Description
Australian schools are made up of learners from diverse social, cultural, family and community backgrounds. Each learner brings a wide range of physical, cognitive, sensory and social-emotional abilities to the classroom, contributing unique experiences, strengths and ideas. The Australian Curriculum recognises and values this diversity, supporting teachers to flexibly design teaching, learning and assessment that is coherent, sequenced and responsive to the capabilities of all learners.
Key points
- School and curriculum leaders lead inclusive curriculum implementation by ensuring from the outset that planning, teaching and assessment respond to the full range of learners across the school.
- The Curriculum, Abilities, Standards, Evaluate (CASE) model guides the process of aligning curriculum with student capabilities. Using the CASE model promotes equitable access to meaningful learning and improved outcomes for all learners.
- The Australian Curriculum website includes resources and strategies that support the development of inclusive, equitable and relevant learning experiences for all learners.
- Aspect overview
- Guiding questions and AITSL standards
- Support resources
- Research and further reading
CASE model
School and curriculum leaders guide teachers as they align curriculum to student capabilities, ensuring that all learners have access to the curriculum and are able to participate and progress in their learning. The Curriculum, Abilities, Standards, Evaluate (CASE) model provides a structured approach to planning inclusive and equitable teaching, learning and assessment opportunities for all learners. It ensures that all learners can access content and participate in learning on the same basis as their peers. Utilising the CASE model enables teachers to implement the Australian Curriculum in ways that are responsive to unique school contexts and the identities, abilities and experiences of all learners.
Originally designed to assist teachers to plan for students with disabilities, the CASE model is now recognised as a process that supports inclusive and equitable planning for all learners within a class. High expectations are set for all learners through consideration of curriculum requirements and the range of student abilities, and the implementation of evaluation processes.
Using the CASE model prompts school leaders and teachers to consider all learners at the beginning of the planning process. It supports approaches to planning that provide multiple ways to represent content and proactively reduce barriers to learning, ensuring planning processes are responsive and equitable for all.
The CASE model can be utilised across all educational settings. By implementing the CASE model, teachers can ensure:
- all learners can access and engage with the curriculum and communicate their learning through multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression
- Australian Curriculum achievement standards are used as a common reference point for assessing and reporting student progress
- evaluation of implementation approaches is included as an essential step in planning for student learning.
Further advice and guidance for school leaders and teachers to understand and use the CASE model can be located on the Planning for diversity page. When planning for a range of learners, teachers are encouraged to look closely at the advice provided by jurisdictions and school sectors. This advice can be found in the “Jurisdiction and sector resources” section of the Student diversity page.
Curriculum
The ‘C’ in CASE stands for Curriculum, recognising that all learners should access knowledge, understanding and skills drawn from the Australian Curriculum. Teachers use their understanding of the aims and content of each learning area to structure coherent, sequenced teaching and relevant learning opportunities for all learners.
Each learning area emphasises the need for teachers to design inclusive and relevant learning experiences, which respond to the capabilities of all learners. The “Understand this learning area” material for each learning area outlines strategies that can be implemented to support the learning growth of all learners, recognising and valuing their diverse languages, cultures, abilities and talents.
The Australian Curriculum values diversity by providing for multiple means of representation, action, expression and engagement, and allows schools the flexibility to respond to the diversity of learners within their community. Each learning area provides specific advice and strategies which can be used to guide planning for engagement and relevant learning opportunities that optimise learning for all.
Understand this learning area: English includes the following advice and strategies.
The English curriculum is for all students. It is recognised that some students may require adjustments to support how they see, hear and/or process language. Students may require access to a wide range of approaches including, but not limited to:
- auditory, visual and kinaesthetic methods of instruction
- simultaneous learning modes such as combinations of listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing resources
- resources such as picture cues for words or hand and mouth movements to illustrate a sound
- peer-assisted learning
- challenging individual and group extension activities
- devices, mnemonics, rhythms and rhymes to reinforce vocabulary, expressions and features
- alternatives to representing understanding including drawing, role-play and digital tools.
Understand this learning area: Mathematics includes the following advice to guide planning.
Mathematics responds to the diversity of students in the mathematics classroom by connecting familiar experiences and objects in students’ lives. Familiar objects and situations add meaning to any mathematics exploration and help all students understand and use what they have learnt. Responding to student diversity also provides opportunities to deepen students’ understanding of mathematics and its applications. Strategies that could support the diverse needs of students in mathematics include providing:
- exposure to mathematical tasks to engage the intellect and interest of students
- classroom discourse that promotes the investigation and growth of mathematical ideas
- technology and other tools to access and pursue mathematical investigations and other problem-solving tasks
- experience with mathematical concepts using multisensory methods to stimulate thinking skills
- access to familiar objects to represent and solve mathematical problems; coins, blocks, counters, buttons or other small objects can be used to demonstrate concepts such as greater than, less than and equal to, counting, adding, subtracting, sharing, grouping and fractions
- scaffolding procedures and processes using step-by-step instruction, demonstrating how to solve mathematical problems.
Teachers can access Key considerations in the “Understand this learning area” material as they view the curriculum content for each learning area on the Australian Curriculum website.
Student belonging, wellbeing and whole-school curriculum planning
Evidence demonstrates that when schools intentionally recognise and responsively plan for the diverse range of learners within their community, students are more likely to develop a strong sense of belonging. School belonging has been recognised as a significant predictor of a broad range of positive student outcomes, including enhanced psychological wellbeing, improved behaviour, stronger engagement, and higher academic achievement (AERO, 2025).
Belonging is a foundational element of social and emotional learning (SEL). When implemented effectively, SEL promotes positive student behaviour, mental health, and deep engagement with learning (Durlak, Mahoney & Boyle, 2022). Students with well-developed social and emotional skills are better equipped to regulate themselves, build constructive relationships, and navigate challenges. They develop resilience, empathy, and a sense of self-worth — qualities essential for both effective learning and active citizenship.
The Australian Curriculum also embeds this learning focus through the Personal and Social general capability, highlighting opportunities for all learners to grow in their ability to manage emotions, collaborate effectively, resolve conflict, and set goals. Personal and Social capability encompasses emotional and relational skills that underpin lifelong success in learning, work, and relationships.
School and curriculum leaders play a key role in supporting teachers to identify connections to the Personal and Social capability when planning in and across learning areas, ensuring these skills are explicitly taught and developed within relevant contexts. A whole-school approach to the integration of the Personal and Social capability provides all learners with opportunities to practise skills and strategies in varied contexts, reinforcing their application in real-life situations.
School and curriculum leaders may also consider other curriculum leadership aspects to support the development of a whole-school approach to including all learners. Consider the following questions when making decisions about existing approaches and the needs of staff when developing a whole-school approach implementing the Australian Curriculum.
Building teacher capability
What supports/resources do teachers require to build their capability when planning for all learners?
Using the Australian Curriculum
How will all dimensions of the curriculum be used to plan for the range of learners?
Sequencing learning
What supports/resources do teachers require to design coherent learning sequences that are responsive to student capabilities and enable every student to engage meaningfully and inclusively with the curriculum?
Aligning curriculum and assessment
How will whole-school approaches ensure assessments align with achievement standards while offering multiple ways for students to demonstrate their learning?
Planning for multi-age classes
How will the CASE model support teachers when planning for multi-age classes?
Engaging with community
How will having strong and effective community relationships support effective planning for all learners?
Evaluating resources
How will resource allocations be influenced by the range of learners in the school?
Reflect–Act–Evaluate cycle
The Reflect–Act–Evaluate cycle is a practical framework designed to support continuous improvement. It encourages thoughtful engagement by guiding leaders through 3 key phases.
Reflect: this phase invites leaders to pause and consider current practices, beliefs and outcomes. It promotes deeper understanding by asking, “What is happening?” and “Why is it happening?” before moving to action.
Act: based on insights gained through reflection, this phase focuses on intentional decision-making and implementation. It asks, “What will we do?” and “How will we do it?” to ensure actions are purposeful and aligned with school priorities.
Evaluate: after action is taken, this phase supports review and learning. It prompts leaders to ask, “What changed?” and “What did we learn?” to assess impact and inform future cycles of improvement.
Figure 1: The Reflect–Act–Evaluate cycle
Guiding questions
The guiding questions in the accordions below are structured around the ‘Reflect–Act–Evaluate' cycle to help school and curriculum leaders reflect on current approaches to curriculum implementation and lead discussions with teachers.
School and curriculum leaders should select from these questions to support decision-making and discussions when reflecting on, actioning and evaluating the effective use of the Australian Curriculum to respond to the capabilities of all learners.
Reflect How is curriculum content used to ensure that all learners, regardless of starting point, progress in their learning?
Act How will we use content from the Australian Curriculum to ensure all learners have opportunities to progress in their learning?
Evaluate How successfully did curriculum planning and delivery enable all learners to make progress?
Reflect How do we use learning data to inform curriculum planning and differentiation?
Act How will we use knowledge of learners’ learning and level of abilities to adjust content from the Australian Curriculum?
Evaluate How effectively did we use data to inform adjustments to curriculum planning?
Reflect How do we recognise and respond to the capabilities, needs, interests, experiences and backgrounds of all learners in our context?
Act How will we provide meaningful and contextually relevant learning opportunities that actively respond to the capabilities of students?
Evaluate What evidence shows that the learning opportunities were meaningful, contextually relevant, and appropriate to support all student learning?
Reflect How do we recognise and remove/reduce barriers to student access of teaching, learning and assessment opportunities?
Act What approaches to removing and reducing identified barriers will we implement?
Evaluate How effective were our approaches in reducing barriers to student access and learning?
Reflect How do we value the capabilities of all learners through provision of multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression?
Act What are some approaches to providing multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression teachers will use when planning for student learning?
Evaluate How well did the implemented approaches enable diverse ways for students to engage, represent, act, and express learning?
Reflect How do we uphold rigour and equity to ensure learners can show achievement through multiple means?
Act How will we offer purposeful opportunities for learners to show what they know in relation to the achievement standards?
Evaluate What options successfully gave learners opportunities to demonstrate their learning in relation to the achievement standards?
Reflect How do we align tasks with achievement standards for all learners?
Act How will we develop tasks that allow all learners to demonstrate the skills, knowledge and/or understandings associated with the achievement standards?
Evaluate What evidence shows tasks supported all learners to demonstrate achievement standard skills and knowledge?
Reflect How do we track and respond to students’ learning progress?
Act How will we respond if learning is proceeding through the curriculum at a faster or slower rate than had been anticipated in the learning plan?
Evaluate To what extent did our monitoring and actions support students whose progress differed from the plan?
Reflect How do we use the curriculum to develop meaningful goals for all students?
Act How will we support all learners in setting and tracking goals?
Evaluate What progress is linked to student goal setting and tracking?
AITSL Standards
School and curriculum leaders are responsible for ensuring all learners have equitable access to the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to be able to learn, contribute and shape their world now and in the future. Supporting teachers to understand and use all components of the CASE model is an essential starting point for initiating these discussions.
The information that follows outlines the relevant standards from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Australian Professional Standard for Principals, Australian Professional Standards for Middle Leaders and the Australian Professional Standards for teachers: Lead career stage. These standards have been identified to support school and curriculum leaders in implementing whole‑school approaches to including all learners.
Professional Practice: Leading teaching and learning
- Principals create a positive culture of challenge and support, enabling effective teaching that promotes enthusiastic, independent learners, committed to lifelong learning. Principals have a key responsibility for developing a culture of effective teaching, for leading, designing and managing the quality of teaching and learning and for students’ achievement in all aspects of their development. They set high expectations for the whole school through careful collaborative planning, monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of learning. Principals set high standards of behaviour and attendance, encouraging active engagement and a strong student voice.
Professional Practice: Engaging and working with the community
- Principals embrace inclusion and help build a culture of high expectations that takes account of the richness and diversity of the wider school community and the education systems and sectors. They develop and maintain positive partnerships with students, families and carers and all those associated with the wider school community. They create an ethos of respect taking account of the spiritual, moral, social and physical health and wellbeing of students. They promote sound lifelong learning from preschool through to adult life. They recognise the multicultural nature of Australia’s people. They foster understanding and reconciliation with Indigenous cultures. They recognise and use the rich and diverse linguistic and cultural resources in the school community. They recognise and support the needs of students, families and carers from communities facing complex challenges.
Core Standards
Standard 4 Coordinating high-impact teaching and learning
- Middle leaders can have responsibilities for coordinating the delivery of quality programs of instruction to build students’ content knowledge and skills with high expectations of student progress and achievement. Practices within this standard align curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to meet learner needs and maximise learning progress for all learners. In demonstrating the practices described in this standard the middle leader will draw, in particular, on deep knowledge of evidence based teaching practices combined with educational insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn. They will also draw on their knowledge of curriculum content, progressions and assessment to enable student learning progress to be monitored and improved over time.
4a Curriculum
- Providing a clear, structured and knowledge rich curriculum with high expectations of systematically building students’ content knowledge, skills and understandings to enable learning progress for all students.
4b Pedagogy
- Prioritising the use of effective, evidence based teaching strategies and application of insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn, to optimise systematic deep learning through effective pedagogical practices.
Standard 6 Managing effectively
- Middle leaders use their management knowledge and skills to optimise processes, systems and resources to enable a clear focus on improving student learning. Middle leaders work strategically in their sphere of influence to lead the implementation of the school’s strategic agenda by planning and scheduling implementation strategies. They identify evidence-based team strategic goals and establish mechanisms for accountability, negotiating the adoption of these goals with the principal and other senior school leaders. They provide advice and information to the principal and other senior leaders and share insights from the staff they lead and from collected evidence about the effectiveness of operational and strategic matters.
- Middle leaders implement required policies and processes ethically and transparently, ensuring procedural fairness. Middle leaders implement performance and development processes and performance management processes to maximise staff performance. Middle leaders ensure staff and student routines are fit for purpose and consistently implemented to prioritise instructional time. Middle leaders strategically and transparently manage resources to meet the priority goals of their school and the diverse needs of their students. They increase the time available to teachers by leading the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning and streamline administrative and record keeping systems and processes. Middle leaders recognise teaching staff as the single most powerful in-school influence on student learning and ensure a safe, supportive and orderly learning environment where all students are included and diversity is valued.
6d Resource allocation
- Strategically managing resources in a fair, inclusive and transparent manner that meets the diverse learning needs of students and monitor its impact. Resources may include staff, budget, teacher and student time, teaching materials, and technology.
Professional knowledge
Standard 1 Know students and how they learn
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
- Lead colleagues to select and develop teaching strategies to improve student learning using knowledge of the physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students.
1.2 Understand how students learn
- Lead processes to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching programs using research and workplace knowledge about how students learn.
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
- Evaluate and revise school learning and teaching programs, using expert and community knowledge and experience, to meet the needs of students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
- Develop teaching programs that support equitable and ongoing participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by engaging in collaborative relationships with community representatives and parents/ carers.
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
- Lead colleagues to evaluate the effectiveness of learning and teaching programs differentiated for the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities.
1.6 Strategies to support full participation of students with disability
- Initiate and lead the review of school policies to support the engagement and full participation of students with disability and ensure compliance with legislative and/or system policies.
Professional practice
Standard 4 Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
4.1 Support student participation
- Demonstrate and lead by example the development of productive and inclusive learning environments across the school by reviewing inclusive strategies and exploring new approaches to engage and support all students.
4.2 Manage classroom activities
- Initiate strategies and lead colleagues to implement effective classroom management and promote student responsibility for learning.
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
- Lead and implement behaviour management initiatives to assist colleagues to broaden their range of strategies.
4.4 Maintain student safety
- Evaluate the effectiveness of student wellbeing policies and safe working practices using current school and/or system, curriculum and legislative requirements and assist colleagues to update their practices.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Lead Career Stage
Staff meeting resources
These resources provide a structured starting point for collaborative discussion and reflection on current approaches to whole-school curriculum planning. They include facilitator notes, activity documents and supporting presentation slides designed to guide whole-school reflection and planning.
The materials are flexible and can be adapted to suit different school contexts, priorities and focus areas for discussion.
The facilitator notes and accompanying presentation slides have been developed to support whole group discussions when reflecting on current approaches to including all learners.
Presentation materials
Including all learners facilitator notes
Including all learners PowerPoint presentation
Documents
Including all learners reflection
Professional learning for school and curriculum leaders
ACARA has developed a professional learning course to support school and curriculum leaders to develop a deeper understanding of the advice, resources and research in the Including all learners aspect. This course will support leaders to
- understand and apply the Curriculum, Abilities, Standards, Evaluation (CASE) model to lead curriculum implementation that responds to the full range of learners across the school
- review resources to support student belonging, wellbeing and whole-school curriculum planning.
This course supports school and curriculum leaders to reflect on current practice and initiate planning a whole-school approach to curriculum implementation
Access to this course is through ACARA’s Professional Learning Hub.
Student diversity
Effective curriculum leadership requires a strong understanding of the range of learners in our schools and the ways the Australian Curriculum supports inclusive practice.
The Student diversity information provides targeted advice and resources to support leaders and teachers to plan for all students, including those with diverse learning needs. This information focuses on supporting 3 nationally recognised priority cohorts:
- Students with disability
- Gifted and talented students
- English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) learners.
The guidance provides advice on using the Australian Curriculum to plan and implement inclusive approaches that support access, participation and achievement for these students. Further advice is available through linked national, jurisdiction and sector guidance pages, supporting alignment with local policy and practice.
Other national bodies such as Education Services Australia (ESA), Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) and Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) all offer resources and advice to support school and curriculum leaders as they work with teachers on planning for all learners.
Education Services Australia
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
Spotlight – Inclusive education: Teaching students with disability
Australian Education Research Organisation
Supporting the diverse needs of students
CASE model professional learning
Professional learning modules are available in ACARA’s Professional Learning Hub to support teachers to deepen their understanding of the CASE model as a framework to support inclusive and equitable planning for all learners.
This course supports teachers in developing a deeper understanding of the CASE model for personalised learning, including how to:
- deconstruct the chronological age/year level achievement standards and content descriptions in the Australian Curriculum
- identify the strengths and potential barriers to learning (functional impact/s) for both an entire class and individual learners (Tiers 1 to 3)
- apply universally designed strategies and instructional, environmental and curriculum adjustments to address all learners’ strengths and barriers to learning (functional impact/s).
Curriculum connections to support wellbeing and relationships
The Curriculum connections resources support educators to see the interrelationships across the dimensions of the Australian Curriculum on various themes. They provide multiple pathways to search, access and organise content to support implementation of the Australian Curriculum and student learning from Foundation to Year 10. Curriculum connections strengthen whole-school approaches to embedding social and emotional learning in the curriculum.
Mental health and wellbeing education focuses on strategies to maintain and enhance individual and community mental health and wellbeing. Wellbeing is defined in this resource as “a sense of wellness and quality of life or the capacity to look after their own or others’ health, safety and relationships, including developing and maintaining a healthy relationship with digital tools”. For more information, access the Understand this curriculum connection: Mental health and wellbeing page.
Today, students learn, develop relationships and work both online and offline. It is important that children and young people have an extensive knowledge of online safety in different contexts and situations to help support safe online engagement with learning, relationships and work. For more information, access the Understand this curriculum connection: Online safety page.
Respectful relationships education is the holistic approach to school-based, primary prevention of gender-based violence, inclusive of school policy, programs, practices and partnerships (Our Watch, 2021). Respectful relationships education provides opportunities for children and young people to develop and reflect on knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours that relate to respectful, equal and non-violent relationships. For more information, access the Understand this curriculum connection: Respectful relationships page.
Research
AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2025) Evidence-based practices in school settings for student wellbeing, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) (n.d.) What Does the Research Say?, CASEL, accessed 13 January 2026.
Durlak J, Mahoney J and Boyle A (2022) “What We Know, and What We Need to Find Out About Universal, School-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Children and Adolescents: A Review of Meta-Analyses and Directions for Future Research”, Psychological Bulletin, 148. 765–782, doi:10.1037/bul0000383.
Durlak JA, Weissberg RP, Dymnicki A, Taylor RD and Schellinger KB (2011) “The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions”, Child Development, 82, 405–432.
OECD (2023) Equity and Inclusion in Education: Finding Strength through Diversity, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/e9072e21-en, accessed 13 January 2026.
OECD (2025a) Education for human flourishing: a conceptual framework, OECD, doi:10.1787/73d7cb96-en.
OECD (2025b) Unlocking High-Quality Teaching, OECD, doi:10.1787/f5b82176-en.
Research summary - Including all learners
Further reading
ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) and Queensland Department of Education (2022) School Improvement Tool Elaborations: Student engagement and wellbeing, ACER, doi:10.37517/978-1-74286-651-2.
ADCET (Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training) (n.d.) “Universal Design for Learning”, ADCET website, accessed 14 January 2026.
AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2025a) AERO Practice guide - Collaborating with support networks: Supporting students’ diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (2025b) AERO Practice guide - Communication needs: Supporting students’ diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (2025c) AERO Practice guide - Emotional regulation: Supporting students’ diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (2025d) AERO Practice guide - Physical needs: Supporting students’ diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (2025e) AERO Practice guide - Planning: Supporting students' diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (2025f) AERO Practice guide - Sensory differences: Supporting students’ diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (2025g) AERO Practice guide - Social interactions: Supporting students’ diverse needs, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
AERO (n.d.) Wellbeing and belonging, AERO, accessed 8 January 2026.
Beyond Blue (2025) “Universal Design for Learning”, Beyond Blue website, accessed 14 January 2026.
CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) (n.d.) “Universal Design for Learning”, CAST website, accessed 14 January 2026.
EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) (2019) Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools, EEF, accessed 14 January 2026.
Evidence for Learning (2023) Effective behaviour supports in schools, Evidence for Learning, accessed 14 January 2026.
Graham L and Willis J (Eds.) (2025) Accessible assessment and pedagogies: Improving student outcomes through inclusive practice, Routledge.
Mahoney JL, Durlak JA and Weissberg RP (2018) “An update on social and emotional learning outcome research”, Phi Delta Kappan, 100 (4), 18–23.
NSW Department of Education (2024) “Universal design for learning”, NSW Department of Education website, accessed 14 January 2026.
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) (n.d.) “Resources”, TESOL website, accessed 14 January 2026.
UNSW (University of New South Wales) (n.d.) Professional Development Package for Teachers, UNSW, accessed 14 January 2026.