The Valdocco Program for Year 9 students combines traditional teaching and learning approaches with applied learning approaches.
The Valdocco Program
The motivation and engagement of students should be the core objective of a successful teaching and learning model in order for students to have a depth of understanding that is beyond the knowledge about ‘facts’ and to allow them to apply their learning across disciplines.
The Valdocco Program has been designed to address a number of perceived limitations in the traditional approaches to the teaching of Year 9 boys.
These include low student engagement, poor skill development in higher order thinking skills and low literacy competencies.
The Valdocco Program maintains as core elements of its educational program the traditional four R’s of Catholic Education; Religious Education, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. An experiential learning approach for these core subjects areas and associated learning experiences is employed.
A desired outcome of the Valdocco Program is to engage students as active participants in their development as life long learners. The Valdocco Program aims to set and maintain habits of behaviour that will serve to prepare the boys to function as active and productive members of communities, presently and in the future.
Any one who has taught in the middle years is likely to be aware that the students’ behaviour at Year 9 is not typical of behaviours across all year levels. As such a specialised program is most relevant. →
The Valdocco Program provides an opportunity for specialised teaching and student management and curriculum delivery in a way previously unattainable at this school using traditional methods. The design of the Valdocco experience provides for students’ development in a safe and responsive environment.
Students at Valdocco also participate in an Outdoor Education Program and Friday Program.
As part of the Outdoor Education program students experience a seven-day expedition to the Baw Baw Mountains, Victoria. Its purpose is to further develop the students’ resilience and preparation to take on challenges.
The Friday Program is theme based. The four themes include: My Community, My Town, My City and My Market. As part of this program students participate in a term long city experience, travelling to the City of Melbourne each Friday during Term 3. The students complete a series of integrated learning units exploring many of the cultural features of the city.
Consolidation and Extension
Boys develop their full potential at varied rates across their schooling. For many, a standard program could be more or less than challenging. Consequently, through careful assessment processes teachers are able to cater for individual differences within and beyond the mainstream classroom. The Valdocco Team provide a regular homework and revision support program after school. In addition, the campus has its own Learning Support Tutorial program.
Learning extension opportunities are also available at Valdocco. In addition to the provision of differentiated challenging curriculum programs, students can also choose to undertake VET studies. An accelerated Maths Program is available to students who demonstrate advanced skills.
