Gleeson College Curriculum Guide 2026 - Middle Years | 20 Year 8 Subjects Welcome Learning at Gleeson College Gleeson Staff Contacts Year 7 Overview Subjects Year 8 Overview Subjects Year 9 Overview Subjects LANGUAGE LEARNING AREA: English LENGTH: Full Year SELECTION: By invitation LEARNING SUMMARY: Students develop foundational literacy skills, including knowledge of parts of speech, sentence structure, and single paragraph construction. The course content is delivered through explicit instruction to support students in building strong literacy foundations and expressing themselves through coherent writing. These skills enhance their ability to communicate effectively and benefit learning across all subject areas. Entry into this subject is by invitation only, and replaces study of Italian or Japanese. ASSESSMENT: This is a non-graded subject. Feedback on student achievement is provided via regular progress checks. MATHEMATICS LEARNING SUMMARY: Students develop mathematical understanding, fluency, problem-solving, and reasoning skills, building their confidence in applying mathematics to both abstract and contextual situations. Key topics include BEDMAS with integers, applying percentages, rates, and ratio, algebra focusing on the distributive law, multi-step linear equations and relationships, Pythagoras’ theorem, measurement with 2D and 3D shapes, the effects of sampling in statistics, similarity and congruence in geometry, exponents, and probability of multi-step chance experiments. The course encourages logical thinking and effective strategies for solving a wide range of mathematical problems. ASSESSMENT: Students demonstrate their learning through tests and mathematical investigations. LEARNING AREA: Mathematics LENGTH: Full Year SELECTION: Compulsory MUSIC CREATION LEARNING AREA: The Arts LENGTH: Semester SELECTION: Elective LEARNING SUMMARY: Students explore the essential elements of music and develop their creativity by composing original songs using physical instruments or music technology programs such as Soundtrap or GarageBand. They deepen their understanding of how music is constructed through the study of rhythm, melody, harmony, and form. Using digital music tools, students create original compositions that reflect personal expression and technical skill. They also refine their listening and analytical abilities by evaluating their own works and those of others, applying appropriate technical vocabulary. ASSESSMENT: Students demonstrate their learning through performance, reflection, and theory tasks.