Transcript of presentation Reviews and You – Part 2
Hi. This is our second presentation to explain the review program. In our first presentation, we discussed what a review is, what a review looks at, and what you can provide to demonstrate that your child receives regular and efficient instruction. In this presentation, we revisit requirements of registration that will be explored through a review. We list the learning areas that are addressed in a review, and we provide examples of how you might demonstrate that you substantially address the learning areas.
Combined with the first presentation, this should provide a comprehensive summary of how you can complete your review. If you still have questions at the end of this presentation. Please do contact us. We're happy to help. Our contact details are on our website and at the end of this presentation.
In the first presentation, we explained the key requirement of registration that we explore in a review, that is that the student receives regular and efficient instruction that, taken as a whole, substantially addresses the learning areas. We've already looked at how to demonstrate regular and efficient instruction. Now we'll explore how you can show that the instruction substantially addresses the learning areas.
In Victoria, there are 8 learning areas. They are Sciences, including physics, chemistry and biology; English; Information and Communication Technology and Design and Technology, we call this ICTDT; Languages; Humanities and Social sciences, including history, geography, economics, business, civics and citizenship, we call this HSS; the Arts; Health and Physical Education or HPE; and Mathematics. These eight learning areas are the same learning areas that are covered in Victorian schools.
However, in a home schooling context, parents develop the specific subject matter within each learning area so that it's appropriate for their child's individual needs. When we look at how you address the learning areas in a review, we do not assess your subject matter against the Victorian curriculum or against your child's age equivalent year level. We just need to see, that taken as a whole, the learning areas are being addressed.
If you're not covering one or more of the learning areas, simply let the authorised officer completing your review know. An exemption may be applied. So, how do you demonstrate that you substantially address the learning areas? First, you need to give us information on what your child has done or how you have covered the areas. Typically, you provide information for each learning area in your child's educational program. In line with the wording of the requirement, we look at the learning areas taken as a whole.
That means if we found the information you provide for one learning area is a little brief or lacking in detail, we may still be able to say that the learning areas taken as a whole have been substantially addressed. The information you provide doesn't have to cover everything your child has done in the learning areas. All we need is a summary.
Let's look at the specific ways you can demonstrate that the learning areas are being substantially addressed. You could tell us that in English, your child has explored poetry, specifically looking at acrostic poetry, haikus and ballads. You would then explain how these activities were covered, maybe through reading example poems from a family anthology and discussing the form and poetic devices in each.
You would have to give additional information and provide enough examples to show that the learning areas have been substantially addressed. If the authorised officer conducting your review needs more examples or information, they will just ask for it. Another way to demonstrate that you are substantially addressing the areas is by providing samples of your child's completed activities. You do not have to undertake an activity specifically for the review.
The samples you select can be any activity your child has completed through their educational program. If you're providing samples of your child's work, you might like to consider examples of integrated learning activities. That is, activities that cover more than one learning area and which may allow you to provide fewer samples. For example, a photograph of a pavlova that your child baked demonstrates some content in ICTDT by making the pavlova, as well as the Arts by decorating it.
However, you could cover other learning areas here, providing the recipe that your child has followed shows that you've covered maths by using fractions, measurements, temperatures, and times. Perhaps you've explored the historical or cultural background of the dish. This would cover HSS and probably English. So, as you can see, one learning activity of baking a pav has provided content for at least 5 learning areas.
Let's look at some more examples of integrated learning. This example relates to a child's exercise program. The content on this slide shows how a parent might discuss the activity in a review. The parent talks about the child's areas of focus being cardio and muscle development. This shows that HPE is being addressed. The parent also explains that the child looks at different muscle groups and protection strategies which cover Science, that the child develops instructions and meal plans, which covers English and that he collects and graphs data, meaning they're addressing Maths.
So, this one activity connects to 4 learning areas. This next example shows how a very common homeschooling or household activity can be referenced in a review to address 4 learning areas. Gardening addresses Humanities and Social sciences by exploring the impact of climate and location on a backyard veggie patch. Discussions on nutritional value addresses HPE and experiments on growth rates and preparing healthy meals covers Science and ICTDT, respectively.
In each of these examples the family has not undertaken a specific activity for the home schooling review. They simply provided examples of past learning activities where each activity covers a number of learning areas.
This next example illustrates how to provide information on learning online. In this example, the child has explored Museum Victoria's online exhibition, an activity that would typically cover HSS, now also covers ICTDT. Developing a timeline would include Mathematics and recreating pieces would include the Arts. Any notes taken to summarise newly discovered facts would also include English. Again, this is one activity that expands to cover half the learning areas.
Looking for some tips? Remember, you don't have to start a specific activity for the sake of the review. Giving us information on what was or is happening in your educational program is fine.
You don't need to provide information on everything your child has completed. This will take too long and we're sure you're busy enough. A snapshot is fine. If you're not covering one of the learning areas. Simply tell the officer conducting the review. They will let you know if an exemption is needed. We do not require and we discourage you from providing any medical information.
We also discourage you from providing photos of your child. If you are sending us examples of your child's completed activities, photos or copies of the activity is fine. Your child does not have to be in the photographs. Finally, you will be assigned an authorised officer to conduct your review. If you have any questions, your authorised officer is here to help.
Your officer will contact you close to the review date to talk you through how to start gathering the required information. Thanks for watching our presentations. We hope they've answered your questions and put your mind at ease. If you do have questions, please contact us and if you've been selected for review, we look forward to working with you this year.
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