Core Knowledge
Core Knowledge at Torquay College
At Torquay College, our Core Knowledge program is designed to build strong, shared understanding for every student through a carefully sequenced approach to learning.
It provides a consistent foundation across year levels, ensuring all students develop the knowledge and language needed to think critically, communicate clearly, and engage confidently with the world around them.
What our Core Knowledge covers
Our program is aligned with the Victorian Curriculum and draws on rich, high-quality content across key learning areas, including:
- Humanities
- Economics
- Science
- Civics & Citizenship
Through these areas, students build background knowledge, topic vocabulary, and deeper understanding of big ideas that connect across learning.
How we teach for knowledge and agency
We use a range of carefully selected units, including Ochre and Read to Learn, to support a structured, evidence-informed approach to teaching and learning.
Our model is built around two connected phases:
1) Explicit teaching to build knowledge (Mode A)
Teachers explicitly teach key concepts, vocabulary, and essential understandings.
Students learn through clear instruction, guided practice, and consistent routines that support comprehension and retention.
2) Deeper exploration through student interest (Mode B)
Once students have a strong foundation, learning shifts into Mode B, where students are supported to explore and extend their understanding in ways that connect to their interests.
This phase promotes student agency by giving students opportunities to inquire, create, apply, and demonstrate learning with increasing independence—while still guided by clear learning intentions and success criteria.
Why Core Knowledge matters
By building knowledge first and then providing structured opportunities for exploration, we ensure students:
- develop strong conceptual understanding
- gain the language needed for success across the curriculum
- make meaningful connections between topics and real-
- world contexts
- grow their confidence, curiosity, and voice as learners
Our Core Knowledge approach supports both high expectations and high support, helping every student thrive through explicit teaching, rich content, and opportunities to learn with purpose and agency.