations and build their skills and understanding to effectively plan for implementation in 2027. This may require:
    • additional professional learning for teachers and farm assistants may be required to effectively plan for and safely deliver new content and/or maintain enterprises.
    • release days for professional learning and collaboration and purchasing appropriate resources and equipment
• collaboration with staff and learning support teams to ensure appropriate curriculum planning including ways to explore, adopt and adapt sample materials provided by the department.
• ensuring legislative and Department of Education policy requirements for all new and/or existing enterprises are fulfilled and maintained including completion of an Animal Research Authority, compliance with the Animals in Schools guidelines, and requirements of Chemical safety in Schools and Equipment safety in Schools.
• supporting teachers’ understanding of the principles of inclusive education, adjustments and access to the agriculture curriculum for all learners
• suitability of a Life Skills pattern of study for students. Leaders will need to consider the eligibility of students for a Life Skills pattern of study

The Agriculture Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2026) is based on evidence highlighting that:

• ‘The subject of Agriculture describes the interrelationship of plants, animals, soils and water in an economic and social framework.’ (Bryden 2012)
• ‘Agriculture applies technologies and knowledge gained from multiple disciplines to manage agroecosystems in a way that produces more from our natural resources than could be achieved without intervention.’ (Able et al. 2025)
• ‘Engaging in intentional practical learning experiences that reflect real-world agricultural production methods as much as possible, allows students to develop deep knowledge and understanding of production methods.’ (Coleman et al. 2024)

Agriculture Life Skills 11-12 Syllabus (2026) © NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2026.

• To what extent do staff understand the syllabus changes and have familiarised themselves with the new syllabus and understand how these changes will impact their programming?
• What school practices and systems are in place to support teacher professional learning? What else might be required for this syllabus?
• What resources are required to commence syllabus implementation and meet planning, programming, assessing, and reporting requirements?
• How has the school engaged with departmental resources and support for curriculum implementation, for example, Curriculum networks, curriculum resources, professional learning, and DEL network initiatives?

• NSW Department of Education Planning, programming and assessing TAS 11–12
• NESA Agriculture Life Skills 11–12 Syllabus (2026)
• NESA Agriculture Life Skills 11–12 (2026) Syllabus Assessment
• NESA Agriculture Life Skills 11-12 Syllabus (2026) Teaching and Learning
• NSW Department of Education Animal Research Authority
• NSW Department of Education Animals in Schools – Biosecurity
• NSW Department of Education Chemical Safety in Schools
• NSW Department of Education Equipment Safety in Schools