The Australian Curriculum
At Our Lady of Dolours, teaching and learning are grounded in our shared commitment to Living, Loving and Learning in Christ. Guided by our vision to grow as a Marian community with a love of learning, we create classrooms where students are supported to become confident, compassionate and resilient learners who care for others and the world around them. Our learning experiences reflect our values of wisdom, justice and compassion, encouraging students to question, reflect and take responsibility for their learning and their actions.
Our Lady of Dolours teaching and learning is shaped by the Australian Curriculum. The Australian Curriculum is structured around three interconnected dimensions that define what students should know, understand and be able to do from Foundation to Year 10.
Dimension 1: The Learning Areas
The learning areas outline the discipline or subject- based knowledge that is to be taught. These are our core subjects, holding primary position in the curriculum. These are;
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- HaSS (Humanities and Social Sciences)
- The Arts: Music, Visual Arts, Drama, Media Arts, Dance
- HPE (Health & Physical Education)
- Technologies: Digital and Design Technologies
- Languages: Japanese
Our Lady of Dolours offers all subject areas to all year levels from Prep- Year 6.
Dimension 2: General Capabilities
These are 7 capabilities developed and applied across learning areas to help students live and work successfully.
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability
- Personal and Social Capability
- Ethical Understanding
- Intercultural Understanding
Dimension 3: Cross-Curriculum Priorities
These three priorities are embedded, where relevant, to ensure the curriculum reflects national, regional, and global contexts.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures: Engaging with Indigenous knowledge and perspectives.
- Asia and Australia's Engagement with Asia: Fostering understanding of the region.
- Sustainability: Addressing environmental, social, and economic futures.
Further information about the Australian Curriculum can be found here.
The Vision of Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School is coherent with the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and reflects the purpose of Catholic education in Queensland to provide formation of the whole person through Gospel-centred learning.
The school’s Vision states: “As a Marian community with a love of learning, we are connected as one, aspiring to be like Christ, caring for our neighbour and our common home”. This expresses a clear commitment to faith-informed learning, relational community and responsibility for creation.
This commitment aligns with Goal 2 of the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration, which affirms that education should support all young Australians to become successful lifelong learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed members of the community.
The school’s emphasis on a love of learning reflects the Declaration’s focus on developing learners who are motivated, engaged and capable of continuing to learn throughout life. This supports Catholic education’s understanding of learning as both academic growth and personal formation.
The Vision’s focus on being connected as one and caring for our neighbour aligns with the Declaration’s expectation that young
people develop empathy, moral and ethical integrity, and a commitment to the common good as active members of their communities. These elements reflect Gospel values that underpin Catholic schooling in Queensland.
The commitment to caring for our common home is consistent with the Declaration’s emphasis on responsibility for natural and social environments and the formation of learners who contribute to sustainable futures.
The school’s explicit Catholic and Marian identity is supported by Goal 1 of the Declaration, which recognises and supports the role of faith-based education sectors within an Australian education system committed to excellence and equity.
Overall, the Vision of Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School demonstrates clear coherence with national education goals while expressing a distinctly Queensland Catholic understanding of education that integrates faith, learning, wellbeing, community and stewardship of creation, consistent with NASSB accreditation requirements.
The Vision of Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School aligns with the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration through its commitment to Gospel-centred learning, lifelong learning, community connection and care for creation. This alignment supports the formation of students as confident learners and active members of the community within a faith-based context that promotes excellence and equity.
Overall, the Vision of Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School demonstrates clear coherence with national education goals while expressing a distinctly Queensland Catholic understanding of education that integrates faith, learning, wellbeing, community and stewardship of creation, consistent with NASSB accreditation requirements.
© Brisbane Catholic Education, Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School (2026)