Health and Physical Education (HPE)
Health and Physical Education offers experiential learning, with a curriculum that is relevant, engaging, contemporary, physically active, enjoyable and developmentally appropriate. Integral to Health and Physical Education is the acquisition of movement skills, concepts and strategies that enable students to confidently and competently participate in a range of physical activities.
In Health and Physical Education students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to support them to be resilient, to develop a strong sense of self, to build and maintain satisfying relationships, to make health-enhancing decisions in relation to their health and physical activity participation, and to develop health literacy competencies in order to enhance their own and others’ health and wellbeing.
Writing of the Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum
Draft Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education released for consultation
The draft Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education was available for consultation from December 2012 to 12 April 2013.
The draft curriculum is currently being revised in consideration of the feedback received during consultation and the revised Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education curriculum will be considered for approval by the ACARA Board and by Ministers in late 2013.
Watch an introductory video to the draft Health and Physical Education from Professor Doune Macdonald.
The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education will be based on the assumption that all young Australians are entitled to study Health and Physical Education as part of the Australian Curriculum each year from Foundation to Year 10.
The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education will be organised in seven bands of learning: Foundation, Years 1–2, Years 3–4, Years 5–6, Years 7–8, Years 9–10 and Senior secondary (Years 11 and 12).
It is proposed that the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education has two integrated strands for F–10:
- Personal, social and community health
- Movement and physical activity.
The two strands signify and provide a balance within the learning area of health-related and movement-related knowledge, understanding and skills.
The strands of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education will assist teachers to plan comprehensive and sequential teaching and learning programs. Each strand has a comprehensive body of knowledge and understanding as well as explicit skills and competencies. There are, however, explicit links between the two strands that should be highlighted in the development of the curriculum. This will ensure that when teachers are developing their teaching and learning programs the connections across the knowledge, understanding and skills of Health and Physical Education and the general capabilities are strongly evident.
The Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education needs to offer flexibility to schools to ensure learning in Health and Physical Education is personally relevant and meaningful for all students and that teaching and learning programs can evolve to incorporate emerging and current issues.
Advisory Group for the Health and Physical Education Writing phase announced
The Advisory Group will provide advice on directions, broad outlines and draft curriculum documents during the writing phase for the development of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education.
Shaping the Foundation to Year 10 Australian Curriculum
The Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education sets the broad direction for the writing of the Australian Curriculum for Health and Physical Education. This has been developed with significant input from teachers, academics, professional teachers’ associations, education authorities and the broader health and physical education community.
Click here to view the Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Consultation Feedback Report on the draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Consultation on the draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education was held between March and June 2012. ACARA received over 1000 responses nationally to the online questionnaire and 166 written submissions. The final report is now available.
Click here to view the Health and Physical Education Consultation Report
Timeline for the development of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
A timeline for the development of the Health and Physical Education curriculum is now available.
Advisory Group for the Health and Physical Education - Shaping phase
The Advisory Group will provide advice on directions, structures and key issues during the development of the Shape Paper for Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education.
View the members of the Health and Physical Education Advisory Group
Announcement of Professor Doune Macdonald as Lead Writer for the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
Professor Macdonald completed her undergraduate degree in Human Movement Studies at The University of Queensland before teaching health and physical education in primary and secondary schools. Professor Macdonald obtained her PhD through Deakin University and rejoined the School of Human Movement Studies at University of Queensland in 1990.
In 1998 she won an Australian Award for University Teaching. Professor Macdonald serves on the editorial boards of Sport, Education and Society, and Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, and is a Board Member of Association Internationale des Ecoles Superieures d'Education Physique.
Professor Macdonald's research interests focus on understanding the shifts in the field of Health and Physical Education at the primary, secondary and tertiary level using predominantly qualitative methods. In particular, much of her work has addressed the challenges of curriculum reform and its impact upon teachers and teaching.
View Professor Macdonald's professional biography
Downloads
- Health and Physical Education Advisory Group - Writing phase
- Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education
- Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education Bibliography
- Draft Shape of the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education Consultation Report
- Health and Physical Education Advisory Group - Shaping phase
- Lead Writer Professor Macdonald's professional biography
