Teachers at Mackenzie State Special School collaborate to design units that align with the Australian Curriculum. These units ensure our students engage in purposeful and age equivalent curriculum and cater for their individual needs and skills. This approach addresses all Learning Areas across cohorts, promoting a well-rounded education.
Students in Prep to Year 10 have an Individual Curriculum Plan (ICP) which specifies the level the students are accessing the curriculum. Students access the curriculum at a level that caters for their individual needs. Some students require a Highly Individualised Curriculum Plan (HICP) which consists of a communicative focus, while other students access the curriculum through a Different Year Level - Partial ICP with a focus on differentiated academics.
The focus for students in Years 11 & 12 is to deliver individualised curriculum using the Guide for Individual Learning (GIL) as a framework that leads to a Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement (QCIA). These students engage in various post school preparation programs, both on and offsite, to acquire skills outlined in the GIL, with a focus on Communication and Literacy foundation tools for overall learning improvement.
Mackenzie Special School places significant emphasis on literacy and numeracy, employing explicit teaching methods across all grades. Each year, the school outlines a specific focus for improved student learning in its Annual Improvement Plan.
Functional literacy and numeracy opportunities are integrated into class programs, while micro-industries and specialist lessons allow students to apply and generalize their developing skills in meaningful holistic contexts.