Year 10: Foundations for Senior Success

Term 1 — Analytical Writing: Short Answer

Weeks 1–3: Textual Interpretation – Examine context, audience, purpose, and values in short-answer analytical writing. Learn to identify textual features and construct effective topic sentences.
Weeks 4–6: Analysis of Prose and Visual Texts – Study how language techniques and form influence meaning. Practise interpreting authorial choices in prose and multimodal texts.
Weeks 7–9: Poetry and Style – Analyse imagery, rhythm, and tone to develop precise interpretations.
Week 10: Assessment Preparation.
Term 1 Holidays: Refine analytical responses and reinforce structural clarity and argument cohesion. Practise timed short answer writing across text types with focus on reader response theory and exam technique.

Term 2 — Critical Study of Literature

Weeks 1–3: Close Reading and Context – Explore how authorial context, values, and form shape meaning in a central text.
Weeks 4–6: Extended Essay Writing – Develop throughlines, thesis statements, and cohesive analytical essays.
Weeks 7–9: Critical Interpretation – Engage with scholarly perspectives and apply literary theory to essays.
Week 10: Assessment Practice.
Term 2 Holidays: Review planning and editing for creative writing. Draft sustained compositions with researched contexts and advanced narrative techniques, alongside formal reflection on literary purpose.

Term 3 — The Craft of Writing

Weeks 1–3: Imaginative Writing – Develop original compositions using characterisation, setting, and narrative perspective.
Weeks 4–6: Refinement and Reflection – Workshop writing through feedback and editing, enhancing tone and coherence.
Weeks 7–8: Discursive Writing – Create balanced, reflective pieces exploring personal and social perspectives.
Weeks 9–10: Assessment Preparation.
Term 3 Holidays: Compile a writing portfolio integrating imaginative and discursive forms. Refine discursive composition with emphasis on sophisticated transitions, balanced voice, and evidence integration.

Term 4 — Comparative Study of Text

Weeks 1–3: Intertextual Connections – Explore conversations between a Shakespearean play and its modern adaptation, identifying shared themes and contrasts.
Weeks 4–6: Comparative Analysis – Evaluate contextual shifts and enduring human concerns.
Weeks 7–9: Comparative Essay Writing – Construct essays integrating synthesis and critical interpretation.
Week 10: Assessment Practice.
Term 4 Holidays: Review grammar, syntax, and vocabulary development for advanced coursework. Consolidate comparative writing skills and preview Year 11 English expectations.

Term 1 — Algebra and Linear Relationships

Weeks 1–3: Algebraic Techniques – Simplify expressions, expand binomials, and factorise quadratics. Apply algebraic manipulation to practical problems involving financial and physical quantities.
Weeks 4–6: Linear Relationships – Explore coordinate geometry, gradients, and intercepts. Construct and interpret linear graphs in real-world contexts.
Weeks 7–9: Simultaneous Equations and Problem Solving – Solve simultaneous equations algebraically and graphically, applying them to everyday problems.
Week 10: Cumulative Revision – Review core concepts in algebra and linear systems to consolidate understanding.
Term 1 Holidays: Revise key algebra skills and practise applying linear models to new contexts, preparing for Term 2.

Term 2 — Quadratics, Measurement, and Trigonometry

Weeks 1–3: Quadratic Equations and Graphs – Factorise, expand, and solve quadratics using formulas and completing the square. Examine how parabolas model physical phenomena and identify turning points.
Weeks 4–6: Measurement and Similarity – Calculate area, surface area, and volume for complex shapes. Apply similarity and scale factors in design and mapping.
Weeks 7–9: Trigonometry – Extend trigonometric ratios beyond right triangles using sine and cosine rules. Apply these in navigation, surveying, and physics.
Week 10: Assessment and Review – Reinforce concepts through practice and mixed-problem challenges.
Term 2 Holidays: Review measurement and trigonometry with focus on multi-step reasoning.

Term 3 — Indices, Probability, and Statistics

Weeks 1–3: Indices and Surds – Simplify expressions using index laws, including fractional and negative powers. Work with surds and exponential equations in practical contexts.
Weeks 4–6: Probability – Examine experimental and theoretical probability, including independent and dependent events. Use two-way tables and Venn diagrams for complex probabilities.
Weeks 7–9: Statistics – Collect, interpret, and present data using histograms, box plots, and scatter graphs. Compare datasets using mean, median, and range to understand variation.
Week 10: Cumulative Practice and Assessment.
Term 3 Holidays: Reflect on probability and statistics through project-based problem solving.

Term 4 — Non-Linear Relationships and Revision

Weeks 1–3: Coordinate Geometry – Apply midpoint, distance, and gradient formulas to geometric problems on the coordinate plane.
Weeks 4–6: Exponential and Logarithmic Functions – Explore growth and decay and their applications in population, finance, and physics.
Weeks 7–9: Comprehensive Review – Integrate algebra, geometry, and statistics in problem-solving tasks to prepare for senior mathematics.
Week 10: Exam Preparation.
Term 4 Holidays: Review major Year 10 concepts, consolidating skills for advanced study in Years 11–12.

Term 1 — Genetics and Evolution (Biology)

Weeks 1–3: DNA and Inheritance – Explore the structure of DNA, chromosomes, and genes. Understand the processes of mitosis and meiosis and their role in inheritance.
Weeks 4–6: Genetic Variation – Investigate mutations, genetic diversity, and ethical implications of modern biotechnology.
Weeks 7–9: Evolution and Natural Selection – Analyse fossil evidence and Darwin’s theory of evolution. Incorporate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives on species adaptation and ecological balance.
Week 10: Assessment and Review.
Term 1 Holidays: Review genetics, biotechnology, and the role of evolution in shaping biodiversity.

Term 2 — Reactions and Energy (Chemistry & Physics)

Weeks 1–3: Chemical Reactions – Classify and balance chemical equations, applying the law of conservation of mass.
Weeks 4–6: Reaction Rates – Investigate factors affecting rates of reaction including temperature, surface area, and catalysts.
Weeks 7–9: Radioactivity and Energy Transfer – Study isotopes, half-life, and nuclear reactions, connecting atomic structure to practical applications.
Week 10: Assessment Preparation.
Term 2 Holidays: Review energy transformations and their use in industrial and natural processes.

Term 3 — Waves and Motion (Physics)

Weeks 1–3: Wave Properties – Describe frequency, amplitude, and wavelength. Investigate sound and light waves through experimental methods.
Weeks 4–6: The Electromagnetic Spectrum – Explore how energy travels through waves, reflection, and refraction.
Weeks 7–9: Motion and Forces – Apply Newton’s Laws to analyse motion, velocity, acceleration, and friction.
Week 10: Assessment Preparation.
Term 3 Holidays: Review motion formulas and applications of wave technologies.

Term 4 — Data Science and Scientific Literacy

Weeks 1–3: Data and Evidence – Examine how scientific claims are tested through valid data collection and analysis.
Weeks 4–6: Bivariate and Multivariate Data – Interpret datasets using correlation and causation analysis.
Weeks 7–9: Scientific Inquiry in Practice – Conduct independent investigations and evaluate conclusions.
Week 10: Assessment Preparation.
Term 4 Holidays: Review ethics, reliability, and data accuracy in modern science.