You’ll find all this and more at a Catholic school.
Together, we're guided by our strategic plan, Lighting The Way, which describes what we want to achieve, how we'll do it, and what success will look like.
As part of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong system, each of our Catholic schools is committed to improving faith, learning, and wellbeing outcomes for the students in their care.
Our focus areas
Lighting The Way was developed after an extensive co-creation process involving nearly 3,000 students, staff, clergy, school families, and external partners. In its five focus areas, the plan describes where we are focusing our collective efforts and energy to drive improvement for students and school communities.
Formation in the Catholic Tradition
Student learning and wellbeing
Belonging in a connected community
System support for the core work of teaching
Ensuring Catholic schools continue to thrive
Formation in the Catholic Tradition
Engaging students and staff in the beauty and depth of the Catholic faith through effective methods of formation, both old and new, that speak to the contemporary experience of believers and those searching for faith and meaning.
Outcomes:
- Students are supported to flourish through their deep knowledge and appreciation of Catholicity and their active participation in how it is lived and celebrated today.
- Staff are able to authentically infuse Catholicity into learning and engage students in questions and topics in light of the Gospel and Catholic intellectual tradition.
Student learning and wellbeing
Ensuring the holistic growth of students is optimised by taking an integrated approach to learning and wellbeing, including proactively supporting students to build resilience, confidence, and self-efficacy.
Outcomes:
- Students are engaged, safe and well, and have confidence in their ability to navigate challenges.
- Schools are providing high quality pedagogy that supports all students to grow in their learning and achieve their academic best.
Belonging in a connected community
Improving accessibility, communication, and the experience at key transition points so all students and families, especially those who have experienced disadvantage, vulnerability, or marginalisation, have the opportunity to feel a sense of belonging in their school community.
Outcomes:
- Students actively engage and feel safe and empowered to take co-responsibility for their learning and wellbeing at school.
- Parents and carers feel a positive sense of belonging, especially those who have previously felt disconnected from their school community.
System support for the core work of teaching
Defining the scope of contemporary teaching, and coordinate system efforts to ensure teachers are supported to focus on the work that directly drives student outcomes.
Outcomes:
- A contemporary, shared understanding of the role of teachers informs the focus of teachers' work and the support provided by the system.
- A coordinated systemic approach to prioritising and managing the workload of schools and teachers is consistently applied.
Ensuring Catholic schools continue to thrive
Developing plans and taking proactive action to position our system of Catholic schools to respond effectively to contemporary challenges and shape the future in the interests of our students.
Outcomes:
- School facilities, tools and technologies are in place to cater to growing enrolment demand and deliver equitable, high-quality learning.
- Our workforce is effective, adaptive and able to continue meeting student needs regardless of changes within or outside our system of schools.
- Systemic Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wollongong remain affordable, available and accessible within the context of our society and the local and global Church.
Connected autonomy
We know the best way to realise our mission is for schools to lead the improvement process, with enough time, resources, and support to achieve real and lasting results. That's why we've adopted a strategy built on the principles of 'connected autonomy'.
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