Our Integrated curriculum - a holistic approach centred in wellbeing
Developing self awareness and broader community awareness.
A key differentiator between the Dharma school curriculum and other curriculums is our integrated programs and approaches focused on awareness development, wellbeing and compassionate citizenship. These are additional to standard curriculum offerings, and have been designed to guide our students through personal discovery to self and social awareness, and broader community awareness. We believe that instilling our students with compassion, kindness, courage and generosity will equip them for living in an unknown future.
We are a funded Mental Health in Primary Schools recipient with a dedicated Wellbeing Leader.
The Australian Dharma Curriculum - exploring wellbeing through awareness development
This whole-school awareness programme is based on Buddhist principles and is integrated into the daily curriculum.
Our term Inquiry themes underpin the yearly curriculum and are maintained each year in the same sequence to ensure student familiarity and a sense of continuity. We use these themes to guide our learning.
- Term one: Wellbeing
- Term two: Social Harmony
- Term three: Environmental Balanc
- Term four: Cultural Diversity
Across each year of development, students explore topics that include:
Interdependence, Gratitude, Respect, Non-Harm, Honesty & Intent, Mindfulness, Aspiration, Courage, Generosity, Positive/Thoughtful Speech, Universal Responsibility, Difference, Humility, Patience, Contentment, Delight, Forgiveness, Loyalty, Kindness, Deep Listening and Loving Speech, Reverence for Life, Loving Thoughts towards Self and Others…
The Australian Dharma Curriculum is delivered through: mindfulness, meditation, discussion, reading and writing stories, drawing, art and craft, model-making, music, songs and movement, and role play.
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Mindfulness & Meditation
As a dharma school, the development of mindfulness and meditation is a key method for developing wisdom and compassion.
Mindfulness is integrated throughout the day by practicing pausing from activity, taking conscious breaths and returning to an inward concentration for a few moments. Across the day, a mindfulness bell is sounded for transition from play times and between classroom activities. In this way, we build familiarity and skill with mindfulness and gradually develop meditation through walking meditation, the practice of mindful eating and short periods of single pointed concentration.
Research has shown many benefits to meditation practice for children. Some of these benefits include:
- Meditation helps students to become more focused, calm, quiet, settled and rested, by providing them with opportunities to learn to relax and reflect.
- Ten to 12 minutes of meditation also enhances positivity and creativity among students, by reducing restlessness, nervousness and irritation.
- The largest effects of meditation are experienced by those areas of the brain which are responsible for happiness and positive feelings.
We practice a range of meditation techniques including breath awareness, body-scan, loving-kindness and walking.
Noble Silence
Noble silence is an awareness practice that occurs after the lunch break to transition into our afternoon learning. Students slow their body and mind down and allow a quiet inner depth of awareness and concentration to emerge. They intentionally choose to paint, craft, read, write or draw to engage with awareness by themselves. Noble Silence time is deeply valued by our students as they choose to go within and immerse in this open-hearted way of being.
Karma Yoga
For 15 minutes every day, each class performs specific cleaning and maintenance tasks. This encourages the collective responsibility of caring for our spaces, practical skills development, and a co-operative spirit. Our intent is to instill in the children an experience of performing selfless actions for the good of others, with humility and understanding its connection to the bigger picture.
Bush School
We introduced Bush School as a weekly part of our curriculum in 2022 to reflect the intent of the School’s mission to contribute to the growth of a more mindful and sustainable world. More specifically, the Dharma School values and supports children learning about and connecting with the natural environment.
The Bush School curriculum is designed to provide a weekly one day immersion in nature within the local Hepburn Region. The learning that occurs is via experiential, place-based experiences that embed the environmental, cultural, social, and historical aspects of local places. In these settings, it also provides a meaningful extension to the Awareness programme and our inquiries into Buddhist precepts and principles.
For the last few years we have focussed on developing a relationship to the land at the Cornish Hill Reserve, a short walk from the school. The students are involved in creating a wetlands habitat project with the Friends of Cornish Hill, they engage in the River Detectives program and weed removal and native plant revegetation and propagation. Over the years, students have left the legacy of a signed frog walk and nature journal boxes to develop more connections for visitors to Cornish Hill.
Research indicates there are many benefits for children taking part in nature-based learning which include the following, adapted from Early Years Learning in Australian Natural Environments by Hughes, Elliot, Anderson & Chandler (2022).
- The importance and value of connecting children with nature
- First Nations Peoples’ perspectives
- Advocacy for addressing climate change and sustainability
- Children’s agency
- Alignment with curriculum frameworks and learning outcomes across key learning areas
- Health and well-being aspects
Compassionate Citizenship through student-led project learning
Student-led, agentic learning that is supported by teachers to be motivated by values of compassionate citizenship, creates a powerful framework for character and learning development. It aligns with the core psychological needs that are required for a thriving child: agency, belonging and competence.
Building Competence and Autonomy
Shifting from being passive listeners to active learners allows students to tackle real-world community issues. These projects develop problem-solving skills, team work and resilience with tangible outcomes that build competence and confidence in their own abilities, as well as opportunities to apply their explicit knowledge.
Belonging & Purpose
Compassionate citizenship focuses student energy outward. Working collaboratively to solve community challenges deepens relationships with peers and community members. Seeing their actions make a visible, positive impact helps young people feel valued and a sense of community connectivity.
Enhancing Well-Being through Meaning
When students have a voice in their learning direction, intrinsic motivation tends to increase with school-resistance and anxiety decreasing. Combining student agency with compassion, ensures their independence is rooted in a shared purpose that brings benefit while providing psychological benefit and buffers.