Relocating from NSW to Victoria: A Primary Teacher's Guide to the Curriculum, Classroom Routines, and Starting Strong

Quick Hits: Key Differences Between NSW and Victorian Systems

You're spot on that the curricula aren't worlds apart—both align to the Australian Curriculum—but Victoria has its own flavor. Here's a snapshot to ease the jargon shock:

Pro tip: Dive into the Victorian Department of Education's resources on recruitment in schools for interstate transfers, including VIT registration (Victorian Institute of Teaching) and super specifics. And yes, join the AEU ASAP—it's your lifeline for workload wins and the incoming agreement negotiations kicking off in Term 1 2025.

Upskilling on the Victorian Curriculum: What to Read and Do in the Next Few Weeks

The Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 (fully rolling out English/Maths in 2025) prioritizes foundational skills like phonics and explicit teaching, making it more streamlined than V1.0. Focus on English and Maths first—they underpin everything.

Top Resources to Tackle Now

1. Victorian Curriculum F–10 V2.0 Website (VCAA): Start with the English overview and scope & sequences. They're teacher-friendly, with comparisons to V1.0 and new Foundation Levels A–D for diverse learners. Spend 2–3 hours mapping a unit (e.g., Level 3 narrative writing) to see the progression.
2. Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0: This is your new best mate—evidence-based practices for how to teach, not just what. Download the Quick Guide and explore Arc's Evidence to Action page for Victorian Lesson Plans (VLPs). Key elements: Explicit instruction, spaced practice, and the "Big 6" for reading (phonics, vocab, etc.).
3. High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS): Victoria's 10 go-to moves (e.g., setting goals, feedback, collaborative learning). Grab the HITS resources and watch free webinars on Arc. Aligns perfectly with Gradual Release (I do, we do, you do).
4. Science of Reading & Phonics Push: From 2025, all Prep–2 classes get 25 mins daily synthetic phonics. Check the Phonics Plus resources and AERO's evidence-based guides on teaching reading. If you're not phonics-fluent, do the free LitHub modules.

4-Week Upskill Plan

• Week 1: Curriculum deep dive—familiarize via VCAA's English PL modules.
• Week 2: VTLM/HITS—adapt a NSW lesson to explicit teaching.
• Week 3: Phonics/SOR—practice with sample Prep texts.
• Week 4: Mock plan a term's English using VLPs; join a free VCAA webinar.

Bonus: The Academy's VTLM 2.0 PL programs are gold for interstate newbies.

Establishing Routines: Classroom Management in Those Crucial First Weeks

Victorian schools echo NSW's focus on explicit whole-school expectations, but with a VTLM twist—build predictability through routines that free up brain space for learning. Expect 1–2 weeks of "settling in," similar to your 3-warnings-to-buddy-class model, but tailored to Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS).

What to Expect

• Whole-School Vibes: Most Melbourne publics kick off with assemblies on behavior matrices (e.g., "Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner"). Align your class rules (5–8 positive ones, co-created Day 1) to this.
• Behavior Flow: Like NSW, it's tiered—proactive teaching of expectations, then reminders, warnings, and consequences (e.g., time-out, buddy class). No universal "3 warnings," but PCMS emphasizes fair, consistent feedback over punishment. Download the PCMS Guide for scripts.
• Daily Rhythm: Shorter days (8:50am–3:20pmish), with 30+8 capping face-to-face at ~21.5 hrs/week for primaries. More talk of wellbeing via FISO 2.0.

How to Plan and Implement

Use the first 10 days for modeling—practice everything like a pro sport. Here's a sample Week 1 timetable:

Tips:

• Visuals rule—use a "Routine of the Day" chart.
• Reinforce with specific praise: "I love how you transitioned quietly—that's our 'Be Ready' expectation!"
• Prep for surprises: New kids might join post-holidays, so have a "welcome pack" ready.

From forum wisdom: "It's less rigid than NSW but more collaborative—lean into HITS for buy-in."

Check-In Assessments: Guiding Groupings and Early Insights

Victorian primaries use formative "check-ins" like NSW, but with a lighter touch early on. Classes are usually locked by Term 4 the prior year, so you'll likely know your roster Day 1 (barring late movers).

Key Tools and Timing

• Grade 1 Check In: Either the new Year 1 Phonics Check (mandatory from 2026; optional 2025) or English Online Interview (EOI). Administer Term 1 (weeks 4–6) for phonics/phonemic awareness. It informs targeted groups (e.g., small-group phonics) but doesn't reshuffle classes—focus on differentiation within.
• Broader Diagnostics: Use Insight's DATE tools for Levels 2–4 (10–60 mins, one-on-one or groups) to baseline reading/writing. For Prep, optional EOI. NAPLAN prep starts later (Years 3/5).
• How It Guides Groupings: Data-driven like NSW—EOI/Phonics Check flags needs for flexible groups (e.g., extension in vocab, support in decoding). By Week 3, you'll have initial insights to tweak rotations.

Plan: Schedule EOI training via Insight (free); use results for your first HITS feedback cycle. Every school's a bit different—chat with your literacy lead pre-term.

Wrapping Up: You've Got This!

Relocating states is a curveball, but Victorian primaries are collaborative havens with killer resources like VLPs and Arc PL. Prioritize curriculum familiarization, routine rehearsals, and those early check-ins, and you'll be moderating writing samples with the best of 'em by Week 3. What's your biggest worry—phonics pivot or routine tweaks? Drop a comment or email us—we're compiling a free "Interstate Starter Kit" PDF with checklists and templates. Subscribe for more Vic-specific gems, including V2.0 report comment generators and annotated writing samples.

Sources: Adapted from VCAA Victorian Curriculum V2.0 resources, Department of Education VTLM 2.0 guidance, AEU updates, and PCMS strategies.