Scenario on
Curriculum Planning at School Level
Curriculum Development Institute February 2021
Briefing Session on
Optimising the Four Senior
Secondary Core Subjects
School Background
Banding: 2
10 days/cycle
◦ 6 days: 8 lessons, 45 mins each
◦ 4 days: 7 lessons, 45 mins each
11 elective subjects on offer
◦ Chi as MOI: VA, THS, Hist, Chi Hist
◦ Eng as MOI: Phy, Chem, Bio, Econ, BAFS, Geog, ICT
MOI policy at JS level
◦ Eng as MOI: Maths, Science
Current Timetabling Arrangements
Example:
Subject No. of lessons/cycle % of lesson time in 3 years
S4 S5 S6
Chinese Language 12 11 12 15.3
English Language 12 13 13 16.6
Mathematics 11 10 10 13.6
Liberal Studies 9 9 8 11.5
X1 8 9 9 11.4
X2 8 9 9 11.4
X3 8 9 9 11.4
OLE 8 6 6 8.8
Issues of Concern Identified
Tendency to drop 1X in S5
◦
All S4 students are required to take 3X.
◦
About only 1/4 will continue with 3X in S5 & S6. There is a tendency for students to drop 1X (mostly subjects
conducted in Eng) in S5 because the existing curriculum is rather packed and some students find studying the elective in English challenging.
◦
The school is concerned about the effective use of free lessons.
Timetabling for M2 lessons
◦
M2 lessons fall outside the regular timetable and only few
students take M2.
Issues of Concern Identified
Students’ English standards
◦ In general satisfactory but only few can achieve outstanding results in the DSE Eng Lang exam
◦ English is adopted as the MOI for a number of the elective subjects offered. For some students, their English standards may affect their performance in these subjects.
Other Learning Experiences and Applied Learning
◦ Time allocated to OLE is not adequate and no
Applied Learning is offered.
Adapted Timetable
(through optimising the 4 core subjects)
Subject No. of lessons/cycle % of lesson time in 3 years/change (%)
S4 S5 S6
Chinese Language 10 9 10 12.7 (-2.6)
English Language 10 10 9 12.8 (-3.8)
Mathematics 9 9 9 12 (-1.6)
Renamed subject 5 5 6 6.9 (-4.6)
X1 8 9 9 11.4
X2 8 9 9 11.4
X3 8 9 9 11.4
OLE 8 9 9 11.4 (+2.6)
Common block 10 8 5 10 (+10)
Common block
For all students
OLE (different themes on a rotational basis)
• MCE (e.g. healthy lifestyle, national identity)
• Community service
• Career-related experiences
• Aesthetic development
• Physical development Students’
choice
Subjects
• Applied Learning courses
• Maths (Extended Part – M2)
Other activities (on a rotational basis)
• LaC/RaC activities
• English enrichment
programmes (e.g. writing skills, debating skills, drama)
• English intervention
programmes (e.g. phonics)
• STEM
• Chinese writing programme
• Mathematics enhancement programme
Over the 3 years in SS, students have OLE and lessons or other activities during the common block. Examples include:
Creating the common block
Example:
The school’s 10-day cycle remains unchanged.
A short-lesson mode in lessons will be adopted on a weekday afternoon (e.g. Friday afternoons)
◦ lessons shortened from 45mins to 35mins
The freed lesson time can be allocated to the common block.
The arrangement can also be applied in JS level.
Rationale for the Adaptations
To increase students’ motivation and
confidence in continuing with 3X in S5 & S6
◦ O
ptimising the 4 core subjects releases lesson time and manpower resources.
Diversifiedstrategies can be employed to cater for learner diversity:
flexible grouping
short, focused intervention / enrichment programmes
structured RaC / LaC programmes
co-curricular and cross-curricular activities
Rationale for the Adaptations
To expand students’ learning experiences
◦ O
ptimising the 4 core subjects releases lesson time and students’ workload.
◦ More time can be allocated to OLE.
◦ ApL courses can be delivered in Mode 1 or Mode 2 through:
setting up a district-based network
collaboration between principals of the same network (e.g. all allocate Friday afternoons to ApL)
◦ Early commencement of ApL at S4
Students can be more focused on preparing for DSE
in S6.
Rationale for the Adaptations
To p rovide incentives for students to take M2
◦ O
ptimising the 4 core subjects creates space for extended components.
◦ M2 lessons
can be incorporated in
the regular timetable.
To enhance learning of Maths
◦ Lesson time freed from optimising Maths creates room for “split class” arrangements
There will be 2 parallel Maths lessons, in which the 4 classes will be split into 5 groups.
More Maths-inclined students will study all topics while opportunities will be provided for others to consolidate the Foundation Topics through
smaller groups.
Rationale for the Adaptations
To enhance English learning
◦ More time and resources to
address students’ diverse needs in learning English
Releases manpower for further “split classes”
Releases lesson time for enrichment and intervention
programmes with specific focuses (e.g. phonics, debating skills)
◦ Creates room
for more structured LaC/RaC activities with cross-departmental collaboration
help improve students’ performance in the elective subjects with English adopted as the MOI
◦ Released manpower provides room for partnership with educational organisations (e.g. EDB school-
based support sections)
An Example of Designing a Cross-curricular Task
LaC/RaC
English
Language Reading &
Writing Focuses
Life-wide Learning
Topic Food Rescue Topic
Good Food Going to Waste
Module
• Green Living
Language features
• Text structure: Problem-solution
• Tone & style: To suggest/persuade Reading materials
• Articles, infographics Reading strategies
• Acquire, extract & organise information relevant to specific tasks
• Relating facts, opinions & information from a variety of print & non-print sources
Extending & Enriching
• Writing a proposal on Food Angel
Recruitment
• Running a Campaign
“Food Rescue”
Action:
• Community Service:
Collecting &
delivering food donations to a food charity
Manpower planning
The teachers concerned will be redeployed to take up other duties:
◦ As most LS teachers have been teaching one more subject alongside LS (e.g. Hist, Geog, L&S, THS), they will be
redeployed to focus on teaching these subjects after optimising.
◦ At present, there are only two teachers teaching LS solely.
They will take up mainly the teaching load of the renamed subject after optimising. One of them will be the panel head.
◦ As there will be more structured LaC/RaC programmes, English teachers and the original LS teachers will be
deployed to organise these programmes collaboratively.
◦ Other teachers concerned can promote OLE.
