Mark Oliphant College delivers a coherent Birth to Year 12 curriculum aligned with Department for Education direction and underpinned by the Public Education Strategy. Our work is guided by the commitment that every child and young person can thrive, and that learning recognises and develops the whole learner – academic, social, emotional, cultural, and personal.
In the Early Years, educators are guided by the Early Years Learning Framework and Preschool Literacy and Numeracy Indicators, using intentional and play-based pedagogies to build strong foundations in communication, identity, wellbeing, and early learning. Across all settings, inclusive education practices and tailored learning approaches ensure that children with diverse learning needs are supported to participate fully and experience success from the beginning of their learning journey.
Across the Primary and Middle Years, curriculum design aligns with the South Australian Curriculum, with a deliberate focus on essential knowledge and skills, conceptual understanding, and transferable capabilities. Teaching practices emphasise clarity, explicit instruction, structured practice, and rich dialogue, with increasing learner agency over time. Differentiated instruction, English as an Additional Language or Dialect support, and language learning programs including Indonesian strengthen access, equity, and intercultural understanding for all learners.
In the Senior Years, learning and assessment align with the South Australian Certificate of Education, supporting students to pursue personalised and future-focused pathways into further education, training, or employment. Students are provided with cross-disciplinary learning opportunities, including Activating Identities and Futures and Exploring Identities and Futures, which foster critical thinking, identity development, and real-world application of learning alongside subject-specific studies.
Across all year levels, we intentionally develop learners’ dispositions for success, including curiosity, persistence, effort, self-regulation, collaboration, and a growth mindset. Our pedagogical approach is evidence-informed and consistent from Preschool through to Year 12, prioritising high expectations, inclusive practice, culturally responsive learning environments, and tailored pathways. This creates the conditions for students to engage deeply, strengthen wellbeing, and thrive as confident learners and responsible community members.
At Mark Oliphant College, my purpose is to cultivate a vibrant learning culture where every young person can flourish. I believe in public education’s power to ignite curiosity, strengthen confidence and community, and advance equitable, evidence-informed teaching and true learner agency so all students feel valued, capable and ready to thrive.
Assistant Principal Whole College Teaching & Learning
As Literacy Improvement Leader and EALD Coordinator at Mark Oliphant College, I oversee literacy development across all year levels, with a key focus on our foundational literacy program: InitiaLit. My aim is to ensure every student develops the core skills to succeed academically and beyond.
Whole College Literacy Improvement Leader
The Arts Coordinator
HPE Coordinator
Technologies Coordinator
Science Coordinator
English Coordinator
Maths Coordinator
Tailored Learning Curriculum Leader
Aboriginal Education Coordinator
Secondary Years, Inclusion Leader
Positive Behaviour for Learning Year 11 & Cross Disciplinary
HASS Coordinator
We believe that the development of literacy is vital for learning and well-being.
Every child and young adult should be able to read, write, spell and communicate at an appropriate level.
It is important that the skills, knowledge and understandings of literacy are developed in children at an early age. These skills, knowledge and understandings must become increasingly sophisticated as these children grow into young adults and the literacy demands themselves become more sophisticated.
Literacy is taught within English by all classroom teachers from Reception to Year 6 and by specialist English teachers from Years 7 to 12. It is also everyone’s responsibility as it is integrated into all specialist subjects R-12.
Numeracy is fundamental to a learner’s ability to learn at school and to engage productively in society. It involves the recognition, formulation and interpretation of mathematics, and its application to real-world problems and contexts. At Mark Oliphant College, we monitor learner progression through the Big Ideas in Number using the Year 1 Numeracy Check, NAPLAN, and Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT) to proactively identify areas for growth and strengths to plan appropriate intervention strategies for each learner.
At Mark Oliphant College, students study Indonesian from Foundation to Year 12, building strong language skills and deep cultural understanding across their learning journey. Our Languages program nurtures key dispositions such as being community-minded, reflective and empathetic, supporting students to see themselves as active global citizens.
Students develop essential capabilities including self and social responsibility, multilingual thinking and intercultural communication, enabling them to engage confidently and respectfully with diverse communities.
Through the study of Indonesian, learners build important knowledge of identity and belonging, language systems, and the interrelationship of language and culture, strengthening both their communication skills and their understanding of the world around them.
At Mark Oliphant College, we proudly embrace the rich diversity of our highly multicultural cohort. Our community reflects a wide range of cultural backgrounds, languages, and experiences, and we see this as a strength that enriches learning for all students. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every learner feels valued, respected, and supported as they develop their English language skills.
We recognise that students come to us at different stages of their English language learning journey, and we are dedicated to supporting all learners accordingly. Whether students are building foundational skills or refining their academic English, our approach is responsive and tailored to individual needs. Our goal is to ensure equity of outcomes for every student, regardless of whether they have lived in Australia their whole lives, or joining an Australian school community for the first time during their teenage years.
To achieve this, we provide targeted literacy interventions from Foundation through to Year 9, with a strong focus on developing reading, writing, and oral language skills. In the Primary Years, our EALD Student Support Officers work with students to improve their literacy skills and ensure they are successful in all subjects. In the Middle Years, our specialist EALD teachers provided literacy intervention to students up to four lessons per week. In addition, we offer specialised EALD classes for students in Years 9 to 11 who are transitioning the mainstream schooling, ensuring they receive the focused support needed to succeed across all areas of their learning.
Through these programs, we empower EALD learners to build confidence, achieve academic success, and fully participate in school life.