Year 7 is an important transition year from Primary Education to Secondary Education. Students encounter a wider range of subjects compared to their primary years, commencing studies in core subjects such as Religion, English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, two Modern Languages (chosen from French, Indonesian, and Italian). Additionally, they engage in Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Drama and Health & Physical Education. The School Day comprises of five 60-minute lessons.
Year 7 students are organised into "Base Learning Groups (BLGs)" for most subjects.
The Personal Development program places an emphasis on Positive Education through an Ignatian Lens. Within this dynamic framework, emphasis is placed on developing Digital Citizenship awareness and enhancing study and time management skills through PERMAH:
Positive Emotion
Engagement
Relationships
Meaning
Accomplishment
Health
Students also participate in Sport as part of the Association of Coeducational Schools (ACS) Interschool competition. Every student is afforded the chance to join a team, travel with them, and partake in interschool sports.
All Year 7 ACS matches take place on Tuesday afternoons, with training sessions held on Thursday after school. Students are required to demonstrate proficiency in their chosen sports or display a willingness to train and improve their skills. Participation in ACS teams is mandatory for students selected, in accordance with the Loyola College Enrolment Agreement.
Year 7 Curriculum Overview:
Students study a range of subjects to offer them a breadth of experiences to explore, discover and develop their interests.
The Year 7 Religious Education course provides students with the opportunity to improve their knowledge and understanding of key practices and beliefs of Christian communities both past and present, as well as exploring diverse world and religious views through dialogue, analysis, meaning-making and reflection. They are involved in regular prayer and class liturgies and explore and respond to social justice issues.
Specific areas of study include Belonging – Our School Community, Lent and Easter, Scripture, Prayer, the Liturgical Year, the Eucharist, People who worked for justice in the Bible and Advent. Assessment takes a variety of forms, with students working both individually and in groups.
Meaningful prayer and engaging liturgy are integral to Religious Education. In Year 7, students are involved in a Reflection Day program that focuses on belonging and community, as well as attending a Year Level Mass. Students have the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In Semester One, English provides students with an introduction to the Victorian F-10 Curriculum as they undertake their transition into the College. The emphasis is on both written and spoken communication. Students will conceive, plan, compose, edit and publish fiction and non-fiction texts. They will develop skills in using appropriate language for particular purposes and audiences to represent and reflect on ideas, events, experiences, characters, emotions and information. Students will develop knowledge, skills and behaviours to co-operate with others and to contribute to the achievement of group goals. Students will also develop the ability to listen, view and respond with respect to content and context, displaying an understanding of communication and presentation conventions.
The focus of Semester Two is to read and comprehend both the literal and implied meanings in the prescribed texts, novels and films studied. Activities will assist students to explore the similarities and differences between different characters; identify and explore themes and issues; identify and justify different interpretations using evidence from the texts; and recognise the purpose, audience and context of the text and how this influences the reader. In the debating unit, students will debate a current issue, learning the speaker roles, how to rebut and how to speak in front of an audience. The poetry topic will focus on exposing students to a variety of poems and their structures, developing students’ ability to understand and use language in a controlled, deliberate way.
Students will consolidate and strengthen their abilities to work mathematically in concepts from each of the following content descriptors based on the Victorian Curriculum V2.0 F-10: Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics and Probability. Each topic that is covered will require students to be able to manipulate the information with and without the aid of technology. It is important, therefore, that students have a good understanding of the skills taught and are able to operate a calculator adeptly where appropriate.
There is also a need for students to develop and maintain a broad range of mathematical language. In order to achieve this successfully, each unit will encompass a literacy component. These components include, but are not limited to; glossaries, word concept comprehension, and the use of command words.
Students demonstrating high proficiency in Year 7 Mathematics - from previous assessment data, staff recommendation and diagnostic testing data - may be invited to apply for a place to study Enhanced Mathematics in place of their mainstream Mathematics in Year 8.
Foundation Mathematics (Invite only)
Foundation Mathematics follows the content descriptions based on the Victorian Curriculum V2.0 F-10: Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics and Probability but in a more scaffolded and supported manner. This class is intended for students who require more support in their mathematical learning and participation is by invitation only.
Year 7 Science introduces students to the foundations of biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth sciences. They explore cells, ecosystems, mixtures, forces, and the Earth–Sun–Moon system. Students begin to understand scientific inquiry by developing questions, making predictions, and conducting simple investigations. Emphasis is placed on observing patterns, using models, and communicating findings. Through hands-on activities and experiments, students learn how science impacts society and the environment. They also begin to consider ethical and cultural perspectives in science.
Throughout the year, students will explore essential components of the curriculum in History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship, as well as Economics and Business.
Our program emphasises the development of subject-specific practical skills in each area of study while fostering a profound understanding of the interconnections between historical events, human societies, and the contemporary world.
In Humanities, we encourage students to cultivate discernment and wisdom by studying diverse cultures and historical periods. We aim to instil curiosity in our students and guide them in critically engaging with global issues, empowering them to contribute to a more sustainable and hopeful future for all.
Students participate in a carefully designed program that develops fundamental motor skills, teamwork, and active participation through a range of activities including minor games, racquet sports, netball, and soccer.
In addition to practical sessions, students receive essential health education focused on life skills for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In Semester 2, the program emphasises growth and development.
Students engage in three practical classes and one health class every two weeks, providing a well-rounded educational experience.
All students in Year 7 study music as a core subject. Students will rehearse, interpret and present music in a range of styles. Year 7 students have the opportunity to learn an instrument including, woodwind, brass or strings during music class. This offers all Year 7 students a pathway into Loyola’s co - curricular ensembles for the remainder of their school years. Basic elements of music theory, with a strong emphasis on singing, rhythm and aural recognition will be studied, which will further enhance and develop practical skills on an instrument.
Year 7 students select two of the three Languages on offer: French, Indonesian or Italian. Previous experience and aptitude will determine each student’s Language Pathway Program.
French
The students are introduced to the French language, culture and lifestyle. Students will learn how to structure basic conversations, introducing oneself, asking how someone is feeling, talking about one’s nationality or nationalities. They will also learn about how to say their age, numbers, classroom objects and to talk about their family and animals. Students are introduced to basic French verbs as well as some simple grammatical structures such as definite and indefinite articles, possessive adjectives and adjectives.
Indonesian
Students are introduced to the Indonesian language, culture and geography and will explore the many diverse islands that make up Indonesia. Students cover a range of greetings and questions that are used when getting to know someone, including both formal and informal language. The course also teaches numbers, days of the week and dates. The unit on family focuses on how to introduce and describe themselves and other family members. The students also study a topic on school and the classroom including classroom instructions. Colours and parts of the body are also studied through interactive games and activities.
Italian
In Year 7, students begin their language learning journey by exploring topics such as greetings, introducing people and describing people with adjectives. They develop foundational skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through interactive activities and functional classroom language. Using a range of authentic resources, students learn to describe their personal worlds and interact with peers and teachers in simple Italian. They begin to reflect on language patterns and cultural values, making connections between Italian, English, and other languages they may know.
Enhanced Italian
Students learn about the Italian language and culture, building on their pathway from primary school. They continue building on their knowledge and skills of communicating functional classroom language. They use gestures and focus on speaking and listening to broaden their abilities in relation to their personal world, expanding into the world around them.
Students explore the following streams over the year.
Art
Students explore and use a variety of sources for inspiration and ideas in a broad range of art forms, drawing upon experiences, direct observation and imagination. They make art works combining and manipulating art elements and art principles. A variety of media and techniques are used to express ideas and produce a folio of experiments and trials using a variety of mediums and techniques. In this course students study artworks from different artists to gain inspiration for their own work.
Media
Students learn the production techniques involved in film narrative, including visual composition, sound, special effects and editing. Students use these new skills to analyse a wide variety of texts through the moving image as well as print media. To further their appreciation of storytelling, students will develop skills in radio, film and sound by creating their own narratives.
Visual Communication and Design
Communication is a vital aspect of our society and the ability to use the visual medium to communicate with others is an important skill that can be developed with study and practice. We focus on creating a basic understanding of the design processes involved in creating visual communications and how visual imagery is used as a communication tool in our society.
The areas of study include an introduction to digital, instrumental and freehand drawing; rendering techniques; illustration lay-out and presentation. Students learn how to apply two and three-dimensional drawing methods whilst creating a range of visual communications relating to real world applications and purposes.
Year 7 Dance is an engaging and fast-paced subject that teaches students the fundamental dance elements of Time, Space, and Energy, which serve as the foundation of all dances. This course challenges students to convey ideas through movement and collaborate in small groups to effectively build choreography that explores the elements of dance through the use of physical skills. Dance, an ancient form of storytelling, has historically been employed by Indigenous communities worldwide to pass on knowledge and teachings. This subject provides students with the opportunity to experience cultural dances, enhancing their appreciation and understanding of Indigenous cultures and the art of storytelling through movement.
Drama
Students are introduced to the knowledge and skills involved in learning to act on a stage for a live audience. Students begin by building foundational performance skills, with a specific focus on improvisation. Students develop improvisational abilities including portraying characters, maintaining focus, and use of expressive skills. Once students are confident and competent improvisers, they learn to enhance their performances through the production areas of lighting, set, sound, makeup/hair, costume, directing, and props both on the stage and behind-the-scenes. This culminates in students forming small production teams in which they write a script, utilise stagecraft to enhance their script, and present a live performance for an audience.
