The curriculum in Tasmanian schools, explained for parents.

Tasmania doesn't write its own curriculum. From Prep to Year 10, schools teach the Australian Curriculum set by ACARA, and Tasmanian government schools moved to Version 9 in 2023.^[1]

That's earlier than several other states. A child who was in Year 3 in 2023 has done every year since on Version 9.

One curriculum, many classrooms

Because Tasmania uses the national content as it stands, the topics in each year match the topics in Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory. Fractions in a Year 4 class in Launceston line up with fractions in a Year 4 class in Brisbane.

What changes from school to school is the teaching. A small district school on the West Coast and a large primary in Kingston will reach the same content in different ways and at different speeds. The end-of-year expectations are the same.

ACARA publishes every content description, so you can check exactly what your child's year covers.^[4]

How to read a curriculum code

Codes look cryptic but they're built the same way every time. Take AC9E5LY03:

English has three strands: Language (LA), Literature (LE) and Literacy (LY).^[5] Maths has six: Number (N), Algebra (A), Measurement (M), Space (SP), Statistics (ST) and Probability (P).^[4]

Reading a Tasmanian report

This is where Tasmania really is different. If you've moved from interstate, you might be looking for an A to E grade. You won't find one.

Since 2022, Tasmanian government schools have reported on a 9-point visual scale from Prep to Year 10, with a worded description of how your child is going against the standard expected for their year.^[2] It replaced A to E ratings for Years 1 to 10.^[3]

• The middle three points are all "at the expected standard". They show where in that range your child sits, so the middle of the scale is a good result, not an average one.^[3]
• Points below and above show a child working below or above the standard for their year.
• It's not a ranking. The scale compares your child with the curriculum, not with the rest of the class.

Reports come home in the middle and at the end of the year, and there are chances to talk with the teacher in Terms 2 and 3.^[2] Prep children get a conversation at mid-year and a report at the end of the year.^[2]

The department moved away from A to E after its 2020 review of reporting, where most families and teachers said they preferred a worded or visual description.^[3] Catholic and independent schools set their own report formats, so check with your school if yours looks different.

Where NAPLAN fits

NAPLAN is separate from school reports. It's the same national test in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, sat in March. Our NAPLAN guide explains what's in it.

Moving to or from Tasmania

Coming from Queensland, SA, the ACT or the NT, the topics carry straight across. From Victoria or New South Wales, a few topics sit in different years, so a repeated or skipped topic in the first term is normal. The bigger adjustment is usually the report: the 9-point scale takes one report cycle to get used to.